Roddy grew up in Linlithgow, Scotland and in 1986 he joined the British Army, where he served with the Royal Engineers for five years. He was deployed in theatres of operation such as the Falkland Islands, Cyprus, Germany and Iraq. He has been a police officer for sixteen years, a firearms officer for eleven years and is currently a firearms instructor with the Firearms Support Unit.

Roddy has completed four marathons, six half-marathons, three Triathlons and numerous Duathlons. He regularly trains, running in excess of fifty miles per week.

Roddy lost his mother in 2005, following her long fight with breast cancer. He had his own scare in 2005 when a mole suddenly changed shape but was diagnosed as benign.

Click to see photos of Roddy training in the Pentland hills