by Neil Connor (first published in The Birmingham Post, Friday January 19th 2001)
Symbol of survival: Gulf War veteran teaches businessmen to beat stress
"What I do is relate my thoughts and emotions of what it felt like when I thought I was going to die"
A Gulf War pilot who was paraded on Iraqi TV after being tortured has set up a stress management company in Worcestershire.
John Peters will use his horrific experiences in the conflict, where he was starved and beaten after his Tornado fighter was shot down, to help businessmen cope with the rigours of industry.
The former RAF pilot, aged 39, set up Kidderminster-based management development company UPH Ltd with close friends Martyn Helliwell and former England rugby player Rory Underwood.
After being shot down with navigator John Nicol ten years ago this week, Mr Peters barely survived the seven weeks he spent at the hands of his Iraqi navigators.
But the ex-flier, who liver near Worcestershire with wife Helen, aged 38, and two children, Guy, aged 12, and Toni, aged ten, said he would use his experience to help businessmen boost their motivation and efficiency skills.
"Obviously, it was a defining experience and at the time it made me realise about reflection and how you learn about your life", he said.
"When we get business people in, we share stories but I am not saying to them 'look at me, I am strong'. I have my story but I can never live up to other people's beliefs".
"What I do is relate my thoughts and emotions of what it felt like when I thought I was going to die".
"They think I am very courageous and a man of great strength. But that is not the case because I was scared and I am not very big".
"The only thing that separates me from other people is circumstance. Most people have gone through a similar sort of experience and come out of the other side. It may be a car accident, a birth of a child or a death of a loved one".
Mr Peters said he had gained a lot of knowledge about how companies operate after spending years speaking at business functions following the Gulf War.
He has also completed a Masters in Business Administration at Leicester University.
Since leaving he RAF last July, Mr Peters was able to commit himself full-time to UPH.
"We all have service back-grounds and the armed forces really does a good job in training people how to react quickly in stressful situations", he said.
"Martyn is currently a director of the Royal Naval Survival School and he is SAS and US SEAL-trained. He will be leaving the forces in June of next year to commit full time to the company".
"Rory is a flight lieutenant in the RAF and will be leaving the forces this June".
Mr Peter's Tornado was downed during the first daylight raid of the war after it was hit by a surface-to-air missile.
Pictures of the flight lieutenant became an enduring symbol of the Gulf War after he was paraded beaten and bruised. His battered face shocked millions but his wife Helen, originally from Harborne, Birmingham, said at the time she was relieved at seeing the pictures because he was still alive.
While in prison, Mr Peters was woken with a kick, hit around the head with a pistol, had a gun held against his head and was told he would never see his wife and children again.
"They focus on your weaknesses - that is part of the interrogation process", said Mr Peters.
