Blind adventurer Mark Pollock continues to take on physical and endurance challenges around the world.
Currently training for the Round Ireland Yacht Race, Mark has been competing in adventure races across several disciplines for the last decade.
2010 - Present: Team Daft Round Ireland Yacht Race
Part of a two-man team competing in a classic 1,400-mile ocean race
2010 Feb: Snowboarding Switzerland
Learning to trust guides in a whole new way
2010 Jan: Land Sailing, Argentina
High speed, close-to-the-ground yachting
2009 Oct: Dublin Marathon
26.2 tough miles on familiar territory
2008 Dec - 2009 Feb: South Pole Race
Mark became the first blind man to walk to the South Pole
2007 April: Dead Sea Ultra (lowest marathon in world)
2007 May: Everest Marathon (highest in world)
Two extreme running events in extreme situations
2006: Irish Sea Kayak Challenge
From Ireland to Wales in a two-man kayak
2006 July: Ironman Switzerland, Zurich
The ultimate one-day endurance race, the great triathlon
2005 & 2006 February: Coast to Coast Race, New Zealand
Both attempts at this race ended in failure for Mark, a major hurdle
2004 September: Liffey Descent
Back in Dublin for a coldwater classic
2004 April: North Pole Marathon
Mark’s first encounter with icy adventurer Sir Ranulph Fiennes
2003 September: Gobi March, The Race of No Return
Six marathons in seven days across China’s Gobi desert
2002 Aug: Commonwealth Games Rowing
Mark won two medals, bronze and silver, at the Commonwealth Games
I first met Mark while competing against him in the North Pole Marathon and was immediately impressed by his positivity, resilience and determination. To take on endurance challenges in places like The Arctic, Himalaya and Gobi Desert requires great courage and mental strength. The fact that Mark has completed these adventures after losing his sight makes him truly inspiring.
Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Explorer
