A positive pirate tells story of his life and lockdown
JACK SPARROW LOOKALIKE AND LIFESTYLE GURU WRITES BOOK
POSITIVE Pirate Steve Rippin has shared his secrets to getting through life’s low points in a new book.
The Jack Sparrow lookalike has become a celebrated lifestyle guru on social media, with about 50,000 followers on Facebook and Instagram.
Now, the self-employed carpet cleaner from Market Harborough has completed his ambition to tell his story in a book that he hopes will be a comfort to people reading it.
It reveals how he suffered with bullying and life-long medical problems but managed to stay positive through it all.
He also hopes it will be a comfort to people suffering stress and anxiety as a result of the ongoing coronavirus lockdown.
He said: “It’s a self-help autobiography and I don’t think it could be more relevant than it is now.
“It’s about my life – which has included bullying and mental health issues – but it’s about how I’ve been living a positive life, despite the challenges.
“I want to help encourage people to be the best person they can be and to keep moving forward.”
He said the most important thing for people struggling during the lockdown was they focused on the things in life they are passionate about, as well as their family and friends.
He said: “It’s about making the most of our time, rather than dwelling on the bad things.”
It’s a difficult time in Steve’s life, with further eye problems meaning he will be requiring more surgery in the future.
The 44-year-old, who has spent his whole life in Harborough and is well known in the town, has suffered with arthritis from the age of two and he had to wear an eye patch during his time at primary school because of ongoing sight problems.
While his eye patch led to bullying, it also forced him to embrace looking different and led to him becoming the Positive
Pirate, taking style tips from the Johnny Depp character in the Pirates of the Caribbean films.
His pirate image has led to him being loved by some but threatened, ridiculed and physically assaulted by others.
The book, called Life Through My Eyes, is 736 pages long and is available from Steve or through his publishers, Troubadour.
So far he has sold at least 160 books, which are priced at £12.99 each.
He said: “The publishers are very impressed. They’ve sold about 100 and I’ve sold about 60 from the ones I’ve got at my house.
“It’s a good thing to open up about your own problems and people like to read about other people’s lives. “It’s taken my three years and four months to write but I had plenty to say. “It’s a big old book.” You can follow Steve on Facebook at: