Involved in competitive sport since the age of four, after completing a PhD in Ecology, Pavel worked in Colombia, Brazil, the UAE, South Korea and China. His love of outdoors sees him setting courses for ultra-marathons in Bhutan, powder skiing in Japan and guiding tourists to both the North and South Poles. He also crossed South America by bicycle, pedalling over 12,000 kilometres, alone. A former competitive distance runner, Pavel speaks English, Chinese, Spanish, Russian, Portuguese and French and supports AFC Wimbledon, his local football club.