Welsh Rugby Star’s 737 Challenge Sets New Mountain Climbing Record

Putting a career-ending injury behind him, ex Welsh rugby star Richard Parks has became the first person to climb the highest mountain peaks on all seven continents, climb Mount Everest and reach both the North and South Poles in less than a year.

Richard Parks was forced to end his rugby career early in 2009 after sustaining a shoulder injury which, despite numerous surgeries, could not be fixed.  ‘Bitterly disappointed’ at having to retire, Parks described his reaction as:

the overriding feeling was just fear – nearly agoraphobic. All of a sudden, with no plans in place for my life, I had out of the blue no structure, no regime.

After a period of reflection, Parks decided to push himself, as he had throughout his rugby career, by:

learning the skill of mountaineering, a new skill, testing myself in a new environment with, I suppose, a hope of closing the door on my rugby career.

Parks commenced this amazing 737 challenge, in which he sought to climb the seven summits and reach three poles (including the ‘roof’ of the world, Mt. Everest) in seven months, in December 2010.

He began the challenge in Antarctica, battling ferocious weather to reach the South Pole.  After spending Christmas and New Year on the frozen continent, he travelled to South America to climb Mt. Aconcagua, Africa to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro, and Australasia to conquer Mt. Carstensz.

The completion of Parks’ challenge was seriously jeopardised on the seventh leg, the North Pole, when he suffered severe frostbite in his big right toe.  However, unwilling to give up so close to completing his goal, Parks climbed two further mountains, Mt. Denali in North America and finally Mt. Elbrus in Russia.  On 12 July 2011, he became the first person to complete the 737 challenge.

TV presenter and fellow adventurer Ben Fogle commented:

He has proved that you really can do anything if you really put your mind and body into it. Richard Parks has achieved an extraordinary thing. He really is an inspiration.

Whilst the challenge was primarily a personal challenge of moving on from his rugby career, Parks also made the expedition a fundraising one.  Choosing Marie Curie Cancer Care because his father has undergone surgery to fight stomach cancer, Parks is well on the way of reaching his goal of £1m raised for the charity.