VistaTalks host Simon Hodgkins catches up with Explorer, Collaboration Catalyst, and International Motivational Speaker Mark Pollock. Mark delivered an excellent master class and presentation at a recent Think Global Forum event. We are delighted Mark could join us again to discuss everything from technology to Mark’s mission of curing paralysis in his lifetime. Mark shares many interesting viewpoints, including that often the danger is that we get caught in the moment. We become focused on the crisis, or we get caught in survival mode and, what we need to do is to extend the timelines well beyond the problem. We touch on Mark’s aggressive physical therapy following his accident and how he is the test pilot for the latest technology in robotic legs.

After losing his sight in 1998, Mark became an adventure athlete competing in ultra-endurance races across deserts, mountains, and the polar ice caps, including being the first blind person to race to the South Pole.

Mark has won silver and bronze medals for rowing at the Commonwealth Games. Microsoft’s CEO, Satya Nadella, described him as one of “the most inspiring people I met” after discussing the ways technology is changing how people learn.

He has appeared and spoken on some of the world’s biggest media stages, including CNN, BBC, Hub Culture at Davos, or the World Economic Forum,
amongst many others.

Mark’s constant drive is an inspiration to us all. During the Think Global Forum Summit Week, he gave a fantastic masterclass about turning challenges
into opportunities to the hosts and guests. Everything Mark does is about ‘inspiring others to build resilience and collaborate with others so that together
they achieve more than they thought possible.’

Our guest is also an ambassador and board member for several non-profit organizations, including the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, Wings for Life UK, Ekso Bionics, Kanchi, and Cybathlon.

We discuss his book and more recent documentaries. Mark is the author of Making It Happen and the subject of the acclaimed documentaries Blind Man Walking and Unbreakable – The Mark Pollock Story. He is a regular contributor to international broadcast and print media.

Mark is proud of ‘Run in the Dark’ – As darkness sweeps around the globe in mid-November, 25,000 people worldwide will get up from their armchairs,
slip on their red flashing armbands and pull on their running shoes to complete a 5k or 10k. Over 120,000 Runners have taken part in Run in the Dark, supporting the Mark Pollock Trust, representing 19 times around the globe and over 72 global locations. You can be part of Run in the Dark –
wherever you are in the world – from Sydney to San Francisco.

About VistaTalks

VistaTalks is a leading industry podcast from Vistatec. VistaTalks focuses on interesting discussions with interesting people from around the world. VistaTalks has a growing list of guests and topics. The podcast has a strong focus on international communication, content, language, non-profit, business, and culture.