Personal
First and foremost, Ram is a family man, husband to the love of his life, father to an inspirational daughter, owner of an incredible service dog that allows him to live his life as normally as is possible, an outspoken advocate for speaking truth to power, fighting the fair fight for those in the right, a Family Court Magistrate, a faithful Christian who's best friend and closest confidant is a devout Muslim, a proponent of Love, Faith, and Hope, a student of stoicism and the virtues of Wisdom, Justice, Courage, and Temperance, a lover of all things mechanical, and a dreamer of one day having the privilege to build his own mechanical wrist watches from scratch in Frome, Somerset.
Professional
Ram is a former Royal Marine and current British Classic Bench Press champion aiming for a world title in powerlifting. He served in Afghanistan and was diagnosed with complex combat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Ram has used powerlifting to help manage his PTSD symptoms and has found significant success in the sport. He is also a family court magistrate. His educational background includes schooling in Greece until the age of 10, followed by eight years at a Swiss boarding school.
He is fluent in both Greek and German. Professionally, he is a PPM professional with a multitude of industry-recognized certifications, including Full Chartered Membership of the Association for Project Managers (APM), plus holder of an MBA and postgraduate Masters Degrees in Leadership and Corporate Environmental Sustainability.
Heritage
Ram's family heritage is rich and varied. He is the great-grandson of Roy Chapman Andrews, the famed explorer and paleontologist renowned for his discovery of dinosaur eggs in the Gobi Desert.
Ram is also the great-grandson of e.e. cummings, the eminent American poet celebrated for his innovative use of language and unconventional typography.
His grandfather, Roy Kevin Andrews, was a distinguished academic, archaeologist, historian, and a vehement philhellene, earning himself a short custodial sentence as a revolutionary against the Greek Dictatorship between 1967 and 1974.
Ram's mother, Ioanna Andrews, is a respected artist. His grandmother, Nancy Theyre Cummings Andrews, was known for her artistic talents and independent spirit.
Born in London, Ram is of Jamaican/White American descent. Alongside his grandmother, Nancy, he counts T.E. Lawrence, the enigmatic figure of the Arab Revolt, as one of his heroes.
Ram dreams of one day retracing Lawrence's journey from Aqaba to Damascus, unsupported, traveling with a camel, wearing traditional Bedouin clothing of the era, and carrying only a diary, allowing ample time to write poetry under the desert night sky.
Influence
Ram's adventurous spirit echoes that of his great-grandfather Roy Chapman Andrews, inspiring him to explore uncharted territories, both literal and metaphorical. His lineage to e.e. cummings fuels his passion for poetry. With over 80 unpublished poems to his name, chronicling snapshots of life over the past 15 years, Ram finds solace and expression in verse. One of his poems was even selected for an arts competition in Frome, Somerset, a testament to his creative talent and a clear link to his great-grandfather's poetic legacy.
His grandfather, Roy Kevin Andrews, instilled in him a strong sense of justice and the courage to speak truth to power, qualities that resonate deeply with his military service and advocacy work. His charitable and creative endeavours, including his fundraising and his passion for mental health advocacy, are a clear reflection of his mother Ioanna Andrews' influence. His grandmother, Nancy Thayer Cummings Andrews, along with his mother, have been central figures in his life, shaping his resilience and inspiring him to navigate unchartered waters with courage and compassion.
Resilience
Ram's story is one of resilience and determination. Honourably discharged from the Royal Marines in 2011, he struggled to adjust to civilian life and cope with PTSD symptoms like flashbacks, nightmares, and anxiety. Powerlifting provided focus and a way to manage these challenges. This resilience is rooted in deep personal experiences.
After a traumatic and tumultuous life experience with his mother, Ram counts the last three days he had with her in a Swiss Hospice as profoundly heartwarming, allowing them both to come to terms with her imminent death after 30 years of battling cancer. Although she apologised for everything of the past, Ram fondly remembers being able to tell her that he loved her unconditionally, and then having the privilege only a son could ask for of cradling her in his arms as she took her last breaths overlooking the Pizzo di Claro peak in 2015.
This resilience is further exemplified by his remarkable fundraising efforts. In 2010, Ram designed and executed the "March For Honour," a grueling charity fundraising event where he carried 55lbs on his back, covering 30 miles a day for six days from Plymouth to London. This incredible feat raised £1.2 million for charity. He replicated this success in 2013, running the same event in Kuwait, covering 30 miles with 55lbs in just seven hours. This effort raised funds for youth development and strengthened Anglo-Kuwaiti ties, culminating in the planting of a tree and a commemorative plaque in the British Embassy grounds, alongside King Charles III's tree and plaque.
Fundraising
Adding to his remarkable achievements, Ram is also diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), speaking openly about the challenges of living with these conditions and learning to 'behave' as 'normal' in a neurotypical world through high-functioning 'masking' - particularly with communication, materials, sounds, touch, eye contact, and hypersensitivity to smell.
In 2008, after a military operational tour of duty in Afghanistan, Ram was diagnosed with Complex Combat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD), causing debilitating dissociative episodes, sleepless nights, and a hypersensitivity to certain sensory overloads such as sudden loud noises, fireworks, approaches from behind, the smell of iron, dirt, sand, blood, the taste of cordite, and aggression - all of which result in a 'fight' response, requiring intensive de-escalation triage and self-care, including interventions from his wife as his registered carer and his prescribed service dog Athena.
Through his intersectionality as a Neurodivergent Black Man, living with CPTSD and Cancer, including his educational and career C-Suite accomplishments, Ram hopes his story inspires others to overcome obstacles and begin on a journey to believe that their gifts become their superpower once they unlock their learned biases about their differences.
This ability to overcome adversity was powerfully demonstrated in 2024. Following a catastrophic knee injury during powerlifting training, Ram underwent full reconstructive knee surgery. Two weeks later, after being made redundant, he received a bowel cancer diagnosis.
On Friday, 13 September 2024, Ram underwent a Radical Extended Right Hemicolectomy with a Complete Mesocolic Excision to remove the cancer in his bowel.
In February 2025, after an 11-month excruciatingly challenging job search, Ram secured a dream job with the opportunity to directly impact 500,000 lives through Transformational Programme Leadership.
On Sunday, 16 February 2025, in Cardiff, Ram defended his British National Championship title and qualified once again to represent Team GB at the World Championships on 19 May 2025.
Given the immense challenges he has faced, defending his title and winning for the second time in a row in a physical feat of resilience and determination, against all the odds, Ram's story stands like the historic pillars of King Solomon's Temple in testament to his unwavering spirit and a powerful message to established strength and stability, no matter the trials or tribulations.
As such, Ram is committed to help fundraising for humanitarian, social mobility, Minority Group Advo and cancer charities through:
~ Public Speaking Engagements
~ Patronage
~ Sporting Challenges
~ Media Appearances
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Adversity
Beyond powerlifting and his judicial work, Ram is a passionate advocate for mental health awareness, believing in open conversations to reduce stigma.
He has also successfully recovered from bowel cancer, further demonstrating his strength and resilience in the face of adversity. Now, Ram is on a mission to reach out to men, encouraging them to embrace the superpower of vulnerability and openly discuss the challenges before, during, and since surviving complex cancer surgery.
Coming through it all with a newfound appreciation of life, the value of the miracle of every dawn, and the perpetual journey of growth and achievement through self-discovery, humility, self-reflection, and positive impacts in society – no matter how big or small.
Documentary
The BBC Network has been following Ram's journey over the past year, with hopes of evolving this into a mini-documentary and a series of podcasts.
The aim is to reach as many people as possible with a story of facing challenges head-on, exploring their impacts, his attempted suicide, living with trauma, navigating the world as a neurodivergent person, and learning to turn challenging situations into opportunities to learn.
Ram firmly believes in championing others to move from asking; "Why is this happening to me?", to naturally asking themselves;
"Why not me?"
"What can I learn from this?"
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