A real-life Forrest Gump has completed the world’s longest triathlon – 4,200 miles around the British coastline.
Adventurer Sean Conway, 35, took 84 days to cycle 3,500 miles, run 800 miles and swim 100 miles from the south coast of England to Scotland and back again.
He set off from Lulworth Cove in Dorset and cycled around England, Wales and Scotland before finally reaching Scarborough in Yorkshire.
Sean then ran a marathon a day until he reached Brighton – before swimming back to Lulworth Cove.
Taking to twitter after completing his journey, he said: “84 days, 5 hours and 45mins. #WorldsLongestTriathlon done. That was a tough 4,200 miles. Can’t thank you all enough.”
Sean, of Cheltenham, Glos., said: “This has been, without doubt, the hardest thing that I have ever done.
“My body feels broken and I’ve lost all my body fat as a result, but it has all been worth it.
“The support from the public has been incredible and has kept me going. I can’t thank you all enough.
“People sometimes underestimate how amazing Britain really is, and let me tell you, having circumnavigated it, this really is a beautiful island that we live on.”
The British Ultra Triathlon circumnavigates the entire coast of mainland Britain and Sean did it completely solo.
During his cycle ride, Sean battled with missed ferries, treacherous mountain roads and mechanical hiccups.
He spent his 35th birthday camping alone in a field on Cornwall’s border with Devon and has kipped in everything from woodlands to an advertising trailer.
Sean needed a massive 5,000 calories a day to fuel himself – double the recommended intake – and resorted to an unusual mix of food.
He tried dog treats for their high protein content, foraged wild garlic leaves and even drank liquidised roast dinners.
Even having a dodgy knee couldn’t hold Sean back from his quest, and he managed his 390,000 stroke swim with just a self-made raft for support and finished last Friday.
In 2013 Sean became the only man in history to swim the length of Britain; a 900 mile journey from Land’s End to John O’Groats.
He has also run and swam the length of Britain – 1,300 miles.
Born and raised in Harare, Zimbabwe, Sean had an adventurous upbringing in the Mana Pools National Park.
He came to the UK in 2002 with just £100 to his name and started working in Cambridge cutting 12,000 cabbages a day whilst pursuing a career in photography.
Feeling dissatisfied with the direction his life was taking, Sean decided to sell his share of his company to his business partner – earning him the grand total of £1 – to pursue his dream and broaden his horizons.
