Pasha Munro joins Lee Matthews on The Elite Podcast for an extraordinary conversation spanning 27 years in the military — as a Royal Marine, Mountain Leader, SBS operator and, later, an SAS reservist — and the childhood that forged the resilience to get there.

Pasha is one of the very few to earn both the Mountain Leader qualification and a place in the SBS, passing what many consider the hardest course in the British military along the way. He talks through winning the Royal Navy boxing title, the brutal Cornwall-to-Scotland grind of ML training, hunting bombmakers on operations, and the mental mastery required to attack ships as a combat diver in freezing, pitch-black water.

But the real story is how he got there. Pasha speaks openly about a childhood of instability and neglect — growing up mixed-race in a steel town, his father's attempt to take him abroad when he was five, an alcoholic stepfather, and a Christmas spent in a women's refuge. He shares how the sea cadets gave him a "tribe", why he went off the rails and did time before turning it around, and how, after failing Special Forces selection twice, he wrote a letter begging for one last chance and finally passed at 33. He's honest, too, about the mental health struggles that followed his career, and how he rebuilt through close protection work, Channel 4's Hunted, and public speaking that now inspires kids from his own hometown.

It's a raw, funny and genuinely inspiring account of turning the worst possible start into an elite career — proof that determination, resilience and taking ownership can take you anywhere.

The Elite Podcast is a brand-new show where host Lee Matthews speaks to individuals who are at the top of their industry and profession. The guests will be from different backgrounds including combat sports, military, and business to coaching. Lee will be finding out along with you why they have become the best in their fields and enjoyed acclaimed success and what they all share – their determination to become ELITE in their field.

Lee Matthews is a former paratrooper, kickboxing world champion and now entrepreneur. He is the owner of the UK's biggest chain of martial arts centres.

CHAPTERS:
00:00 Intro
01:22 Royal Marines, Mountain Leader & SBS
02:39 Why the elite attracts certain minds
04:26 A mixed-race childhood in a steel town
05:17 His father's attempt to take him at five
07:09 An alcoholic stepdad & a refuge at Christmas
09:18 Getting into trouble: the file & the stolen socks
11:04 Sea cadets & choosing the Royal Marines
12:52 Passing Commando training at 52kg
15:32 Arbroath, mortars & the Navy boxing title
17:34 Failing SF selection — twice
20:03 Going off the rails & doing time
23:57 The Mountain Leader course: tougher than SF
27:26 On the run: escape, evasion & interrogation
31:40 Writing the letter for one last shot
33:01 Passing selection at 33
37:34 Inside the SBS: a day in the life
40:42 First contacts: hunting the bombmakers
43:36 Becoming a combat diver
45:16 Ship attacks in pitch-black water
48:11 27 years done: mental health & civvy street
51:23 Close protection: guarding royalty & celebrities
52:12 Going on Channel 4's Hunted
54:39 Public speaking & giving back
56:28 Wrapping up

Follow Lee on social media for more:
▶︎ Facebook - Facebook: lee.matthewsbmma
▶︎ Instagram - Instagram: leematthewsofficial
▶︎ Website - www.leematthewsofficial.com
▶︎ Lee's Book - https://shorturl.at/fyGI7

Recorded and Produced by Liverpool Podcast Studios
▶︎ Web - http://www.liverpoolpodcaststudios.com
▶︎ Instagram - Instagram: liverpoolpodcaststudios
▶︎ LinkedIn - LinkedIn: liverpool-podcast-studios