Richard Parks - A Quite Extraordinary Adventurer

I met Richard Parks the other night, the former Pontypridd, Perpignan, Leeds and Newport-Gwent Dragons flanker who was forced to retire from rugby in 2009 due to a shoulder injury.

His career was relatively successful, including appearances for the Wales Sevens team, but like so many other professional rugby players, Parks' body gave up on him. Or at least that is what should have happened. Parks had other ideas.

The 34-year-old completed what he dubbed the 737 challenge last year in just six months - that is the Seven summits and the the two geographical poles - to become the first man in history to achieve such a feat in a year.

Parks is aiming to raise £1 million for Marie Curie Cancer Care and has recently passed the £250,000 mark, which means that the man with the adventure bug has plenty of challenges ahead, starting with another climb of Mount Aconcagua next week, the tallest mountain in the world outside the Himalayas.

Aconcagua, in Argentina, is one of the seven summits - the tallest mountain on each of the world's seven continents. The others are Everest (Asia), Kilimanjao (Africa), Denali (North America), Elbrus (Europe), Vinson (Antarctic) and Carstensz Pyramid (Australiasia).

With the North and South Poles under his belt as well this was a challenge way beyond the rigours of a hard rugby match, and one that included frostbite and crevasse falls.

In achieving such feats Parks immediately elevates himself into the company of celebrated explorers such as Ran Piennes and David Hempleman-Adams. He thought his career was over when his shoulder packed in. As it turned out, Richard Parks's career had only just begun. Visit Richard at www.737challenge.com.