Mark Pollock

Mark studied Business, Economics and Social Studies and won an Alumni award for outstanding contribution as a Trinity College graduate. Unbroken by blindness in 1998, Mark became an adventure athlete competing in ultra-endurance races across deserts, mountains, and the polar ice caps. He was also the first blind person to race to the South Pole. He  won silver and bronze medals for rowing at the Commonwealth Games and set up a motivational speaking business. In 2010, a fall from a second story window nearly killed him. Mark broke his back and the damage to his spinal cord left him paralysed. Now he is on a new expedition: to cure paralysis in our lifetime by exploring the intersection of humans and technology . As a speaker, Mark is best known for his 2018 TED Talk, delivered jointly with his fiancée, Simone George, on resolving the tension between acceptance and hope. It garnered  over 1.5 million views in its first 6 months online and has been translated into 12 languages. He has inspired millions of people in hundreds of organisations and is a Davos, World Economic Forum, InnoTown, F.ounders, EG and Wired speaker. 

Portrait of Mark Pollock by Tara Kearns