Sean Conway: Endurance Adventurer & Author

Sean Conway: Motivational Speaker, After Dinner, Awards, Educational Talks

#Endurance   #World'sLongestTriathlon   #Motivation   #Resilience   #WorldRecords

Sean Conway is a world-record setting ultra-endurance athlete and adventurer with a taste for extreme challenges.  In 2023, Sean broke the world record for the most full distance triathlons: Sean completed an astonishing 105 back-to-back ironman (full distance triathlon) events.  Prior to this, Sean completed the world's longest Ultra Triathlon, broke the world record for the fastest unsupported crossing of Europe by bicycle and he was the first person to swim the length of Britain.

Sean understands the long game.  Over ten years, Sean has set and broken endurance world records.  Drawing on his experience of running, cycling and swimming his way into the history books, Sean's powerful messages are hard won.

'The audience LOVED it!  I have had nothing but great feedback.  He was honest, amusing and entertaining.  I cannot think how he could have been better.  We really enjoyed him coming along and talking to us.'  ITV

Sean's talks are memorable and entertaining.  Sean tailors his talks to deliver messages on resilience, motivation and inspiring his audiences to take on seemingly 'impossible' challenges.

Sean Conway is the first and only person in history to complete the Ultimate British Triathlon cycling, swimming and running the length of Britain.  The 900m swim from Lands End to John O'Groats was a world-first and defied the critics who thought it impossible. In 2015, Sean completed the final leg, running 1,014 miles to officially complete the first ever Ultimate British Triathlon.  The resulting documentary on Discovery Channel won Sean many new fans for his courage and humour.

Sean has completed the world's longest triathlon.  In 2016, Sean took on an even bigger challenge: a self-supported continuous triathlon around the coast of Britain.  Sean cycled, ran and swam more than 4,000 miles (the equivalent distance of London to New Delhi).  Sean pushed his limits beyond anything he has done before and the considerable public support (especially via social media) made a real difference.  A series on Discovery TV followed Sean's challenge.

In 2018, Sean cycled 4,500 miles across Europe.  Sean achieved this Cross Europe Cycle world record unsupported and carrying all of his kit with him.  

Widely admired for his endurance, courage, humour and inimitable style, Sean is a popular and entertaining motivational speaker.  

Sean encourages delegates to find the courage to tackle difficult challenges no matter what they may be, to develop resilience and to live life more adventurously.  He delivers powerful messages around coping with set-backs, setting outrageous goals and completing them against the odds, keeping a positive attitude and staying motivated when it gets tough and succeeding in times of change and challenge. 

Well-known for his quirky take on endurance sport and adventure, Sean came to the UK in 2002 with just £100 in his wallet and started working in Cambridge cutting 12,000 cabbages a day.  Later, having made his living as a photographer, Sean sold his business for £1 and embraced change and challenge.  Learn how he created an endurance mindset to go further and faster so your guests and delegates can take on courageous challenges whatever they may be.

'The audience LOVED it!  I have had nothing but great feedback.  He was honest, amusing and entertaining.  I cannot think how he could have been better.  We really enjoyed him coming along and talking to us.'  ITV

'We had a great talk.  The staff were really enthused by Sean.  We've had loads of positive feedback.  He was funny, engaging and of course, really inspiring and it all tied back in really well with our values campaign.' Mizuho Financial Group

'Really positive feedback.  It was very inspiring to hear about Sean's adventures and I think a lot of us are now considering how we can live life to the full a bit more!' M&S 

'Sean has an amazing story to tell and he delivers messages and inspiration that work both at a personal and business level.  He was willing to adapt his storytelling to fit our specific audience and it made for an engaging and entertaining session.'  Sky Media: Marketing 

'Thank you on behalf of our Senior Leaders for your inspiring presentation to us.  Everyone who saw and heard you enjoyed it immensely but did question your sanity for taking on such extreme challenges!  I know that you will have inspired many of us to take up challenges either in a professional or personal capacity and indeed we will inspire others to do so as a result of your presentation.  The theme of the presentation was personal resilience and you showed us that taking it one step at a time really helps to focus on the immediate challenge and that helps to build up endurance.  You also showed us that failure is not an inhibitor but a motivator to succeed and to aim high.'  West Yorkshire Police

'Please pass on our thanks to Sean for his brilliant talk.  I loved his relaxed and funny manner.  My business partner loved it too and I have heard only positive comments from the attendees.  The audience certainly kept him busy afterwards with questions and photo opportunities and he has, without doubt, expanded his fan base.'  Expo: Marathon des Sables 

'Inspirational to a wide range of people – from staff to business owners to entrepreneurs. His attitude is so inspiring and he refuses to let anything get in his way – determined to achieve his goals, despite the many barriers put in his way.  His exploits are amazing and he delivers his stories in a very amusing and natural way – you can’t help but like him and be amazed at what he has achieved.  And he is very real, open and honest about his adventures and the setbacks along the way.  He tailored talks to meet our objectives, seamlessly absorbing our messages into his stories and providing inspiration and motivation to change, to develop and to grow.  There was no fuss – he simply told the stories of his adventures in a way that made them accessible and achievable and inspired the audience to focus and deliver.  Brilliant!'
Ordnance Survey

'Sean was fantastic!  Proper gent and delivered a fantastic talk.  It was really great that he spent time afterwards talking with us and having a few drinks.  Will recommend to everyone.'  Park Resorts

'Sean was a pleasure to work with and he was really well received by our audience.'   NCC

'A true inspiration to us.  The talk was well constructed and great detail was made to show the most exciting and jaw-dropping tales from a young man's youth.'  Bradford University 

'I really enjoyed Sean's lecture - he is so full of energy and passion for his adventures.  It all seemed to go well and plenty of people were there to hear him.  Please pass on my best wishes and congratultions for a great evening.  I will look out for his book!'   Wilderness Lectures 

Sean Conway is an extreme endurance adventurer and the first and only man in history to complete the Ultimate British Triathlon.  After embarking on a 1300 mile bike ride, Sean set a world-first by completing a 900 mile swim from Land's End to John O'Groats.  In May 2015, Sean completed the final leg, running 1,014 miles in six weeks, officially achieving what had never been done before.

Sean has completed the world's longest Ultra Triathlon and he holds the world record for the fastest crossing of Europe by bicycle.

Born in Harare, Zimbabwe, Sean had an adventurous upbringing in the Mana Pools National Park with his conservationist game ranger father, Tony.  Sean's father has been at the forefront of the fight to save the rhino for 35 years, something that Sean passionately supports along with other charities, Solar Aid and War Child.

Sean spent his early years climbing trees and chasing elephants out of his garden.  This unique childhood has been the fuel for his adventurous ambition and throughout his teens he competed in several river marathons including the Duzi Canoe Marathon arguably the world's most prestigous canoe race in South Africa from Pietermaritzburg to Durban.  At 15 years old, Sean completed the Midmar Mile - the world's biggest open water swimming event in 35 minutes.

Well-known for his quirky take on endurance sports and adventures, Sean came to the UK in 2002 with just £100 in his wallet and started working in Cambridge cutting 12,000 cabbages a day and then as a freelance photographer in London whilst living in a tiny room in London with 7 other people, spending any cash he earnt on a variety of travels and adventures.

Giving up a career in photography to persue a dream of breaking the world record for cycling around the world, Sean gained sponsorship from USwitch.com and set out on this epic adventure in February 2012.  After three weeks, Sean was ahead of schedule averaging 180 miles a day.  His dreams were shattered in America when a driver hit him causing severe whip lash, concussion, torn ligaments and a compression fracture to his spine.  Despite this, Sean continued but dropping to 140 miles a day and changing his goal to get back to London in time for the Olympics and raise money for charity.  He made it back with one week to spare, having covered 16,000 miles - 12,000 of these miles with a fractured spine.

Looking for his next adventure, Sean wanted to prove that he could achieve a world record and he decided to attempt to become the first person in history to swim the length of Great Britain.  Having cycled from Land's End to John O'Groats in 2008, Sean tackled the second leg of his GB Triathlon and after battling the weather, currents and a remarkably large amount of jellyfish, Sean (and his legendary beard) wrote history on 11 November 2013 after 135 days at sea.

There was now one more leg to complete to make this challenge the Ultimate GB Triathlon.   In March 2015, Sean set out once again from John O'Groats to run south.  The two-part documentary on the Discovery Channel UK showed the physical torture, hard work and motivation the route demanded - especially for Sean who did not consider himself a runner and certainly not an ultra-endurance runner.  Sean pushed himself to run over a marathon a day.  After 6 weeks, Sean returned to Land's End and found himself in the history books, this time as the first person to complete the Ultimate British Triathlon.  The TV documentary is a heart-warming and inspiring account of Sean's journey.  It was Discovery's biggest premier of the year.

In April 2016, Sean began an even bigger challenge: a self-supported continuous Ultra Triathlon around the coast of Britain.  Discovery UK showed a three-part series about Sean's incredible challenge in late summer 2016.

The British Ultra Triathlon was more than 4,000 miles.  Sean started in Lulworth Cove and cycled on a bamboo bike for 3,350 miles to Scarborough encountering the beautiful yet tough terrain of the British coastline particularly in Wales and Scotland.  On reaching Scarborough, Sean changed his bike for trainers to run 800 miles to Brighton.  On reaching Brighton, Sean entered the water to swim the final 100 miles back to Lulworth Cove.  Sean pushed his limits and lost a significant amount of weight but completed his challenge in June 2016.  The support of the public - particularly through social media using the hashtag #GoSeanGo truly helped Sean complete what many consider to be the world's longest triathlon.

Sean has published several books including Sean's book Hell and High Water that chronicles his successful attempt to be come the first man in history to swim the length of Great Britain and Cycling the Earth: a life-changing race around the world.  Visit Sean's site to purchase his books here

Sean's Television Shows

Sean Conway On the Edge (Discovery UK three part series to begin on 31 August 2016 at 9pm)

Sean Conway Running Britain (DiscoveryUK, 2015)

 Sean in the Press

'Having van drivers wind down their windows and shout “Run Forrest, run!” might have prompted some men to shave off their beards.  But not Sean Conway.  Instead, the 33-year old decided to play on his resemblance to Tom Hank’s character in the later stages of Forrest Gump, donning a Bubba Gump cap and - like the man himself - deciding to go for a little run for no particular reason.'    

Read More: Meet Sean Conway Britain's Answer to Forrest Gump' The Telegraph