737 CHALLENGE - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Marie Curie Cancer Care Nurse
Richard Parks is a former Welsh international rugby player, earning caps against South Africa, Fiji, Scotland and Ireland. He also represented the Barbarians and Wales Sevens on the IRB world circuit and in the World Cup.
As a back row forward, he made a name for himself as a hard, prolific tackler and support player. However, he was recently forced to retire from the game due to a career ending shoulder injury. Richard was an integral part of both the Principality Cup winning Pontypridd side and the Powergen Cup winning Leeds Tykes.
After a spell playing for the French club USA Perpignan, he returned to Wales with the Gwent Dragons, passionate to represent his country again. Despite putting himself back into contention for International selection with his performances for the region, sadly injury prevented his return to the International stage and ultimately forced his early retirement from what was a highly successful 13 year career in professional rugby. When asked about the 737 Challenge, Richard said;
"lying in bed following my second operation to repair my shoulder, I was suddenly faced with the reality of life without professional rugby, which had been at the centre of my entire adult life. The adjustment was difficult to deal with as the disciplines of my rugby career no longer applied. Suddenly everything changed - what I ate, the pattern of sleep and my regular daily routine. I felt utterly lost! From the confident person with an organised lifestyle that I had always been, I became scared of the unknown future that lay ahead. I suffered with a mixture of frustration, despair and even anger dominating my thoughts. I was deeply depressed. It was a dark place for me."
Sir Ranulph Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes, 3rd Baronet OBE was born in Windsor, Berkshire the 7 March 1944.
He was brought up in South Africa where he remained until the age of 12 when he returned to England to be educated at Eton, after which he joined the British Army.
Fiennes served for eight years in his father's regiment, the Royal Scots Greys, and was later seconded to the Special Air Service. He went on to join the army of the Sultan of Oman where he received the country's Bravery Medal in 1971.
Sir Ranulph married his childhood sweetheart, Virginia Pepper (Ginny), in 1970 and together they launched a series of record breaking expeditions that kept them ahead of their international rivals for three decades. Ginny died of cancer in 2004. In March 2005, he was married for a second time to Louise Millington; they honeymooned at Everest Base Camp. They have a daughter, Elizabeth.
Fiennes was the first man to reach both poles by surface travel and the first to cross the Antarctic Continent unsupported.
He has led over 30 expeditions including the first polar circumnavigation of the Earth, and in 2003 he ran seven marathons in seven days on seven continents.
Sir Ranulph has raised over £13 million to date for various UK charities including Marie Curie Cancer Care for whom he has raised £5.6 million after successfully climbing the North Face of the Eiger in March 2007, and attempting to climb Everest (Nepal-side) to within 400m from the summit in May 2008.
In 1993 he was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for ‘human endeavour and charitable services'. According to the Guinness Book of World Records he is the ‘greatest living explorer' and was also named Best Sportsman in the 2007 Great Briton Awards.
Sir Ranulph hopes to join Richard for the last leg of his challenge. This will be confirmed nearer the time.
Steve Williams, OBE is a double Olympic Gold medallist in the rowing fours in two of the most emphatic Olympic races of all time, Athens and Beijing.
In Athens 2004, along side Sir Matthew Pinsent, James Cracknell and Ed Coode, Steve had an epic battle with the Canadians, who were as determined to win as the British. After 2000 meters the British prevailed on the finish line getting their boat in front to win by the narrowest of margins, just 0.08 of a second or, as the Daily Mail reported, "the length of a Crunchie bar".
Four years later, Steve was back to defend his Olympic title in Beijing. The final was the ultimate test for the crew to hold their form and nerve as the Australians shot out to a commanding early lead. For almost the entire race their relentless pushes made no impact until, in the dying strokes, the British "never-say-die" spirit prevailed to allow them to take a glorious Gold.
In a ten year career at the top of one of the most demanding sports Steve has also won four World Championship titles, has a trophy cabinet full of international honours and has enjoyed many other highlights including sustaining a three year unbeaten run of 27 international races.
Steve has had to win the hard way. As a proudly self-professed ‘normal guy' he has none of the natural physical attributes an Olympic rower ‘should' have and with more than his fair share of set-backs getting to and staying at the top has not been easy.
Steve's Olympic dreams were almost derailed just as he started when in 2000 he missed out on selection for the British Olympic rowing team for Sydney. Going instead as a ‘travelling spare' his job was to carry the oars and watch from the riverbank. As humbling and painful as this experience was for Steve it was also his breakthrough as it proved to be a journey of self-discovery that he has never forgotten and a critical part of his learning how to win.