There isn’t a specifically accurate way of describing British former motorcycle racer Guy Martin. So eclectic, you simply couldn’t box him in or even tag him appropriately. Best of all, Martin doesn't even try to be mystical or anything of such, he’s just being himself. A weird minimalist, Martin doesn’t watch TV, and he once used an old Nokia just to save himself the time wasted surfing through the internet on smartphones.
Born on 4 November 1981 in Lincolnshire, England, Guy Martin’s father Ian worked as a truck mechanic, and he also raced motorcycles, competing in numerous Isle of Man TT events. Interestingly, Guy Martin’s mother, Rita Kidals, has a unique heritage, being the daughter of a Latvian political refugee. Immensely exhilarated by danger, Guy Martin is an international road-racing legend, a maverick star, and a speed addict. However, there’s still a lot more to this enigmatic Brit with unique sideburns.
8 Named In Tribute To Guy Gibson
Wing Commander Guy Penrose Gibson was a Second World War Royal Air Force pilot bomber, who completed more than 170 war operations until his death in active duty at just 26.
He led No. 617 Squadron in the 1943 daredevil “Dam Busters” raid which resulted in the breach of two massive dams in the German Ruhr area and earned a Victoria Cross for his effort. Hence, Martin was named ‘Guy’ in tribute to the amazing bomber pilot.
7 Loves Charity
Resources aren’t evenly distributed in our society today, hence, charitable donations have become a norm. Diseases, loss of livelihood, death of a key family member, and several other factors often contribute to this imbalance, but a few among the well-to-do have taken it on themselves to carter for these lapses through charitable organizations.
On his part, Martin, through sales from his merchandise, raised tens of thousands of pounds for Spinal Research.
6 Owns A Pub
Best known for his incredible motorcycle riding prowess, however, Martin is a class act at picking proper menus as well. He co-owns a pub called the Marrowbone & Cleaver, with his partner, Sharon.
Located in his hometown of Kirmington, North Lincolnshire, the pub was at the brink of bankruptcy before the speed star acquired it to inject life back into the town which had already lost a butcher, GP’s surgery, and post office.
5 Best-Selling Writer
Incredibly, Martin has leveraged his awesome writing skills to launch a booming writing career. In 2014, he released a book titled ‘My Autobiography’ — an intense self-written account detailing the life of the international road-racing legend with a focus on his constant search for the next jaw-dropping adventure.
The book became a phenomenal Sunday Times Bestseller. He also wrote ‘When You Dead, You Dead,’ ‘Worms to Catch,’ and ‘We need to weaken the Mixture,’ all bestsellers with over a million copies sold.
4 He’s A Mechanic
Martin has always been spellbound by engines, even as a young child. He’s known to always fiddle with the lawnmowers in a bid to make them go faster. Also, having always seen his dad work on stuff, Martin developed a keen interest in engines and started fiddling with trucks as early as 12.
Martin’s local school encouraged a hands-on approach to studies, but lacking genuine interest in academics, he would later enroll as a truck mechanic with a Volvo center.
3 Hosts TV Shows
Anchoring TV shows is one of Martin’s several fortes as well. Notably, his first stint on the screen came in 2009 on an ITV4 program for fans of the year’s TT race. In 2011, Martin made his first-ever appearance on a TV documentary through programs focused on his zeal for engineering instead of motorsport.
These programs are the 2011 ‘The Boat that Guy Built’ which was shown on the BBC in 2011 and ‘How Britain Worked’ shown on Channel 4 in 2012, among others.
2 Has Several Speed Records
Extremely daring, there’s never a task too hard for Martin to try. With a mindset of no impossibility, he attempted to break several speed records in many events.
Martin has several Guinness World Records which include the fastest speed on a gravity-powered snow sled, the highest speed in a soapbox, and the fastest tractor, after making a top speed of 135.191 mph at Elvington Airfield, York, UK. He also has the British record for fastest hovercraft.
1 Crashed Countless Times
Martin has had too many crashes to count. However, irrespective of how bad the crashes were, he never stopped. Notably, in 2003, he broke his ankle while racing at the Southern 100 in the road racing series.
Also, in 2010, Martin survived a 170 mph crash at the TT and was lucky to have made it out of the ensuing fireball alive, suffering a broken back and ribs. Nonetheless, that wasn’t even enough to make him quit, he went back again.