Isolated Memories - Interview with Josh Apiafi
Sky Sports Racing Presenter Josh Apiafi answers the 10 questions in our latest lockdown interview.
Today we have our e-chat with the ever-popular Josh Apiafi, co-founder of Rewards 4 Racing, Sky Sports Racing Host, Diversity Champion and all round good guy!
Check out Josh’s work on diversity on Sky Sports Racing now, including interviews with Rishi Persad and Sean Levy.
First Car?
Silver 1.0ltr Renault 5 C reg! 😍
First ever Job?
Stable Lad aged 16 at Martin Pipes in 1991 (Champion Racehorse Trainer)
Can you remember your first ever big purchase?
Outside of my first car, it was probably buying my first house at aged 20, I paid £21k for a three-bedroom terraced house in north Nottinghamshire! I saved £1,000 deposit and the mortgage was £127 per month!
First memory of racing?
Watching the Cheltenham Festival with the TV technician at school! I was the only non-white in a school of 1,500 kids. But our TV technician was a racing mad Rastafarian called Micheal Walker!
I’d go to my tutor after the lunch break and register but then rather than go to lessons I’d head to his office, he had a Ladbrokes telephone account and we’d sit and punt all afternoon! One year we were caught by the scary deputy head who walked into Michael’s office, rather than tear strips off us he sat down and watched Dessie win the Gold Cup! To this day I take the deputy head to the festival every year. I lost touch with Michael Walker, I’d love to know what he’s up to now..
First day on the job in sport?
A green as grass 16 year old, a week after my last GCSE I moved 200 miles away from home to join team Pipe. I rode out three lots and thought I’d arrived in heaven! Little did I know I had a lot to learn.....
Favourite memory of your life in sport?
Winning the Midlands Grand National with Big Occasion in 2013 as an owner. Abby and my two kids were present (after a long week at the Festival!). Uttoxeter holds a special place in both our hearts as I first met Abby there when she was Commercial Director at the racecourse. I also rode my last winner there as an amateur jockey in 1995 for Martin Pipe.
Did you ever contemplate doing something different?
Never, not once, from the age of 12 all I wanted to do was ride in jump races. After I grew too big to ever think about being a professional jockey all I wanted to do was be part of revolutionising and growing the sport (just as Martin Pipe did). I think this tells a lot about my career to date with being part of the early management team at Betfair and then launching Rewards4Racing. All of which are distributive businesses which also assist in modernising and growing the sport
If you had to work in another sport what would it be?
Golf, I love playing it and the commercialisation of the sport over the last two decades has been eye-opening!
Sporting Hero?
Michael Jordan, he epitomises work ethic, dedication and leadership
Isolation tip?
Family FaceTime PT sessions with Tara Pitman PT!. We screen mirror her onto the TV in the lounge, clear the sofa and chairs to the back of the room and get working! Twice a week, lots of family laughs (we have 12 and 14-year-old children) and we all feel like we’ve achieved something afterwards! Check Tara out on Instagram @tara_pitman_pt
Follow Josh on Twitter and Instagram
