So, who here made some New Year’s resolutions this year? Eat less, move more, eat lentils, drink water, stop smoking, walk to work……….. all the usual? Well, there’s one remarkable Welshman who had a slightly different mission this year, and one that makes my resolution to eat more curly kale seem a little insignificant!

Just before Christmas 2019, Richard Parks embarked on an adventure to break a new record for skiing solo, and unsupported to the South Pole. It’s a 1,130km journey from the Antarctic coast’s Hercules Inlet to the South Pole. Parks himself is currently the British record holder – in 2014 he set the record at 29 days, 19 hours and 24 minutes. Parks had set out to challenge Norwegian Christian Eide’s world record of 24 days, one hour and 13 minutes. He won’t achieve this, however, he may well break his own record. He is currently on day 26 (as of Wednesday 15th January), with limited food supplies, but he is very close to the finishing line!

Richard Parks is an ex-international Welsh rugby player who was born in Newport, South Wales. After a celebrated international and club career, Parks was forced to retire in 2009 at the age of 31 because of injury. He did not however, retire from athletics and physical challenges, and Parks is now one of the foremost endurance athletes and adventurers in Britain today. In 2011, he embarked on a challenge to climb the highest mountain on each of the world’s 7 continents and complete the Three Poles Challenge (challenge to reach the North Pole, the South Pole, and the summit of Mount Everest) within 7 months. Dubbed the 737 challenge, parks completed the list in a record setting 06 Months, 11 Days, 07 Hours and 53 Minutes and set a new benchmark in the climbing of the 7 summits.

So, although the terrain is wild, inhospitable and immensely extreme, it’s a landscape that Parks knows well. And as fellow Welsh folk we’ll be wishing him all the very best in the last leg of his incredible challenge! He is truly flying the Welsh flag for adventure and spirit of sheer determination. Pob lwc Richard!