Tomiwa, what first attracted you to the Fire Service?
“ I initially studied at Brunel University in Uxbridge, where I acquired my first degree in Sports Science and Business Studies. Having then worked at the London Fire & Emergency Planning Authority, I found myself in positions with Cancer Research UK and the NHS. I also studied part-time at St Marys College obtaining a diploma in Health, Nutrition and Physical Activity.
I had played semi-professional, for Leyton FC and Carshalton FC and it was during them amateur football days which I made a lot of friends who worked for the fire service. Combined with my work at the procurement department, the fire lads highlighted the pros of being a firefighter and I found these tied in with my core values..... fairness, integrity, and the physical aspects of the job. One of the fundamental attractions to me, are the rewards you get helping people and the impact you can make on their lives”.
When did you join the Fire Service?
“ I joined around four and a half years ago. I love the variety of the job and its’ daily duties. Being based at Chelsea, which is considered an affluent area, we may not have as many turn outs for fires, however, there are many more aspects of the job we have to deal with. The biggest incident I have attended though, was at the fictional home of Hercule Poirot, on Clerkenwell Fire Station ground a couple of years ago. I was one of the first fire fighters on the scene and the whole place was up.”
Tomiwa has had an eye for fashion since a very young age, which eventually led him to not only a‘ Foundation degree in Cordwainers Footwear Design’ which he achieved at The London College of Fashion, but also a Master of Arts in‘ Fashion Menswear Footwear’. This he obtained in June this year, at the Royal College of Art.
When did you first become interested in fashion?
“ When I was young, around 11, my friend and I used our spare time after school and at weekends, to design trainers. It was a passion from an early age which rekindled when I reassessed my life later, having the memories of being very happy doing it, still with me. To this day, I still have a general love of trainers and as i consider myself a creative person, I looked into the subject in greater detail. When I was a child, Airmax 95s were massive, in fact the whole Airmax series and the likes of Reebok Pump, Fila and Adidas. Footwear now though has exploded, when I was young there was only a limited variety and the releases were few and far between. Now there is so much choice, with remakes, colour ups, new brands etc.”
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