When I saw the listings for this year’s Cheltenham Literature Festival, my eye was immediately drawn to the ‘Average Man to Iron Man’ event at the Town Hall. I have always been a bit of a closet adventurer and this seemed like a great opportunity to be inspired by the stellar line up: Sir Ranulph Fiennes – charity explorer royalty; Greg Whyte – motivator to the stars for Sports Relief and a bone fide iron man in his own right; and Sean Conway – new to the adventurer scene but fast making an impact having swam, run and cycled the length of Britain.
Sarah took a little gentle persuading, but having just read Sean’s fascinating book, From Hell to High Water, I knew we would be in for an entertaining time.
The panel: Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Greg Whyte and Sean Conway
On the eve of the event, we took our seats among a surprisingly mixed audience, squished into an absolutely packed house. It was clear that a large proportion of the audience were there to see Sir Ranulph and he did not disappoint, regaling us with tales of Norwegian rivals, fictional prostitutes and tips on how to cheat your way to victory against all conceivable odds.
What struck us both, however, was how instantly the audience took to Sean Conway. With his likeable and self deprecating manner – a prime example being attributing his determination to succeed and willingness to attempt seemingly impossible feats to “possessing a low IQ” – he clearly deserved his place sitting in this amazing line up, and I am excited to find out what his next big adventure will be.
Not to be outdone, Greg Whyte struck a perfect balance between sharing his high profile experiences coaching celebrities such as David Walliams and Davina McCall through their respective Sport Relief challenges, and talking about the inspirational rehabilitation stories of some true fighters and heroes who overcame personal adversity to set an example for us all. Equally as likeable and affable as his fellow panelists, I couldn’t help but think what he would be able to achieve if he were to team up with Sir Ranulph and Sean… Perhaps this is a potential Sport Relief challenge for the future?
This was easily the highlight of the Cheltenham Literature Festival for both of us, despite Sarah’s initial reticence (considering we also saw Sarah’s favourite writer, Caitlin Moran, that evening, this is high praise indeed). We certainly hope that some, if not all, of these Iron Men return next year.
Did you visit the Literature Festival this year? We’d love to know what you enjoyed.