Victoria, 27, Deckhand

Turning his back on the high life and the high seas, Byron Finnerty is ready to take his place in the MasterChef Australia kitchen.

Byron has spent the past two years travelling the world as a deckhand on the super yacht Odessa. Rubbing shoulders with the likes of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Owen Wilson, Byron couldn’t deny his love of food any longer, giving it all away to take his place in the top 24.

Vermont South-based Byron names his mother Bernadette as his inspiration in the kitchen. He explains that it was her who sparked his love of health-conscious cooking and respect for fresh produce.

It is dad, David, who is the odd one out, preferring simple tastes over fancy cuisine.

As a youngster, Byron was a gifted AFL footballer, destined for the big stage. But a cycling accident left him with a slipped disc.

Told that he would never play footy again, Byron spent a lot of time cooking as he convalesced. Determined to return to fitness, he worked tirelessly and returned to the field again at age 18.

Byron went on to complete a Nutritional Science Degree at Melbourne’s Deakin University. This led to work as a research assistant in nutritional studies, for diabetes and childhood obesity. From there he became a nutritionist and personal trainer.

A surf-loving nomad, Byron then indulged his sense of wanderlust and travelled abroad in 2006.

A series of adventures began, including modelling work in Thailand, volunteering as a fire-fighter in Guatemala, learning Spanish... then life as a deckhand and travel around the Mediterranean, Caribbean and the Americas.

It was while working on the yacht that Byron’s passion for the kitchen came into focus. He sought out every chance to learn from a host of top chefs who were on board including Italian chef Roberto Grazioli, Columbian chef Daniela Sanchez and Canadian chef Matt Burns. Byron also considers Curtis Stone and Jamie Oliver as idols.

His dream is to cook alongside Ferran Adria from the legendary elBulli.

Talked out of a career in the food industry initially by a careers counsellor, Byron is now ready to pursue it in the MasterChef Australia kitchen.

“Once I know what I want, I’ll do everything it takes to achieve that dream”.