1998 was a memorable year for many. David Beckham’s antics in a World Cup football match against Argentina caused consternation across the globe and in Northern Ireland, years of blood shed were briefly forgotten as the Good Friday Agreement was signed. For Mark Pollock, these things paled into insignificance as he lay on a hospital bed realising that his sight had gone forever.
Before losing his sight, Mark thought he had it all. He was a final year student at Trinity College Dublin studying business and economics. Identity had been everything.
Captain of the University boat club, an international rower, in line for a top job with a London investment bank, the accolades were endless. That’s what made the fall from grace so difficult. In losing his sight, Mark felt he had lost everything. A few months earlier he had been a confident student with the world at his feet, in an instant it was taken from him.
How do we react to a loss of sight? Remember the last time you stumbled into a room in your house when it’s pitch black. You need to find something in a hurry, but you can only rely on touch and instinct.
Normally, out of frustration we will just try and find the nearest light switch. Mark didn’t enjoy that luxury. After a brief period spent assessing his options at home in Northern Ireland, Mark decided to gain his independence by moving back to Dublin.
The city Mark had loved as a student had changed dramatically for him. Unable to negotiate the busy streets alone, he became used to using his Guide Dog Larry. He soon learnt how to use a computer with the aid of speech technology. And so began the process of rebuilding his identity. He was able to find work initially with a hugely successful agri-food business where and then with a business and technology consultancy.
For years Mark had thrived on the competition rowing had given him. Having started competing at school, the combination of physical endurance and camaraderie had given him so much.
Mark decided to get back in the boat, winning silver and bronze medals for Northern Ireland in the 2002 Commonwealth Games. Having mastered rowing, he was ready for bigger challenges.
In 2003, Mark completed 6 marathons in 7 days in China’s Gobi desert before completing the North Pole marathon in 2004. After travelling on foot in the extreme heat and cold, Mark switched focus to multi-sport.
In 2004 he completed The Liffey Descent kayaking race before entering New Zealand’s Coast to Coast in 2005 and 2006. In mid 2006 Ironman Switzerland was conquered along with The Irish Sea Kayaking Challenge. By 2007 it was back on foot for the lowest and highest foot races in the world – Dead Sea Ultra and Everest Marathon.
But in 2009, Mark set himself the biggest challenge yet, to become the first blind man to reach the South Pole. Numerous factors stood in his way. The bitter cold, the endurance, the desolation and his blindness. Yet, he was determined to upset the odds and prove cynics wrong. In January 2009 he skied towards the South Pole, redefining what is possible.
Through his experiences as an elite athlete and a blind man, Mark has become a highly successful international speaker travelling across the globe. Alongside Mark’s own business interests he sits on a number of boards and advisory groups in the not-for-profit sector and is a Vice President of Outward Bound (NI).
Download a printable version of Mark's one-page profile sheet (PDF)