Dr Mark Steven Woolley has had a roller-coaster life and has taught us all tips on how to stay an lively, adventurous life even after accidents. Woolley, a PhD in Floor Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (Computational Molecular Physics) and a trainer of Physics and Idea of Data within the Worldwide Baccalaureate system in a college in Spain, is an adventurer and retired ultra-distance athlete who was named Adventurer of the Yr 2016 by the Federación Andaluza de Montañismo. He has run 1,316 km in Ladakh, India, whereas collaborating within the 111, 222, and 333 km classes at La Extremely – The Excessive through the years. He has additionally served as co-race director and has introduced college students from his faculty in Spain to crew on the race.
The primary main damage Woolley suffered was a fall from a rock face in North Wales in the summertime of 1990. He was climbing very nicely on the time, relaxed and robust, however maybe just a bit too relaxed on the time of the autumn. It was on a route known as “Poetry in Pink” and the primary and solely safety bolt was about 25 metres above the bottom.
He admitted, “Because it was, I fell from about 5 metres, on the simple part, due fully to not concentrating on what I used to be presupposed to be doing. As I hit the bottom, I might hear the bones shattering in a pointy, sickening crescendo. It felt like I had immediately drunk two bottles of whisky, one after the opposite, after which the ache began. My pal Andy informed me that I had damaged my leg, simply above the ankle, and that I used to be okay, however that I should not take a look at it. However I wanted to see it, so I attempted and could not see the foot. ‘It is the opposite facet of your leg, Mark.’ The decrease leg had fairly actually snapped in half and the foot was hanging off the tip of the leg by just some tendons. Ouch!”
Woolley was airlifted by a navy helicopter out of the slate quarry and flown to the native hospital in Bangor for emergency surgical procedure, the place the damaged leg, with its 5 impartial items of bone, was bolted again collectively and the foot relocated onto the leg. 4 months later, the plaster was eliminated.
Woolley added, “At first, it was actually laborious work and the ache was super, however I began to run. The surgeon who operated on me stated that the leg was stronger than ever now with the brand new titanium plate, and it was these phrases that impressed me to push on and ignore the ache. The docs within the post-surgery check-ups have been the precise reverse. They informed me that my working days have been over and that I might be fortunate if I might stroll correctly once more. I despised them for his or her negativity and lack of religion in their very own occupation.”
Woolley was decided to not let the damage cease him, and little by little, issues bought higher. The leg bought stronger and the ache ultimately disappeared, permitting him to run once more and even take part in journey races once more, which he did with ardour.
Nevertheless, a number of years later, this all got here to a halt when he was working steeply downhill, clearly overcompensating for the injured proper leg with the left leg. He landed just a bit too laborious and drove the tibia by means of the patella, which required a second surgical procedure to appropriate.
The second surgical procedure took Woolley two years to get well from. When he acquired a name from a detailed pal, Jose Luis Rubio, to take part in an journey race as an orienteering working partnership, he was most likely on the lowest level of his life when it comes to bodily health. He began the race with the one hope of really ending, however the climate was actually, actually dangerous with heavy rain and visibility all the way down to just some metres. Mark and his pal went actually sluggish in these mountains due to his lack of health, however in some way they managed to complete. Then actuality struck them: Everybody else had gotten misplaced they usually had gained! In the end – his accidents, lack of health, and their cool heads – the straightforward reality of maintaining going and never getting misplaced had meant that Mark and Jose had gained. Mark commented, “On this easy expertise, I noticed that simply being there, maintaining cool, and maintaining going is what actually counts.”
Immediately, Mark was bitten by the journey bug once more and began coaching, regaining health little by little till he was ready to really race once more. He was removed from completed.
In his early 40s, he began a journey that’s most likely essentially the most sensible set of sporting and journey experiences of his life that lasted for a dozen or so years. He skilled rigorously each day, most days twice a day, and took part in among the most prestigious ultra-distance races on this planet. He would usually run some 200 km every week in preparation for a giant race, with essentially the most vital most likely being the Spartathlon. It took him three makes an attempt to complete this race, and when he lastly did, Mark was the highest-placed British athlete that 12 months. He then went on to complete two extra occasions.
The story of Pheidippides, who ran the unique marathon some 2,500 years in the past, was initially considered unimaginable, a bit piece of Greek mythology. That’s, till John Fodden and his staff proved it could possibly be accomplished. When Mark completed the Spartathlon, he had Pheidippides tattooed on the best calf, the leg that had been damaged. Mark shared his ideas: “It means nothing is unimaginable. If I ever doubt myself, I take a look at the tattoo and remind myself of that message.”
Mark has additionally accomplished the Badwater ultra-marathon, which crosses Loss of life Valley twice, and numerous hundred-mile races, each on the street and within the mountains. Nevertheless, he says, “the one race that may stay deeply embedded in my psyche is La Extremely – The Excessive within the Indian Himalayas. La Extremely took me to a unique stage, one which was extra non secular in nature than bodily. It took me three makes an attempt to complete the 333 km race in accordance with the cut-off dates set by the organizers, however the entire course of compelled me to undertake an strategy to ultra-running that, for me, represented the last word objective. One the place it’s important to join together with your non secular facet with the intention to operate. Badwater had been the catalyst, however principally the opposite races have been primarily bodily and psychological. La Extremely was non secular. The upper order, if you happen to like, tying collectively the bodily and psychological in the next advanced package deal.”
However the heavy toll on his physique ultimately surfaced with a hip damage that brought about the left hip to lock up fully in the midst of a 24-hour observe race. The left leg had been compensating for the damaged leg all these years and had ultimately worn out. He underwent intensive physiotherapy, which bought issues working once more, after which he had only one extra race to run earlier than retiring. Mark introduced his retirement within the 111 km model of La Extremely. Mark acknowledged his mistake: “It actually was a nasty thought, and the ache was actually fairly troublesome, however the hip did not lock up and I used to be capable of end. I used to be capable of retire in model.”
Mark had his left hip changed with a shiny titanium one in December 2020. Afterwards, he began doing numerous mountain biking and kayak browsing, however not as a lot coaching as he used to do. Earlier this 12 months, Mark went to Ladakh summited Kang Yatse II after which rode 600 km on mountain bikes exploring Ladakh with Luis Guerrero from Mexico.
His proper hip had additionally began inflicting him issues, and he was informed he would ultimately must have it changed as nicely. This ultimately occurred earlier this month. Dr Carlos Ferrer Privado, the surgeon who has operated on each hips, additionally accompanied him on the Ladakh expedition.
Mark does not plan on working once more, not as a result of he cannot, however as a result of he does not need to. “I am approaching 60 and can by no means be as match as I used to be after I was youthful. The recollections are good as they’re and I do not need to break them with a poor or less-than-stellar effort. As a substitute, I will discover new avenues and search new adventures that will take me in several instructions than my working did.”
As Hunter S Thompson wrote in his e-book The Proud Freeway: Saga of a Determined Southern Gentleman, 1955-1967, “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a reasonably and well-preserved physique. It must be a skid in broadside, in a cloud of smoke, totally used up, completely worn out, and loudly proclaiming ‘Wow! What a experience!’ “
Preserve miling and smiling.
Dr Rajat Chauhan is the writer of MoveMint Medication: Your Journey to Peak Well being and La Extremely: cOuch to five, 11 & 22 kms in 100 days
He writes a weekly column, solely for HT Premium readers, that breaks down the science of motion and train.
The views expressed are private
This winter season, get Flat 20% Off on Annual Subscription Plans
Take pleasure in Limitless Digital Entry with HT Premium
