737 Challenge: The Story Begins

- Former International Rugby Player to Lead ‘World First’ Expedition -

One hundred years after Robert Falcon Scott’s Terra Nova Expedition left Cardiff to reach the South Pole, Richard Parks, a former Welsh and Barbarians rugby player, will be attempting to stand on both Poles and the highest mountains in all seven continents in a seven-month period of the same calendar year.

This is Richard's ‘World First’ 737 Challenge: 7 Summits and 3 Poles in 7 months. The difficulty of what Richard is attempting is much increased by the fact that until July last year, he had no mountaineering or polar experience. Richard’s motivation to consider such a record attempt came after he was injured playing professional rugby and was told he would never step foot on the field again. Whilst recovering, he read Sir Ranulph Fiennes’ book which showed him a medium he could channel his energy into: climbing and adventure. 

“Whilst lying in bed I learnt that our lives are made up of many chapters. We can never go back and we cannot foresee our future" Richard said. However, we can control how we chose to live and what we do and think right now.”

“The mental, physical, technical and logistical challenges that I read about in Sir Ranulph’s book captured my imagination. I then learnt about the 7 Summits and within seconds of discovering them, I had decided that I was going to climb them!”

Although Richard’s journey began as an introspective one, he felt it was important to him that he also helped others by attempting the challenge. Richard’s family, like so many, has been deeply affected by cancer and therefore over the course of the next 18 months Richard intends to raise £1 million for the Marie Curie Cancer Care.

Marie Curie Nursing Ambassador, Debbie Venthan said;

"The money Richard raises will make a huge impact on the number of terminally ill people Marie Curie Cancer Care is able to provide end of life care for in their own homes or in one of the charity's nine hospices.”

“It's so important that people are given a choice about where they spend their last days and Marie Curie Nurses, like me, make that choice possible. All Marie Curie's services are provided free of charge to patients and their families, which means people like Richard, doing amazing fundraising challenges like this, are of vital importance to the charity.”

Richard was then fortunate enough to meet Sir Ranulph at a Marie Curie event. Sir Ranulph has agreed to climb Mt. Vinson in Antarctica with Richard to support the Challenge, as well as for his own personal motives.  

Sir Ranulph said “I intend to climb all the 7 Summits before I am 80 years old and so when Richard asked me to climb Vinson with him, on behalf of Marie Curie, I was delighted.”

Around the same time Richard was also introduced to Steve Williams, British rower and double Olympic Gold Medal winner. Steve will be venturing to the Geographic North Pole and climbing Everest with Richard.

Steve adds "It is fantastic opportunity to be able to join Richard on part of his 737 Challenge. His 'World First' adventure will be an epic journey and it is a privilege to be asked to join him on some of the toughest parts of the Challenge. It will be a whole new set of challenges for me but I am relishing the opportunity to test myself to the full in a completely new world.”

The 737 Challenge also boasts a number of premier and high profile partners, including expedition company, Jagged Globe, Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park and Clogau, one of the UK’s leading jewellery brands, which is producing a range of jewellery to support the Challenge.

The expedition begins in December 2010, finishing in July 2011, 7 months later. Further information can be found online at www.737challenge.com or by following Richard on Twitter and Facebook.

PlanetFear wishes Richard Parks, Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Steve Williams the very best of luck with the 737 Challenge.