Bear Grylls talks learning to fight his school bully as he describes himself as ‘not naturally fit’

Bear Grylls has admitted he is not ‘naturally fit,’ as he revealed being beaten up by a school bully at eight-years-old inspired his athletic journey. 

The TV survival star and former SAS tropper, 46, confessed he struggles to find the motivation to remain fit and healthy as he praised Prime Minister Boris Johnson for candidly admitting his weight struggles. 

Speaking to The Sun on Saturday, he said: ‘There was one bully at school, a really big kid, who would target a whole bunch of us.

‘I stopped getting thumped around’: Bear Grylls has admitted he is not ‘naturally fit,’ as he revealed being beaten up by a school bully at eight-years-old inspired his athletic journey

‘Eventually I thought, “I am going to get smart”. I took up karate and decided to keep going to classes for as long as I needed before I stopped getting thumped around.

‘I became the second youngest black belt in the country.’

Bear – who conquered Everest aged just 23 – said he was grateful for the bully who inspired him to learn a physical discipline, while asserting: ‘I am not one of these people who is naturally fit, naturally super-positive.’

Instead the TV adventurer deliberately chooses to focus on the good moments in life, despite having days where he feels he ‘can’t be bothered’ to get up. 

Looking back: The TV survival star and former SAS tropper, 46, took up karate as a child but confessed he struggles to find the motivation to remain fit and healthy

Looking back: The TV survival star and former SAS tropper, 46, took up karate as a child but confessed he struggles to find the motivation to remain fit and healthy

He reflected on the challenges he has faced and admitted life can hard, but said it is OK to feel that way. 

Bear is now on a mission to get the rest of the UK fit, with a 40-day Be Military Fit challenge as he praised Boris, 56, for labelling himself as ‘too fat,’ and launching the Better Health campaign to crack down on obesity. 

The TV star said ‘good for him,’ while stating there is still ‘room for improvement’ when it comes to improving the nation’s health.   

His thirst for fitness and mental challenges would inspire him to join the territorial army in 1994, following in the footsteps of his father, Sir Michael Grylls, who served as a Royal Marine and Brigadier in The King’s Royal Hussars.

Honest: Bear - who conquered Everest aged just 23 - said he was grateful for the bully who inspired him to learn a physical discipline, while asserting: ' I am not one of these people who is naturally fit, naturally super-positive' (pictured in 2014)

Honest: Bear – who conquered Everest aged just 23 – said he was grateful for the bully who inspired him to learn a physical discipline, while asserting: ‘ I am not one of these people who is naturally fit, naturally super-positive’ (pictured in 2014) 

His father passed away from a heart attack in 2001, but Bear revealed his dad’s position as commando made him realise he would ‘love’ to join the military force, which he says was the ‘best thing’ he’s ever done.    

Earlier in March, Bear revealed to the publication that the scariest moment of his life so far was when a snake tried to strangle him underwater in East Africa. 

He said: ‘I’ve never been so scared in my life… I look back on the many times in my life when I really should have died. I feel incredibly lucky to have survived.’ 

The adventurer’s latest dance with death came when he was filming in a ravine with a terrifying and unpredictable boa constrictor snake.  

Backing: Bear is now on a mission to get the rest of the UK fit as he praised Prime Minister Boris Johnson, 56, for labelling himself as 'too fat' and launching the Better Health campaign to crack down on obesity

Backing: Bear is now on a mission to get the rest of the UK fit as he praised Prime Minister Boris Johnson, 56, for labelling himself as ‘too fat’ and launching the Better Health campaign to crack down on obesity

Bear explained: ‘Once they wrap [around you], you can’t breathe or move and if it takes you down you’re in big trouble.’  

‘I got in, couldn’t touch the bottom, and suddenly I felt that thing grab me and start pulling me down.’

The experts gave the military man their thumbs-down rescue signal several times during the risky procedure but he wouldn’t allow them to step in to help.   

Bear undertook the dare-devil pursuit while filming for the interactive Netflix film, Animals On the Loose. 

Like father like son: His thirst for fitness and mental challenges would inspire him to join the terrotiral army in 1994, following in the footsteps of his father, Sir Michael Grylls, who served as a Royal Marine

Like father like son: His thirst for fitness and mental challenges would inspire him to join the terrotiral army in 1994, following in the footsteps of his father, Sir Michael Grylls, who served as a Royal Marine

He recalled the terrifying moment that the snake got a grip around his neck and was more powerful and faster than he ever could have anticipated. 

No easy opponent, large boa constrictors can weigh up to 27 kg, with female snakes being generally bigger.

Bear also revealed he had gone against the advice of his safety crew, who were uneasy about attempting the stunt from the beginning.

However, his fearless antics and wild adventures have taken a back seat in recent months after spending the lockdown at his home in Wiltshire with his wife Shara and sons Jesse, 17, Marmaduke, 14 and Huckleberry, 12. 

Family: However, his wild adventures have taken a back seat in recent months after spending the lockdown at his home in Wiltshire with his wife Shara (pictured in 2019) and sons Jesse, 17, Marmaduke, 14 and Huckleberry, 12

Family: However, his wild adventures have taken a back seat in recent months after spending the lockdown at his home in Wiltshire with his wife Shara (pictured in 2019) and sons Jesse, 17, Marmaduke, 14 and Huckleberry, 12