Triple amputee Mark Ormrod receives £59,000 in donations to run 5km for a veterans’ charity after video of him tripping over goes viral
- Triple amputee Mark Ormrod given £59,000 in donations for 5km charity run
- The 37-year-old former Royal Marine had set his fundraising target at £5,000
- A video of him slipping on a damp path while running went viral, boosting funds
Triple amputee Mark Ormrod has received £59,000 in donations after he pledged to run five kilometers for a veterans’ charity.
The 37-year-old former Royal Marine had set his fundraising target at £5,000 and was surprised to find that the total had reached £56,000 over the weekend after a video of him falling over as he trained went viral.
In the video Mr Ormrod, from Plymouth, is seen skidding over on the damp tarmac whilst running when his carbon prosthetic leg hits the path and slips ‘like it’s ice’.
The father-of-three lost both of his legs and his right arm above the elbow in a bomb blast in Afghanistan in 2007 and was told by doctors he would never walk again, let alone run.
He has since won 11 Invictus Games medals, written an award-winning autobiography Man Down, and has become an internationally acclaimed motivational speaker – among other achievements.
Mr Ormrod explained to his followers on Youtube that a 5km run was ‘more than 5km’ for him, as he drives himself forward with his ‘a** cheeks, lower back and to some extent hips’ which ‘takes a lot more energy’.
In the footage of his first training session in preparation for the 5km Mr Ormrod, who trained at the same time as Prince Harry before deploying to Afghanistan, is seen completing a 2km stretch.
In the video Mr Ormrod, from Plymouth, is seen skidding over on the tarmac whilst running when his carbon prosthetic leg hitting the tarmac caused it to slip ‘like ice’
His trainer is seen coaching him back onto his feet as a camera follows the runner
Mr Ormrod, who is a bilateral above the knee amputee, said he uses ‘600 to 700 per cent more energy than an able bodied person’ whilst running
Mr Ormrod (pictured) is running on March 12 for REORG, a charity that helps service personnel transition out of the military using martial arts
Mr Ormrod, who is a bilateral above the knee amputee, said he uses ‘600 to 700 per cent more energy than an able bodied person’ whilst running, meaning it is far more of a challenge.
He added: ‘My body is kind of used to getting around and walking now, it’s been over ten years, but running is not something that I do, it’s not something that I enjoy and that is why i’ve chosen it.
‘The whole point of fundraising is to do things that challenge you and you’re not comfortable with (…) to push you mentally and physically.’
He is running on March 12 to raise funds for REORG, a charity that helps service personnel transition out of the military using martial arts.
Mr Ormrod – who was awarded an MBE for outstanding services to the Royal Marines in October last year – received a personal letter from Prince Harry praising his ‘exceptional achievements and services’ shortly after.
Mr Ormrod celebrates with the prince after he wins silver at the Invictus Games 2017
Mark Ormrod (pictured), who trained with Prince Harry before deploying to Afghanistan, shared a snap of the letter he received from Prince Harry
The letter (pictured) reads: ‘Dear Mark, The Duchess of Sussex and I were delighted to learn of your incredibly well-deserved honour in recognition of your exceptional achievements and service’
The letter, dated November 2, read: ‘Dear Mark, The Duchess of Sussex and I were delighted to learn of your incredibly well-deserved honour in recognition of your exceptional achievements and service.’
We send our warmest congratulations and very best wishes.’
The Prince has followed Mark’s path to glory having first met him at Headley Court, the armed forces’ rehabilitation centre in Surrey, in 2008.