Cool Conversations with Kenton Cool

This week, Kenton sits down with Arctic photographer, Martin Hartley, to hear about his latest project. Martin has recently returned from a research project on a boat off Norway, photographing previously undiscovered species from the deep sea - something he never thought he would do. Martin and Kenton talk about sea ice levels, macro-level photography, the terrifying effect of global warming, and 'rowing the boat'! This is the very definition of a cool conversation. Listen now!

Tim Howell is an alpinist, a mountaineer, a climber and one of the world's leading wingsuit base-jumpers. Kenton sat down to talk to Tim at Everest Basecamp where he is based in pursuit of his next goal: claiming a record high-altitude wingsuit flight. Tim and Kenton talk about risk-taking: the importance of balancing risk and understanding the conditions in pursuit of goals. It is not unusual for Tim to say 'no' and climb back down mountains when the risk is simply too high. They discuss the value of community and how the support of others helps Tim to explore new jumps and push his own boundaries. We will let you know how he gets on with his record attempt!

Anna Hemmings is a phenomenal athlete who has been crowned World Champion six-times and competed at two Olympic games. Her chosen sport is marathon kayaking which requires high levels of strength, endurance, and skill (you will learn how difficult Kenton finds it to sit in a kayak, let alone race in one!). Anna's story is a remarkable one: she tells Kenton how she was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome at the peak of her career and had to overcome huge challenges to get back to the top of her sport. Since retiring from racing in 2008, Anna has built a successful career as a keynote speaker, leadership coach and training consultant supporting organisations to develop high-performing teams and achieve their goals.

This week, Kenton sits down with James Peach - a brand strategist by trade, who likes to add side-helpings of adventure to keep things interesting! James has worked for brands such as Innocent, Uber and Vinted and he shares some fascinating insights into their cultures and his experiences with these organisations. He talks about 'hustle', 'toe-stepping' and 'teetering on the edge of the red' amongst other things. Interestingly, James has a self-declared obsession with time, wanting to squeeze value out of every minute of every day. This has led to some great adventures including walking across Argentina, cycling around the world, and completing a tandom triathlon challenge. This episode is slightly longer than normal, but we hope you enjoy the rich discussion between Kenton and James.

This week, Kenton talks to Justin Wateridge who is MD of boutique travel agency, Steppes Travel, and extremely passionate about travel. Justin has visited over 80 countries around the world and talks enthusiastically about each and every one of them. Justin travels with curiosity, learning about aspects of people and culture that aren't covered by headlines or magazine articles. He is also a heartfelt conservationist and he has run the London Marathon twice in a rhino suit, raising money for Save the Rhinos. Justin often combines his love of travel with adventure, and in July this year he and a friend are participating in the Yukon 1000, a tough multi-day canoe race down the Yukon river through wilderness, rapids and bear country. Kenton and Justin exchange travel stories and experiences throughout this conversation - enjoy!

This week, Kenton chats to Anna Wells who, just two weeks ago, became the first female to ever complete a Winter Munro Round. Anna climbed all 282 Munros between 22nd December 2023 and 14th March 2024 - a feat only achieved by three others in history. Anna took three months leave from her day job and careered head first into this awe-inspiring challenge. She climbed mountains in all weathers, many of them on her own, and she clocked some very long days. At the end of the challenge she covered 155km and 11,000m of ascent in three days! Anna is super passionate about being in the mountains and she and Kenton really hit it off in this episode!

This week, Kenton speaks to ultra-runner and endurance coach, Allie Bailey. Allie's story is not straight-forward. From the age of 14, she battled with addiction to alcohol, she was severely depressed, and she suffered numerous mental health crises. She started running in the midst of her addiction and completed many marathons and ultra-marathons whilst hungover or under the influence. This only served to strengthen her conviction that she didn't have a problem because she was a runner. Kenton and Allie discuss some of her memories from her darker days, her journey in running, and her fascination with how our brains work. Allie's honest, direct and straight-talking approach is refreshing and engaging. Her book, "There is No Wall" is out now.

This week, Kenton chats to Jono Sumner who runs a very successful business with his brother and his best friend. The threesome co-founded LifeJacket Skin in 2020 after several of their friends, and Jono himself, were diagnosed with cancer. LifeJacket has a single vision: to halt the increase in skin cancer, which is the world's most common cancer even though it is 90% preventable. Their skin protection products range from sun cream and moisturiser to body wash and anti-chafe bars. Jono is super passionate about what he does and he gives a very compelling argument to 'invest in yourself', whether that be skin protection, nutrition, health or lifestyle. Kenton learnt a few things during this podcast recording, and we are sure that you will too!

Kari is a Swiss born mountain guide who was the founder of 'Kobler and Partner', a highly successful guiding company. Having led 38 expeditions to 8,000m peaks, Kari's focus has shifted from chasing high altitude summits to enjoying what he calls a 'rich life'. With his booming voice and infectious laugh, Kari really is one of the big characters of the Himalayan guiding world. Today Kari splits his time between Mendoza in Argentina, Nepal, and Switzerland where he seems to spend at least as much time rock climbing as he does guiding.

A much overdue return to expedition live, this time on the slopes of the highest peak in the Americas. Standing at 6,961m, Aconcagua provides a fabulous introduction to high altitude climbing and is the focus of this weeks podcast. In this episode Kenton teams up with client and friend Richard Williams as they attempt this mountain of ancient volcanic origin. Follow their journey from the vibrant city of Mendoza, through the dusty plains to base camp and then higher towards the lofty summit. Their attempted ascent takes a bizarre twist as they try to navigate an ever-changing forecast that predicts wind speeds that would literally blow them off the mountain. This really is a must listen for anyone that has the ambition to dip their toe into the realm of expedition life.

This week, I speak to Hugo Tagholm, current CEO of Oceana and former CEO of Surfers Against Sewage. Hugo has fused his work with his passion and has dedicated his life to protecting our oceans through innovative ideas, collaborations, campaigns, communications and action. Hugo is an enthusiastic sportsman, with surfing being his number one sport, and it was through this that he first became aware of the devastation of our oceans. He felt the need to take action and this episode provides a glimpse into his fascinating story. Hugo’s passion for what he does is palpable and his desire to create hope for us all comes across loud and clear. Listen and learn!

This week, I speak to ultra-runner and current 50K World Champion, Carla Molinaro. Her energy, enthusiasm and joy for life come through in bucket loads during this episode and we defy any listener not to find it infectious! Carla grew up in the UK and now lives and trains in Cape Town. She holds the World Record for running from Lands End to John O’Groats (LEJOG) and became 50km road World Champion in November 2023. Talking to Carla was refreshing and uplifting – she has a joyful approach to training, she doesn’t use lots of gadgets or data, and she loves what she does. Carla set up her own business, SCY for Runners (Strength, Conditioning and Yoga for Runners), in 2020 and her online platform helps hundreds of runners to stay injury free, whilst building strength and flexibility. Find out more about Carla at www.carlamolinaro.com and enjoy the episode!

This week we grab an opportunity. After climbing Pen-Y-Fan in Wales with photographer and community champion Dan James, we utilised the time on the drive home to interview this special individual. Today, Dan follows the path of ‘what feels best’ in the moment, pursuing what his heart tells him rather than what society deems best. What would appear to most as a carefree journey through life, actually means Dan is closer to those around him, generating bonds that have meaning and purpose. But it wasn’t always like this. Dan tells me about his time in the Royal Air Force working as a bomb disposal expert before a freak accident cut short his career and how this in turn helped him understand what’s important to him. Dan’s outlook and enthusiasm for life is infectious, I value his friendship and generosity with his time and feel privileged that we managed to record this episode together. The opportunistic nature of recording this episode does mean the sound quality isn’t as good as we would normally produce, but I hope you can forgive us.

Neil is one of the best all-round athletes I’ve ever met, innately talented across a spectrum of sports, although it was Snow Boarding where he made his name as the sport began to grow. In this episode we chart Neil’s career and what motivates him to constantly strive to be the very best version of himself. We also talk about longevity and the importance of putting the work in on yourself to maintain performance and health, and this links to one of Neil’s more recent passions, Yoga and the benefits he has found in this ancient practice. This is an episode that Kenton has wanted to record for a long time and we don’t think it disappoints!

Alastair Humphreys is an adventurer and author. In the past, he has embarked on huge adventures, such as cycling around the world and rowing the Atlantic, but he has found a new passion in micro-adventures and challenges closer to home. In this classic 'cool conversation', Al tells Kenton about walking across Spain and busking with a violin, sleeping on his local hill, and most recently exploring every inch of his local Ordnance Survey map over the course of a year. Al is an eccentric adventurer and this is a fascinating conversation.

Artistic director and CEO of The Barn Theatre in Cirencester, Iwan has established himself as a leading light of regional theatre. Growing up in West Wales, it was all about rugby, but an epiphany took him down a different path and into West End Theatre. The Barn is considered one of the very best of the UK's regional theatres, and talking to Iwan we gain a glimpse into why. In this episode, Iwan shares his deep knowledge of leadership and the importance of operating with passion as he talks about the modern face of British Theatre.

Steve McClure The mild-mannered janitor of British Climbing is really a full-blown Jedi. Steve has been at the very top of world climbing since his first ascent of 'Mutation' back in 1998, which may have been the hardest climb in the world at the time. Since then, this climbing CV is a catalogue of mind-boggling hard grades, both on sport and hard (dangerous) trad routes. In this episode, Steve explains how he uses his engineers brain to help squeeze the most from his own climbing as well as why climbing is possibly the most inclusive sport in the world. Sponsors: @lasportivauk @petzl_official @arcteryxuk @lyonequipmentltd @crudecoffeeroasters @evileye.eyewear @reality.maps @incoolcompany @bremontwatches @scallop.official @lifejacketskin Supporters: @panorama_lodge_namche @mission.uk @vidrate @everesttoday @kentoncool

How do you balance the work/life conundrum? Now add the extra dimension of being an acclaimed ultra-runner and the training that is required to be competitive.... Rob appears to have found the sweet spot as well as being confident to move his family overseas for a prolonged period of time in order to educate the children beyond the normal, as well as to win all the local ultra-races as the unknown Brit. This episode, recorded outside (in the rain) at Rob's beautiful home in the Cotswolds (while he looks after two of his children), typifies his passion and lust for life.

Kenton teams up with his long-time friend Neil Brodie and together they embark on a multi-pitch rock climb which pushes them both (especially Kenton) to the limit. Situated in the stunning Aravis Alps the boys decide to take on a climb on the little frequented cliff above Le Sappey. What (on paper) should have been a mellow day out turns into a much more intense rollercoaster-like experience which Kenton has attempted to record as the day unfolds.

Two world titles and Olympic medals don’t necessarily set you up for what comes next.  Following the London 2012 Olympics Alex stepped away from the sport that had defined him. He then spent time carving a ‘successful’ path in the city, only to find that his life lacked the purpose that he needed to live in a wholesome way. After years of trying to find a substitute for what elite sport gave, Alex found that even the sport he loved was masking a much more deeply rooted issue. In a brutally honest conversation of self-reflection and the search of one’s own identity, Alex gives an insight into how we can go some way to helping ourselves and those close to us.  Please note: there is some explicit language in this episode