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Triumph Over Tragedy 001 002 Exclusive Exclusive interview interview TRIUMPH OVER TRAGEDY 001 002 IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR INSPIRATION TO KICKSTART A NEW ENDEAVOUR THIS YEAR, LOOK NO FURTHER THAN BO HEAMYAN’S EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH EXTREME ENVIRONMENT ATHLETE RICHARD PARKS... 06/2016 WWW.PERFECTFITMAGAZINE.COM WWW.PERFECTFITMAGAZINE.COM 06/2016 Exclusive Exclusive interview interview ichard Parks spent his entire BUT YOU DIDN’T JUST DECIDE TO adult life playing professional CLIMB ONE MODEST MOUNTAIN, YOU rugby for a host of top flight DECIDED TO SUMMIT THE HIGHEST R MOUNTAINS ON EACH OF THE SEVEN European clubs and his beloved country, CONTINENTS IN RECORD TIME! WHY? Wales; but his career was cut tragically short when a significant shoulder injury I had no desire to pay a commercial forced him to retire from the game company to short-rope me up the he loved at just 31 years old. mountains or to run all my logistics Parks became disconsolate for me. My life challenge – my goal and depressed, shutting himself away – was to learn how to climb. I wasn’t in the spare room to entertain the aware of the record when I started darkest thoughts a man can muster the project, I was just grateful and at his lowest ebb. After much soul- privileged to have the opportunity searching and reflection, Richard to attempt it. eventually became inspired to channel his considerable talents into a new venture and came up with the idea of IN YOUR BOOK, BEYOND THE HORIZON, YOU SAY THAT YOU HAVE the 737 Challenge – climbing the highest A ‘PRONOUNCED MASOCHISTIC mountain on each of the world’s seven STREAK.’ WOULD YOU CLASS continents and standing on all three YOURSELF AS SOMEONE WHO NEEDS poles (Mount Everest being TO FACE ADVERSITY IN ORDER TO FEEL ALIVE? the ‘third pole’), all within a period of just seven months. I think we all strive for a life of After an incredibly intense two years contentment and fulfilment. But I enjoy of training, fund-raising and research, pushing myself and I really value Richard Parks became the first the personal growth that comes from person ever to conquer the South Pole, stepping out of my comfort zone Mount Vinson, Mount Aconcagua, and challenging myself. Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Carstensz, IT MUST HAVE SEEMED LIKE HOW DID IT FEEL WHEN YOU the North Pole, Mount Everest, Mount THE END OF THE WORLD WHEN GOT TO MEET THE MAN WHOSE Denali (McKinley) and Mount Elbrus YOU WERE TOLD YOU COULD WORDS HELPED YOU REDEFINE YOU ALSO SAY IN YOUR BOOK THAT within a time frame of six months NO LONGER PLAY RUGBY… YOUR PURPOSE IN LIFE? YOU BELIEVE ‘RESILIENCE IS A and 11 days – two weeks ahead TRAINABLE SKILL.’ DO YOU THINK Playing for Wales was everything It was awesome! I was really THAT ANYONE WITH A SIMILAR of the seven month deadline. to me. When injury halted my privileged to have Sir Ran’s PHYSICAL ABILITY AND OUTLOOK Since then he has taken part in career it really hit me. Rugby had support all through my 737 TO YOURS COULD DO WHAT YOU some of the most extreme endurance played such a big part of me as Challenge. When I interviewed HAVE DONE? events on the planet, including the Yak a human; when it was taken from him it was less of an interview I do believe that resilience can be Attack (a high altitude cycle race in the me, it really did feel like I’d fallen and more of us just catching up. trained, absolutely. Performance is Nepalese Himalaya); the Jungle Ultra off the edge of a cliff. An incredible guy. A true living icon. part genetics, part application and part 003 (five marathons in five days through resources. I do strongly believe that it’s 004 the Peruvian rainforest), the Brutal our minds and our hearts that really hold (a double Ironman event in North Wales), ALONG WITH AN INSPIRING WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE QUOTE – ‘THE HORIZON IS ONLY THAT CLIMBING MOUNTAINS the key to surpassing our expectations and the Tour Divide (a self-supported and achieving big things. cycle race from Canada to the USA- THE LIMIT OF OUR SIGHT’’ – WAS THE WAY TO GO? YOU HAVE CITED SIR RANULPH Mexico border). He has also been FIENNES’ BOOK MAD BAD & The honest truth is I don’t know. on a number of expeditions to DANGEROUS TO KNOW AS BEING The emotions I was feeling DO YOU THINK YOUR MOTIVATION the Antarctic and, in 2014, became A KEY MOTIVATOR IN HELPING at that time were so powerful NOW DIFFERS TO THE MOTIVATION the fastest British person (and the YOU GET THROUGH YOUR YOU HAD WHEN YOU FIRST DARKEST TIMES. WHAT WAS and overwhelming that I wasn’t first Welshman) in history to ski DECIDED TO BECOME AN EXTREME IT ABOUT THIS BOOK THAT really conscious of my decisions. ENVIRONMENT ATHLETE? solo and unsupported from the CAPTURED YOUR IMAGINATION? With hindsight, I think coast of Antarctica to the South Pole. I felt like I was at the bottom The drive behind my 737 Challenge was It was the stories of hardship, Parks has become an ambassador of a very dark hole and, to use [that] it was my way of exorcising the endeavour and adventure for the Welsh Government, written a metaphor, I felt like I needed to demons that had climbed out I guess. Reading his stories an award-winning autobiography climb out of that dark place and of a really dark period of my life. really captivated me and led me and helped to raise incredible sums [so] projected that metaphor into My motivation is different now. It’s what to [want to climb] mountains... of money for the Marie Curie Cancer climbing mountains. It was I do; it’s a job but it’s a real privilege Care charity. And now he speaks the scariest thing I could think to earn a living through your passion exclusively to Perfect Fit about his of at that time and I needed that. and long may it continue. incredible story… 06/2016 WWW.PERFECTFITMAGAZINE.COM WWW.PERFECTFITMAGAZINE.COM 06/2016 Exclusive Exclusive interview interview PERCY FAWCETT (A FAMOUS BRITISH EXPLORER OF THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY) ONCE SAID THAT HE WAS ALWAYS ITCHING TO EMBARK ON A NEW EXPEDITION WITHIN A WEEK OR TWO OF RETURNING HOME. ARE YOU THE SAME? Each project is different. Antarctica was a really intense development cycle and a really intense project. It was 14 really brutal months to prepare for it and the expedition itself really emptied me psychologically I think, as well as physically. After that particular one I needed the best part of ten months off to rest and recharge. Whereas other expeditions, I’ve come home and I’ve literally wanted to climb within a week. YOU’VE JUST COME BACK FROM COMPETING IN ONE OF THE MOST GRUELLING CYCLE RACES IN THE WORLD, THE TOUR DIVIDE, AS PREPARATION FOR YOUR NEXT BIG ‘WORLD-FIRST’ EXPEDITION. WILL CYCLING BE A FEATURE OF THIS YET-TO-BE ANNOUNCED PROJECT? As a sport I love cycling; I love the hardship that comes from it and I guess it’s the biggest component of my cardiovascular work. It’s painful but it’s really low impact... [so] from a health point of view it’s a really good way for me to keep doing what I’m doing. But no, the project is a climbing one. CONTINUING WITH THE CYCLING 005 THEME: WHICH WAS THE 006 TOUGHEST BIKE RACE TO COMPETE IN, THE TOUR DIVIDE OR THE YAK ATTACK? If I had to pick one then it would have to be the Tour Divide. It’s hard! I averaged 12 hours 22 minutes’ cycling every day and that’s not including resting. To do that for 25 IF, FOR SOME REASON, YOU WERE WHEN – IF – THE TIME COMES TO IF YOU COULD GIVE YOUR YOUNGER TOLD TOMORROW THAT YOU RETIRE FROM BEING AN EXTREME SELF – OR INDEED ANYONE IN days – and I was bottom of the top WOULD NO LONGER BE ABLE TO ENVIRONMENT ATHLETE, WILL A ‘DARK PLACE’ – ONE BIT OF third of the finishers – puts it into CONTINUE BEING AN EXTREME YOU GET SOME SATISFACTION ADVICE, WHAT WOULD IT BE? perspective how tough it is. And there ENVIRONMENT ATHLETE, HOW FROM THE FACT THAT, THIS TIME are so many other things you have DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD DEAL AROUND, YOU’LL BE ABLE TO I think that our lives are like seasons to manage: you have to navigate; you WITH IT? QUIT COMPLETELY ON YOUR OWN and we all have good periods and TERMS? we all have challenging periods but have to manage your equipment, Obviously it would be a really difficult the things that are constant – you have to sleep on the side of trails, pill to swallow. But, having been where Yes! I think transitioning after any the things we can control – are our you have to manage your food intake. I’ve been, and having experienced chapter of our lives, whatever we do, attitudes and our experiences. Savour Ultimately [it’s] an event that’s the the things I’ve experienced, I know can be challenging, but having the and enjoy the good times, because same distance – and more climbing that I would cope. foresight and having a certain amount I guess – than the Tour de France. of control helps that transition. the tough times won’t last. 06/2016 WWW.PERFECTFITMAGAZINE.COM WWW.PERFECTFITMAGAZINE.COM 06/2016.
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