Charlie loves anything to do with sport, especially cricket. Despite having suffered from axial SpA for over 30 years, he leads a very active life and lives with his wife Claire and his two children George and Grace, in Rugby Warwickshire. A fierce competitor on the pitch, Charlie is also known for his coaching and mentoring, his compassion and charity work, and possesses a burning desire to raise awareness of his condition.

Why this book is special to Charlie?

I want to endeavour to portray the amazing world of amateur sport, and in particular cricket, whilst touching on very important issues such as living and playing with arthritis, friendships, coaching, mental health, and the impact that sport can have on your overall wellbeing and wider aspects of life. It is about opening up after many years of fighting with my own inner demons and struggling to play through a debilitating arthritic condition. I don’t undertake this book claiming to have played professional sport or at the same time to be all knowledgeable in the field of arthritis and wellbeing, but simply hope that other sportsmen and women, whatever their background and level of play, will be able to relate with and enjoy reading my story. It is a journey of hope, determination, resilience and, ultimately, self-discovery and touches especially on the importance of never giving up on your dreams. If I can, at the same time, raise awareness and funds for two charities very dear to my own heart, then even better!