A hero is defined as “a person noted for courageous acts or nobility of character”. Movies portray heroes as big, muscle-clad lumps, mostly men, in tight-fitting lycra suits who swoop down and save the world from certain destruction. In other places, popular characters are defined as heroes; from the likes of Barack Obama and Mother Theresa to Kim Kardashian. Your personal heroes can be quite subjective and often we expect our heroes to deliver big, punchy results… but I think in those cases, you may be looking in the wrong places. Heroes can be found much closer to home.

My Grandfather is my hero. He’s an ordinary man. But he’s also a very, very special man.

After escaping Nazi Germany as a child, he moved to the UK and over the years, he worked his arse off, built a business which employed many workers, built a family, contributed to his community, dedicated his time to charities and other meaningful causes, he cared for my Grandmother for over 50 years after she was diagnosed as disabled – and never complained once. Not once. He is nice to everybody he meets, gives everyone a chance (and some more than one chance) and shows love and kindness in buckets to family, friends and strangers. I’ve never heard anyone say a bad word about him.

I’m sure that the guys in capes who can fly and lift cars are more exciting, and that the people we see on TV, YouTube and in glossy magazines are more glamorous, but are these really the kind of people we should be holding up as role models, as heroes, to our children?

Heroes should be accessible. Yes, they should be unique and special, but normal, ordinary people need to feel as though they can be elevated to hero status by their peers, thereby encouraging everyone to be the best they can be. Otherwise, what is even the point?

And so, when people ask me who my hero is, I will always say “My Grandfather”. They won’t know him. They won’t be able to understand why. But, for always setting the best example, for always doing the right thing, for being a shining light, for being selfless, kind and loving, for spending his whole life trying to give something back, my Grandfather will always be the single person I hold above everyone else.

Love you Gramps x