Bear Grylls birthday special: Here are 5 lesser-known things about the wild man

Edward Michael "Bear" Grylls OBE, born 7 June 1974, is a British adventurer, writer, television presenter and businessman. He first drew attention after embarking on a number of adventures and then became widely known for his television series Man vs. Wild.

He is also involved in a number of wilderness survival television series in the UK and US, such as Running Wild with Bear Grylls and The Island with Bear Grylls.

Here are 5 lesser-known things about him:

1. He once rowed naked in a homemade bathtub, to raise funds for a friend who had lost his legs in a climbing disaster. The wild man once participated in The Great Sussex Bath Race, which still runs annually, and they kept photographic proof of his heroic effort.

2. He holds the world record for the highest open-air formal dinner party, held in a hot-air balloon at 7,600 m. Grylls enjoyed asparagus tips, duck a l’orange and fruit terrine, with side orders of freezing temperatures of minus 50 degrees Celsius. Once finished, he saluted the Queen and then skydived back down to earth, as you do.

3. He once Wrapped a urine-soaked t-shirt around his head to prevent overheating. Drinking urine became synonymous with Grylls because he did it so many times on his show Man versus Wild.

4. He climbed Mount Everest when he was 23. Grylls was on top of the world in 1998. At the time, he was one of the youngest people ever to make it to the summit. To make the feat more remarkable, Grylls completed the climb only a few months after recovering from a broken back after a skydiving accident.

5. He has a TV show called 'The Island' with Bear Grylls, and he also owns his own private island. The island is in Wales and it’s 20 acres and five miles offshore with no mains, electricity, or running water.

(with sources inputs)