Interview with Leon Mair for Escape

21 September 2017

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Leon Mair, 32

Supportability Engineer and Former Army Mechanic

Solihull

 

What’s your background?

I’m Leon, I’m from Solihull. I was in the army for eight and a half years. Before that I completed an apprenticeship and worked as a vehicle technician in a number of car dealerships. I’ve been out the army for 12 months now, I’m really enjoying it. I now work for Morgan Advanced Materials, Composites and Defence Systems, who mainly produce advanced armour solutions for the Defence industry. My role is to advise and support their ‘Mastiff’ fleet of vehicles, which I also worked on in the army.

 

Were you sent to the frontline when you were in the army?

Yeah, I’ve been on operational tours in Afghanistan, and non-operational tours of the Falklands, Canada and Kenya to mention a few. My role was a heavy Armoured vehicle mechanic, where the main job was to keep the vehicles on the road in the hand of the user. Jobs involved everything from basic servicing to major repairs in the field.

 

What was it like being out in the field?

You’re always under pressure to keep the vehicles moving so that they can continue to be used. At times I was attached to vehicle patrols, say when there’s a vehicle movement from one place to another. If anything happens I’m there to quickly do a repair and get everyone moving again. Sometimes I have been centralised so that vehicles could be brought to me, other times I have been flown by helicopter to broken vehicles to work out what can be done. It’s a lot of pressure on your shoulders, but then your training kicks in and you get on with it, at the end of the day it’s your job.

 

So working out in the field means you must be in your element doing a show like this?

I really am. I’m so excited. As much as it seems similar to what I have done in the past, it’s very different too. I’m really looking forward to it.

 

Having come from the military, are you looking forward to working with Ant?

Yeah, definitely. Ant started off in the Army so we have come from the same background and he’s been out of the military for a few years now too so it’ll be nice to see how he is now and his memories of what he did. I think there will be a close connection between us. I think we’ll click, there’ll be an unspoken bond due to some of the experiences we have both had. I’m sure there’ll be a lot of banter, if I can give him a bit of gyp about something, then I will! It will make the harder times go by faster.

 

Your military training will come in handy with dealing with the environment you’re thrown into…

Yeah, definitely. The Falklands is the place that comes to mind when I try to think of environments I have been to that are close to this. Out there the seasons can change like anything, they say you can experience four seasons in one day.

 

 

How would you describe your personality?

I’m a positive person. I’m quite straight talking, there’s no point beating around the bush. I can be an alpha male when I need to be. Being in the military you can’t always be the alpha or the leader, so if I need to step up or down I can.

 

How will you react if the other engineers don’t agree with your idea?

I’ll voice my opinion. But I accept I’m human and can’t always be right. If I’m out numbered and the whole group thinks I’m wrong then I can take that. At the same time, if I can clearly see that they are missing something and my idea is better I will voice that. I’m certainly not shy to speak up when I need to.

 

What do you think you’ll bring to this show that the other engineers can’t?

I’ve been in similar environments; I’ve been under pressure before. I’ve covered a vast number of areas rather than being a professor in one. I think I’m an all-rounder and I can improvise pretty well.

 

You’re a weightlifter too?

Yeah, I’m an Olympic style weightlifter. Being in the army I’ve always been into fitness and I got into Olympic lifting a few years back. I started to do it a lot more seriously a year ago when leaving the Army. I’m a bit late in the game to ever make the actual Olympics but my aim is to rank as high as I can nationally and I will be competing at the British Championships next year. I’ve got a bit more to do to qualify but with hard work that shouldn’t be a problem.

 

So if it all goes wrong you and Ant could just carry people out of danger?

Yeah! That’s right. It could just be me and Ant carrying everyone out if we don’t get this vehicle built!

 

Is there anything you’re worried about?

Not really, what’s there to worry about? It’s not a real life situation, so I’m keeping it real.

 

What do your family think about this?

I have a wife, Clare and daughter, Willow who is three. They are my world. Clare is really supportive in everything I do and Willow sees me as her action man that does all the physical and outdoor type things with her. I think they will both be proud of me when they watch the show.

 

Would you like your daughter to go into engineering?

I would never turn Willow away from anything she really wanted to do. There are many women in engineering now and I have worked with a fair amount. I hope that by the time she is old enough, being a female engineer is as normal as seeing a woman driving a car down the road.