During his successful 13-year professional rugby career, he represented the likes of Newport RFC, Pontypridd RFC, Leeds Tykes, Newport Gwent Dragons and most notably he played for the Wales National Rugby Union team.
In May 2009, he was forced to retire from the sport due to a persistent shoulder injury, which came as a bitter blow for him. Lying in bed following his second operation to repair his shoulder and reading Sir Ranulph Fiennes’ book, Richard’s imagination was captured by the mental, physical and technical challenges of performance in extreme environments. With the courage and inspiration to pick himself up, and desire to channel his energy into something positive, Richard discovered the Seven Summits, the highest mountain on each of the world’s continents. Just as soon as he learned of them, he decided that he was going to climb them.
Using his life savings, insurance policy and selling many of his belongings, Richard funded over 18 months of training and expeditions in order to prepare for his world-first 737 Challenge – climbing seven summits and three poles, in just seven months. He proved successful beyond compare, completing the challenge in 6 months, 11 days, 7 hours and 53 minutes. In the process, he raised over £320,000 in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care, and he produced the advertising value equivalent of a campaign worth over £3m to the charity. In January 2014, Richard then became the fastest Brit in history to ski solo, unsupported and unassisted from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole.
Due to his remarkable exploration and fundraising efforts, Richard has been the recipient of numerous awards and accolades. These include the 2012 Just Giving Celebrity Fundraiser of the year and the Business Insider's top 100 most influential people in Wales. In the same year, he was selected to carry the Olympic Torch at the 2012 London Olympic Games. His public profile was raised even further having published a book entitled 'Beyond the Horizon: Extreme Adventures at the Edge of the World' and a series of TV appearances including a 3-part BBC One Wales and BBC2 series in 2016 called 'Extreme Wales with Richard Parks'.
A truly phenomenal motivational speaker, Richard overcame adversity and injury in one walk of life to conquer a completely different one. It’s a story that can inspire others to never let any kind of adversity stand in their way.
