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Professor Hugh Montgomery

Kirsty Young talks to intensive care specialist Prof Hugh Montgomery.

Kirsty Young's castaway this week is Professor Hugh Montgomery.

His area of academic specialism is intensive care medicine and he's also known for his pioneering genetic research into the ACE fitness gene - which determines our capacity for either strength or endurance.

In themselves significant achievements. But he is also, a children's author, an ultra-marathon runner and the current holder of the world record for playing piano underwater. At the age of only 15 he was also part of the dive team that investigated the treasures of The Mary Rose.

He says, "I've learnt that life can end randomly and pointlessly at any time. I don't want to be on my death bed and think 'damn! I wish I'd learnt to paint and write songs'".

Producer: Cathy Drysdale.

Available now

45 minutes

Last on

Fri 28 Feb 2014 09:00

Music Played

  • The Rolling Stones

    Brown Sugar

    • The Best of the Rolling Stones.
    • Virgin.
  • Kate Bush

    The Man with The Child In His Eyes

    • Kick Inside.
    • EMI.
  • The Alan Parsons Project

    Old and Wise

    • Eye in the sky.
    • Arista.
  • Dire Straits

    Telegraph Road

    • Love Over Gold.
    • Vertigo.
  • Suzanne Vega

    Gypsy

    • Solitude Standing.
    • A & M.
  • Joan Armatrading

    Me Myself I

    • The Best of Joan Armatrading.
    • A & M.
  • Pink Floyd

    Comfortably Numb

    • A Foot in the Door.
    • EMI.
  • Castaway's Favourite

    • Jeremy Sassoon, Richard Hammond & Steve Gilbert

      The Things We've Handed Down

  • Book Choice

    • SAS Handbook of Survival - John 'Lofty' Wiseman

  • Luxury Choice

    • A spear fishing kit

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Kirsty Young
Interviewed Guest Hugh Montgomery
Producer Cathy Drysdale

Broadcasts

  • Sun 23 Feb 2014 11:15
  • Fri 28 Feb 2014 09:00

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