Mark Pollock

Author, motivational speaker, kayaker, and explorer Mark Pollock. Pollock has battled through a variety of challenging situations during the course of his life. Mark was appointed to the Global Futures Council on Human Enhancement after being recognized by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader.

Quick Facts:

Full Name Mark Pollock
Nickname Mark
Date of birth February 29, 1976
Age 46 years old
Nationality Northern Ireland
Ethnicity White
Religion Christianity
Horoscope Aquarius
Chinese Zodiac sign Dragon
Place of birth Holywood, County Down, Northern Ireland
Residence Dublin, Ireland
Hobbies Rowing, Adventurous activities, Writing
Food Habit Non-Vegetarian
Sexual Orientation Straight
Father’s name Jonny Pollock
Mother’s name Barbara Pollock
Siblings None
Profession Motivational Speaker (former rower, explorer)
Height 5 ft 7 in
Weight 176.3 lb (80 kg)
Shoe size 13 (US)
Hair color Not Available
Eye color Not Available
Partner Simone George (Married)
Children None
Salary Under Review
Net worth $3 Million
Social Media TwitterFacebookInstagramYoutube
Website markpollock.com
Merch Making it happen (Paperback)
Last Update July 2022

What is the Net Wealth of Mark Pollock?

It is not surprising that Mark, a remarkable individual, has a fortune in the millions. The majority of his income comes from motivational and public speaking. Mark, a motivational speaker and explorer, has a $3 million net worth. A popular speaker at international conferences is Mark. He receives disproportionately high pay at these conferences as a result.

Additionally, Mark earned some money as a sophomore by triumphing in numerous rowing competitions. He also completed marathons at both the North and South Poles, which assisted him in raising money. The majority of his earnings were donated, but he did keep some for himself. However, because Mark spends a lot of money on his treatment, he also has a lot of costs.

Early Life and Education, Mark Pollock

In 1976, on February 29th, Mark was born. Hollywood, Northern Ireland, is where he was raised. The name of his father is Jonny Pollock. Likewise, Barbara Pollock is the name of his mother. There aren’t any siblings for Mark. When Pollock was just five years old, he experienced right eye blindness. He consequently had a challenging upbringing.

The Royal Belfast Academical Institution was where Mark studied. He was an avid rower. Later, he relocated to Dublin’s Trinity College to pursue a business and economics degree. Mark has got honorary doctorates from Queens University Belfast and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

He also holds a certificate in global leadership and public policy for the twenty-first century from Harvard University. When Mark was a student at Trinity, he excelled in the sport of rowing. He also rose to the position of club captain for the university’s rowing team. At the age of 22, Mark’s life, however, changed. Mark suffered two retinal detachments as a child.

He underwent his third separation at the age of 22. Regrettably, he unfortunately lost sight of his left eye after the third and became totally blind. A 22-year-old being blind was a very awful thing to experience. He had just received his driver’s license at the time, and he was a college student. Mark didn’t give up though. On the contrary, he persisted in pushing himself and making an effort to succeed in life and his ambitions.

The South Pole trek

Mark Pollock, an Irishman, is the first blind person to ever reach the South Pole. Mark successfully finished his journey to the south pole in 2009 and came home to Ireland. Inge Solheim of Norway and Simon O’Donnell of Ireland, Mark’s teammates, competed in the inaugural Amundsen Omega 3 South Pole Race. Out of the six teams that competed, Mark’s squad placed fifth overall.

Given that Mark is one of the 10% of persons on the earth who are completely blind, participating in the race was a really brave move. The first blind individual to ever record the accomplishment is Mark Pollock. Furthermore, he did it in one of the worst climates in the world, with lows of -50 degrees Celsius.

Mark Pollock with his Running Partner at the Gobi Desert March (Source: markpollock.com)

After the terrifying experience of losing all of his sight, Mark was even more motivated to make his mark on the world. He won bronze and silver medals for Northern Ireland in the sport of rowing at the Commonwealth Games in 2002. Additionally, he completed six marathons in a single week in the 2003 Gobi Desert in China.

What a generous act, the marathon helped Sightsavers International generate money (tens of thousands of euros). In addition, Pollock faced off against British explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes in the North Pole marathon. This is not the end of his experiences, though. The Irishman has also kayaked across the Irish Sea and finished the Ironman Switzerland challenge.

He is also the first blind person to complete the Dead Sea Ultra in Jordan and the Tenzing-Hillary Everest Marathon from Everest base camp in Nepal, the lowest and highest marathons in the world, respectively.

Mark Pollock: Age and Physical Characteristics

Mark Pollock, a motivational speaker, was born in 1976. He is so 46 years old at this time. According to the Chinese calendar, he was born in the year of the Dragon. The Chinese zodiac’s 12-year cycle of animal signs is currently in its fifth year. Regarding Mark’s physical attributes, he has a 32-inch chest, a 32-inch waist, and 15-inch biceps. Moreover, he is 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs roughly 80 kilograms.

He wears size 13 shoes (US). He also doesn’t have any tattoos anywhere on his body. Mark also greets everyone with a big smile on his face and has a really nice attitude. Additionally, Mark is an Aquarius. Humans born under the astrological sign of Aquarius are imaginative, witty, and upbeat. They are also independent and brave. Mark Pollock is the same.

Mark Pollock: Apathy

With his blindness, the Irish explorer was already having trouble adjusting. He nevertheless mustered all the motivation necessary to persevere through the challenging moments. He fixed his marriage in 2010 and was prepared to enter a new stage of life. But in July 2010, his life made another abrupt shift.

A few weeks before his wedding, he was injured. On to a terrace, Mark plunged from a window on the second floor. He suffered a major spinal cord injury from the violent fall. Mark suffered a paralysis from the waist down as a result. As a result, Pollock lost his ability to walk and was compelled by circumstances to use a wheelchair.

Mark claims that he is currently experiencing his third life. He claims that his first existence was before he lost his sight. Similar to the first life, the second life was the time when he was blind but could still walk and move around. After the paralysis, he eventually arrived in his third existence, where he was blind and unable to walk.

Mark, though, is not the type of person to readily give up. He is now committed to discovering a treatment for spinal cord injury. He has conducted a number of studies. Additionally, Mark now walks with the assistance of a robotic leg.

Mark Pollock: Filmography

“Unbreakable: The Mark Pollock Story,” a documentary that chronicled Mark Pollock’s inspiring life, was released in 2018. Ross Whitaker directed the documentary, which has a running time of 1 hour and 6 minutes. You may view the documentary on Amazon Prime.

This fascinating movie took six years to make. The film follows Mark’s recovery and his search for innovative robotics and scientific treatments. Additionally, Mark made an appearance on the RTÉ One discussion show Tubridy Tonight in 2009. Mark also served as the host of the Yes I Can documentary series. On Setanta Sports, the documentary aired in November 2011.

Mark Pollock is a writer

Indeed, Mark Pollock is a writer as well. Making It Happen, written by Mark Pollock and Ross Whitaker, was published in 2010. Mark faced numerous difficulties during his life. A book called Making it Happen tells the tale of how he beat the odds to start afresh.

There are useful lessons in the book that are not covered in university curricula. The focus of the book is getting rid of justifications, figuring out what one wants out of life, and figuring out how to “make it happen.” One must first accept responsibility for their life in order to move toward their goals. The book includes a “step-by-step” strategy for achievement.

The book also walks the reader through Mark’s and other successful people’s lives while emphasizing how tiny steps can result in significant accomplishments.

Mark Pollock: Is He Married?

Finding Simone as his life mate was a major stroke of luck for Mark! The perfect example of what a life mate should be is Simone George. Before Mark’s paralysis caused a major storm in their relationship, Mark and Simone were all prepared to wed. Due to the unfortunate event, Mark was in the intensive care unit four weeks before to getting married.

Given that Simone had not agreed to it, Mark felt terrible sadness for her. He also made an effort to end things with her. In spite of this, Simone stuck by Mark during his difficult moments. Instead, she made the decision to support him through thick and thin. Simone is a human rights advocate and attorney from Dublin. Her motivation to act justly and fairly drives her. Simone defends the rights of oppressed women and children in her capacity as a human rights attorney.

Mark Pollock and Simone George (Source: dailymail.co.uk)

The couple, Simone and Mark, are still together ten years after the tragedy. Additionally, they have shared screen time on other shows. Paralysis rarely lasts in a relationship. But Mark and Simone have shown that when two souls are meant to be together, nothing can separate them.

Quotations

Many people throughout the world find inspiration in the Irish motivational speaker. Several of Mark Pollock’s famous quotes include:

  • “To get the important things done, you have to ruthlessly stop doing unimportant things.”
  • “Acceptance is the springboard to the next step.”
  • “Human beings are designed to explore and push the boundaries.”
  • “When you’re at zero, get to one.”
  • “More time won’t lead to increased output, but the better allocation of time will.”

Social media: Mark Pollock

Pollock has a sizable following on social media. He communicates with his followers on social media by sharing his opinions there. Mark is active on Twitter, where he has over 15,000 followers. The explorer also has more than 4,000 friends on Facebook, where he may be discovered. He has a Facebook account and a business page, both of which have more than 11,000 fans.

Mark furthermore has a profile on Instagram. On Instagram, he has more than 7,000 followers. “On a way to cure paralysis in our lifetime,” reads his Instagram bio. Mark occasionally engages with his Instagram followers by using the hashtag #AskMeAnything. He responds to any inquiries regarding physical activity and health. Additionally, he responds to a range of personal and professional queries.

Mark Pollock furthermore runs a YouTube account. On YouTube, he has close to 400 subscribers. By following Mark on social media, you may learn more about him and his life.

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Trust Mark Pollock

A discretionary trust named the Mark Pollock Trust was established to support Pollock. The Trust helps Mark raise money to deal with the ongoing material, monetary, and emotional repercussions of his spinal cord injury. The Trust exists independently of Mark.

Furthermore, the Trust will transfer its assets to a recognized charity in the event of Mark’s full recovery or death. The nonprofit organization must focus on spinal cord injuries or blindness. His serious spinal cord damage is currently being paid for with funds raised through the Mark Pollock Trust.

Most Commonly Asked Question

Has Mark Pollock’s spouse participated in a TED talk with him?

Yes, the admirable pair participated in a joint TED lecture in Vancouver in 2018 where they discussed resolving the conflict between acceptance and hope. They also talked about the struggle they had to endure to discover a treatment for paralysis.