FRESH from teaching US president Barack Obama survival skills, British adventurer Bear Grylls picked up a ‘World’s Leading Adventure Award’ for his survival academies, one of which is based in Brook, near Haslemere.

Bracing 24-hour family and adult survival courses are offered on Whithorn Farm’s 300-acre estate, as the “perfect preparation” for Bear’s five-day wilderness survival course at his academy in the Highlands.

“Some of my toughest times have lasted for less than 24 hours yet have had the greatest impact on me,” he said. “That’s the goal on the 24 hour course: push yourself and learn life-saving skills and attitudes such as resourcefulness and calm under pressure. It’s intense but has proved itself so rewarding.

“We are so proud the academies are named World’s Leading Extreme Adventure for the fourth consecutive year at the World Travel Awards.”

Pictured: Bear Grylls (right) with Rachel Hill, director of operations, and Scott Heffield, project development manager.