A daredevil father-of-three believes he is on course to become Bermuda?s first stuntman after completing a training course in the US.

Owen Simons, 34, of Hamilton Parish, forked out $6,000 for the privilege of being set on fire and taking part in full-contact fighting during the United Stuntmens Association workshops in Seattle.

The former Whitney Institute and Harrington Sound Primary School pupil hopes to relocate to the US by the end of this month to try to get his first job in the movies.

And he plans to spend another $9,000 honing his stunt driving and film fighting skills and learning about special effects.

He told : ?It was the best experience I have ever had in my life. I have always wanted to be a stuntman but being in Bermuda I thought those things weren?t possible. I got fed up with the nine to five here in Bermuda.

?I decided if I want to chase my dream before I?m too old or can?t do it any more I had to just do it.?

Mr. Simons, an extreme sports fan who used to drive taxis and run a painting business, said he enjoyed the stunts involving flames the most.

?Nothing beats that rush of being set on fire. You really understand just how mortal you are. There is no suit protecting you. It?s a gel that?s dropped below freezing. Once I got it coated on my body I was almost begging to be set on fire because I was that cold.

?I didn?t particularly like the stair falls because I kept thinking I might break my neck. You have to know exactly where to position your head and shoulders and which direction you are going to fall in.

?I got lots of bruised ribs and different things from the stunt fighting because it?s not all make-believe. But a stuntman takes a calculated risk. These guys know what they are doing.?

Mr. Simons, who has three daughters, said he hoped to audition for a role in the new Jamie Foxx film and to gain membership of the Screen Actors? Guild, a requirement for many stunt jobs.

?I love action movies, the Blade films and The Transporter,? he said. ?I?ve always been interested in movies and wanted to be an actor and I have always been into extreme stuff. It seems like a perfect combination.

?I haven?t come across anything I?m afraid of yet. I?m just looking forward to getting a chance to do it on the big screen.?

His cousin, Susan Palmer, said his family was proud that he was following his dream but a little nervous about what his stunt career might entail.

?I hope that maybe he can come back and put on a show for us,? she added. ?He?s always been like this. When he was 12 or 13 he jumped off the roof onto a mattress.?

David Boushey, administrator at the International Stunt School in Seattle, said: ?Owen is qualified to start working in the stunt industry. He may very well be the first Bermudian stunt man. I have not heard of any but I can?t be sure.

?I do know that Owen did a very fine job during his tenure here. He has a lot of potential and what he needs now is exposure to the motion picture business or the live stunt show business.?