In from the cold
Mrs Fiennes calls time on Sir Ranulph’s expeditions
Posted: 26 November 2003
by Maria del Carmen
Anyone under pressure from the other half to cut back on the weekend trips to Snowdonia might spare some sympathy for the world’s greatest living explorer, Sir Ranulph Fiennes.
According to this story in today's Scotsman,
Sir Ranulph’s wife, Virginia has suggested that it’s time for the explorer to “grow old gracefully, and turn his back on new challenges”. In June this year, the notoriously-fit 59-year-old explorer suffered a heart attack and was rushed into hospital for an emergency heart by-pass operation, where he remained unconscious for three days.
Sir Ranulph and Dr. Mike Stroud in the Falkland islands
Picture by Gill Allen, © The Times
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In October, just four months after his heart attack, he ran seven marathons on seven consecutive days. The unstoppable Fiennes started in Patagonia, continuing on to the Falkland Islands, Sydney, Singapore, London and finishing up in New York. (Fact: most runners leave 3 weeks between marathons.)
Mrs Fiennes is keen for her real-life action man to behave in the manner more becoming to a cardiac case. (Incidentally, Virginia Fiennes is no slouch herself, and in 1987 was the first woman to be awarded the Polar Medal.) Sir Ranulph is planning another challenge, but says he’s keeping it under his hat for now. Presumably so Mrs F. doesn’t hide the car keys...
By the way, we quite liked this profile of the man published in the Observerearlier this month.
Discuss this story
If my other half ever suggests I "grow old gracefully" there will be a megaton eruption. Anyway, Lady F should know by now that the surest way to get someone to do something is to tell them not to. :-)
Posted: 27/11/2003 at 22:39
You'd have thought that she'd have figured out that if loosing bit of his body to frostbite and a heart surgery didn't put him off, then telling him he's not allowed to go wont bloody work!! In a way I hope he carries on, but I'd also like to see him throttle back a bit - it'd be a shame if he was seriously injured or worse. Si
Posted: 28/11/2003 at 08:05
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