Due to back injuries, so winning a grueling two-week race across the Arctic
this month after a year’s training was a major personal triumph.

Mike, 48, and two colleagues in team Bearing 360 North beat seven
other trios to win the annual Polar Challenge, a 350 mile race through
freezing conditions to the north pole.

His team, co-sponsored by Reuters, ICAP and Merchant Inns, raised
over $100,000 for Orchid, a charity committed to reducing the incidence
of testicular and prostate cancers.

But for Mike, who lives near Tetbury, Gloucestershire, and works in executive search, the race was also a personal quest.

Ten years ago he faced paralysis due to a series of back injuries
inflicted during the years he played rugby and served in the parachute
regiment, running with heavy packs and jumped out of airplanes.

I was in a lot of pain and this led to depression,” Mike told Reuters.

But I resolved to fight it and opted for chiropractic rather than
conventional medicine and I have made a pretty much full recovery
for me, at a purely selfish level, this was about me conquering that.
It has meant a great deal to me.”

Mike said he hoped to be able to use his win to inspire other people facing a physical disability to fight on.

The event, described as the world’s toughest polar race, is held in
unrelenting, freezing conditions with temperatures as low as minus 40
degrees Celsius.
hours a day, pulling supplies on a 90 kg (200 lb) sledge behind them
with food and their camping gear, prepared to confront polar bears
along the way.

Competitors had various reasons for wanting to compete in the event that was first held in 2003.

Steve Jones from Team Star, leader of a UK-based software company,
survived a rail crash in London and wanted to find something that would
replace that traumatic incident as the most dominant experience of his
life.

Kirsty Bamber from the Arctic Virgins, one of the two all-female teams, works in a bar and wanted an adventure.

Three competitors failed to complete the race. One dropped out,
unable to cope any longer, while two withdrew because of injuries.
Bearing 360 North won after the team ahead of them finished with one
member missing due to injuries.

“What this has proved to me is that you don’t have to be a
24-year-old super athlete to take on a challenge like this. You just
need the mental fortitude,” said Mike.

“I will be highlighting to people now in the position that I was in
10 years ago - unable to walk - that they should never give up.”You can check out Christopher Mike’s website at Christophermike dot com. Here’s what he has to say about his life’s moto:br
the body of a God. I was different., By the time I reached my 40’s I
had already attained that dream body. Unfortunately, I must have been
dreaming about Buddha that day.

Having reached the midway point, I have come to the conclusion that
the future consists of more than trousers with elasticated waistbands
and knitted cardigans. I have discovered that there is much to be said
for pushing ourselves beyond our comfort zones, taking on real and
significant challenges, challenges that allow us to find out who we
really are.

I have also discovered the rewards to be had from doing something of
benefit to others; putting something back. Most of us live in a world
of excess and we all too often ignore the less fortunate people around
us. We tend to assume that it’s always someone else who will do the
decent thing on our behalf; we don’t need to concern ourselves. Knowing
that our actions may benefit someone else is a great feeling and the
charitable aspect of my activities has become enormously important to
me.

Is this all about mid-life crisis? – well maybe it is. But it’s a
shame that the expression is used with such negative connotations. If
we just substituted the word ‘crisis’ with ‘awakening’ we might see
things in a much more positive light. I may be too old for a paper
round and too young for a pension but I don’t consider that to be a
good reason for giving up.

As one colleague responded when challenged about his mountaineering exploits “it’s either this, a mistress or a Harley Davidson”And no-one wants to be seen riding a Harley Davidson.”

This entry was posted on Saturday, October 4th, 2008 at 4:26 am and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Comments and pings are closed.

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