Everything Mark Pollock does inspires leaders and teams to build resilience and collaborate. His mission is simple: help people achieve more than they ever thought possible.
After going blind in 1998, Mark refused to be defined by his disability. He became an adventure athlete, racing across deserts, mountains, and polar ice caps. He even became the first blind person to race to the South Pole. Along the way, he won silver and bronze Commonwealth medals in rowing and launched a global motivational speaking business.
Then in 2010, disaster struck. Mark fell from a second-story window, breaking his back. The accident left him paralysed. But once again, he refused to give up. Now, he’s on a new expedition—one that explores how humans and technology can work together to cure paralysis.
Mark is the Chairman of Collaborative Cures and founder of Run in the Dark, a global running series. Through these efforts, he has helped catalyse over $100 million in collaborations aimed at curing paralysis.
His leadership has earned him global recognition. He was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and served on its Global Futures Council on Human Enhancement. He also sat on advisory boards for Cybathlon, Wings for Life (Europe), and the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation (USA) for 10 years.
Mark is the author of Making It Happen and the focus of two acclaimed documentaries: Blind Man Walking and Unbreakable – The Mark Pollock Story. He holds honorary doctorates from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and Queen’s University Belfast. He also studied at Harvard, Trinity College Dublin, and UCD Smurfit Graduate Business School.
Mark’s story is not just about overcoming challenges. It’s about leading with purpose, pushing boundaries, and redefining what’s possible.
