Richard Parks Joins Forces For 24 Hour Climb

29th July 2010

Today will see Richard Parks climb Pen y Fan in Wales as many times as possible in 24 hours as he continues his preparation for his grueling 737 Challenge.

Richard will be joined by a special support team from Project Mobility 4x4 a charity who convert Landrovers to help conquer fears and mobility issues and give our injured soldiers the chance to have an adventure, experience and gain back some independence. He will set off from the Storey Arms at 5pm.

Climbing the first run up the mountain with Richard will be Captain Anthony Harris of A Company, 2nd Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers and now a single leg amputee who was injured when the Jackal vehicle he was patrolling in was blown up by an IED in Sangin in May 2009.

The training exercise will give Richard the opportunity to prepare mentally for his training expedition to Tibet next month, when he will most definitely be faced with long periods of deprivation. His ability to perform with little or no sleep is vital to his success over the gruelling 7 month challenge.

He met many of the soldiers involved in Project Mobility 4x4 when he was invited to share his challenge with customers of Allmakes 4x4 at the Billing Land Rover Show this month. Richard was humbled by their stories and was thrilled when many of the guys could join him for this 24 hour event; “I can’t wait for today and I am honoured to have the support of the Project Mobility 4x4 personnel” stated Richard.

He added; “I was blown away meeting the guys from Project Mobility. Their stories, courage, determination and sense of humour were awesome and an inspiration. Unbelievably to me, they were all enthused by my 737 Challenge. A lot of people think I must be crazy when I talk about the aspects of the expedition but they all totally got it and were really supportive”.

For Single Leg Amputee Anthony Harris, this will be the first arduous challenge since losing his leg, he stated; “The most important thing for me today is supporting Richard’s challenge. It’s great that he is doing this exercise with us to show support for many wounded soldiers and highlight the work that Project Mobility 4x4 do and also that he is raising money for Marie Curie Cancer Care”.

He added; “Richard talked about an injury ending his rugby career and the need to challenge his body again through adventure which I really relate to and it’s fantastic that not only can these challenges and adventures make your own life more interesting but at the same time through doing this you can improve the lives of others”.