Kenton Cool graduated from the University of Leeds in 1994 after studying Bsc Geological Sciences. An obsession with rock climbing developed at Leeds and, on graduating, he moved to Sheffield to pursue this further. In 1996, he suffered a fall from a rock face and shattered both heel bones. A year of surgery and therapy saw him become determined to regain his climbing form and he joined the British Mountain Guides scheme. In 2006, Cool was the first British person to complete a ski descent of an 8,000 metre peak on Cho Oyu in Nepal, the 6th highest mountain in the World.
The lecture has been organised by Westonbirt School's World Challenge Team. World Challenge provides educational expeditions abroad for school group travel. Westonbirt School’s team of 12 girls (Sophie Falkenburg, Zoe Garling, Laura Green, Annabel Jardine-Blake, Ellen Cen, Hannah Lawrence, Alice Marsh, Christine Sun, Georgina McCulloch, Alexandra Noon, Fiona Vincent and Natasha Williams) will be travelling to Southern Peru in July 2011 to help the local Peruvian community. Part of the proceeds from this event will go towards this project.