David Haye - bottle in hand - is involved in a dramatic brawl with Dereck Chisora during a press conference in February last year

I have photographed powerboats racing across the ocean while dangling precariously over the edge of a helicopter and strapped in only by a harness. I have ridden horseback for three hours up to a glacier in Patagonian to get close to the action for an endurance race.
I have transferred from a Russian Icebreaker to a rib boat mid Atlantic all in the name of getting closer to the action (in this case it was windsurfer competition). 
I have been hoisted up to the top of north face slope in the Alps by a winch attached to a helicopter, to get closer to an extreme snowboarding event. As a sports photographer, getting close to the action can become an occupational hazard.

Up close and personal: David Haye - bottle in hand - is involved in a dramatic brawl with Dereck Chisora during a press conference in February last year

Ringside: Close enough to see the sweat spraying from the heads of Wladimir Klitschko versus David Haye during their title fight in July 2011

Sunday night at White Hart Lane was proof of how much of an occupational hazard it can be, when the man of the moment Andros Townsend ran into the electronic advertising boards and somersaulted into the photographers' pit.

It is a drop of about 1.5 metres and as he went over his left boot clattered my head, blood started pouring from the wound.

The final photo: Chadwick took this snap of Townsend moments before the Tottenham midfielder clattered over the hoardings and into him, cutting his head

At the time I was only concerned about the international footballer who appeared to be in pain lying on the concrete floor beneath me. It was only when the medics started looking at me with concern that I realised I was injured too.
Over the years I have headed the ball back to the keeper, or stuck a leg out to stop the ball hitting the fans. I can safely say though I never had to break the fall of a sportsman/woman until Sunday night.

Net result: Chadwick puts a camera behind Blackpool keeper Matt Gilks, who said: 'You're putting that behind my goal because you know I am going to let a few in!'

Flying the flag: Sir Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish are among the riders waiting for the start of the men's road race at last year's Olympic Games

Luckily over my past 25 years in the industry covering a host of different sports I have not encountered too many serious injuries.
As a rule in sports photography the closer you are to the action, the better and more instantaneous the emotion of the picture will be.
You need to not have any obstructions between you and the action, to get that clear image that is often on the back page of the paper the next day.
On numerous occasions I have been ringside at  big boxing events and had blood and sweat splattered over me, and my camera, it is always advisable to have a cloth to wipe the blood off the lens in between rounds.

Miracle in Medinah: There were wild celebrations among the European players after the dramatic scenes in Chicago - Justin Rose and Ian Poulter sink some champagne

Time of his life: Rory McIlroy nearly missed the start of the final round of the Ryder Cup and was given this massive clock by Jose Maria Olazabal

Then of course you have to attend the post bout press conference to get the real story, as was the case in Hamburg when Dereck Chisora clashed with David Haye.

After a few heated words between the two heavyweights, I could see things were about to get messy, so I positioned myself next to the both of them and sure enough it was like a bomb had gone off in the room.

Leap of faith: The dramatic sight as horse soar over the Horse spring over the jump during the steeplechase at Newbury

At one point I remember steadying myself while holding on to Haye's back as he came out of a melee. He then obviously saw that I was no threat to him but in his attempt to exit the room he picked up a TV tripod and started to wave it around. I knew it was time for me to take cover.
Once in South Africa while on an England cricket tour, I was covering a net practice session in Pretoria. To get good picture from a practice session you have to get up close and personal. I remember Mark Ramprakash in the nets hitting the ball to square leg, which hit me right in the thigh. I had a bruise the size of a watermelon for three weeks. That was painful.

Ready for action: Victoria Pendleton warms-up for her race in the velodrome and Lizzie Armitstead battles her way to silver at last year's Olympics

The Tour de France is an amazing sporting event to cover and I was privileged enough to cover it in 1998. I was on the back of a motorbike which was able to weave in and out of the peloton. You could find yourself in a conversion with some of the riders at times, which was also the case during the Olympics men’s and women’s road race. I was at times so close to history being made it felt that I was in the race.
I was once covering a game at the San Siro when Arsenal were playing Inter Milan in the Champions League group stages. Thierry Henry scored a goal then ran towards me and slid to his knees, I was so close to him I could hear his every word.
He said to the Arsenal fans, 'Who's the DADDY'? I replied to him, 'You are'. 

Who's the daddy? Arsenal legend Henry slides on his knees and shouts at the travelling supporters after scoring against Inter Milan

Punching above his weight: Chadwick attempts to plant one on the jaw of heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko ahead of his fight with David Haye