THREE motorbike crashes and several brushes with death have not stopped Sam Rossiter from living a life seeking thrills.

Mr Rossiter, 28, from Harcourt Hill, Botley, gave up his 'sheltered' life in the leafy suburbs to pursue an adrenaline-fuelled existence in the Dominican Republic seven years ago.

Since he has suffered broken legs, punctured lungs, torn fingers and thumbs, fractured wrists, snapped clavicles and even the loss of sight in one eye – yet he still does extreme sports and rides a motorbike.

Mr Rossiter has crashed his motorbike three times in the last three years – every time not wearing a helmet.

The former pupil St Edward’s School in Woodstock Road, North Oxford, said his near-death experiences served him a ‘great purpose’.

He said: “I found that where my 'talent' lay was in my ability to rebuild as best I can after accidents.

"Until recently, the Dominican Republic was ranked number one in the world for road deaths.

So riding here is always like dancing with the devil.

"All my surgeries were initially performed there and then re-done in the UK a few days after.

"Everybody here has a story about the health care system, or lack of it.

"This year, our town just got its first donated 45-year-old fire truck and a fire service was created. "It’s best not to find yourself in a life-threatening situation while in Latin America."

When he was 21 Mr Rossiter left his job as a bartender in Oxford and headed to the Caribbean for a two-week trip, only to settle out there for good.

The thrill-seeker, who is also a Great Britain free runner, now trains people in fitness and extreme sports as well as working as an ambassador for sports nutrition brand USN and a fitness model.

He said: “Travelling is not about 'finding' yourself, but 'creating' yourself.

“Before, I worked to save money in order to 'escape' from life's working reality for a moment of bliss.

"After living in the Caribbean for only a few months I saw the obvious solution to that problem.

"Instead of trying to escape from your life once a year for a few weeks, why not create a life you don't ever feel you need to escape from?"

The fitness fanatic often visits home to see family and for ‘hospital trips’.

He said: “In the past five years I've had only two months that I've been completely uninjured.

“I've come close to it being game-over a few too many times.

"My mother, Karen, always says I have nine lives, and we've lost count but I'm on thin ice if we count how many are left.

"Living the live-fast-die-fun way has meant I've lost some friends who weren't supposed to go either.

"There is a huge difference between doing something reckless and doing something risky that's been approached in a calculated manner.

"Past bad experiences shouldn't keep someone from doing or attempting something again.

"Next time you have an advantage that you didn't previously: you're smarter, more cautious, better prepared.

"One of my tattoos is a favourite Latin script that reads 'amat victoria curam' which translates to 'victory loves preparation', kinda my motto.”

USN, which Mr Rossiter is an ambassador for, has launched a nationwide search to find the next male and female 'Face of USN'. For further details about the campaign or to enter visit faceof.usn.co.uk