World champion gravy wrestler: 'You find dry gravy in your ears and orifices for weeks'
English adventurer Joel Hicks discusses his career as a professional competitor in eccentric sports like gravy wrestling and bog snorkelling. He views these quirky events as a way to foster community connection and combat social isolation.
Why it matters
Highlights the role of niche community events in addressing modern social fragmentation and loneliness.
English adventurer Joel Hicks competes in up to 75 "eccentric" events each year.
RNZ Life reporters 30 August 2026 4 min read Caption: "Absolute carnage" is how Joel Hicks describes gravy wrestling, in which competitors face off in hot gravy for two-minute bouts. Photo credit: Supplied /Joel Hicks Twenty years ago, for a bit of fun, Joel Hicks entered Wales' World Bog Snorkelling Championships with some friends.
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