Hero Mark’s 5km run raises £210k

HERO Royal Marine Mark Ormrod, a triple amputee following a bomb blast in Afghanistan, yesterday completed a 5k run to raise vital funds for charity in Tavistock.

Mark completed the run in just over an hour, beginning at 7am, and was joined by BBC Breakfast as he took on the challenge.

In 2007, Mark was seriously injured stepping on an improvised explosive device while serving in Afghanistan.

As a result of the explosion, Mark had to have both his legs and his right arm amputated.

But he hasn’t let that stop him, and his latest 5k run at a sports centre in Tavistock had by yesterday afternoon raised a whopping £210,000 – and climbing – for the charity REORG, which aims to give drive and purpose to people through learning the martial art jiujitsu.

Mark said he was “very tired” after completing the challenge. He told the BBC it was his “buns of steel” that got him through.

The courageous ex-Commando said he had anticipated he would have to stop two or three times to readjust his prosthetic legs, but managed to do the whole run without a pause.

Speaking alongside his family, he said: “We’re going to have a pizza. It’s fat boy Friday in our house so we’re going to have a pizza and watch a film.”

Mark said his next challenge would be a sea swim, possibly to Drake’s Island in Plymouth Sound. But he admitted he knew “even less” about sea swimming than running, although he would have more time to train before the challenge.

The Invictus Games athlete was joined by MP Johnny Mercer on his run, who tweeted before they started: “Special morning running a 5k with Mark Ormrod. Chuck him a fiver?”

Mark has succeeded in becoming an internationally-acclaimed motivational speaker, peak performance coach, mentor and award-winning author.

He spends his time helping others who may have suffered setbacks or feel they are not yet achieving their maximum potential to take charge of their lives.

On his REORG JustGiving page, Mark says: “What started off as a simple beard shave to raise £1,000 for REORG has morphed into an entirely new beast!” He praises the generosity of supporters for inspiring him to raise more. To donate, go to www.justgiving.com/fundraising/mark-ormrod6