Mark Eccleston - wheelchair athlete and paralympian
"You have to learn to appreciate the bad days as they will make the good days taste sweeter"
Mark is one of those unique athletes that has been successful both as a team player and as an individual. As a speaker he is entertaining, articulate and passionate.
He believes "how a person masters his fate is more important than what that fate is" Wilhelm von Humbolt
Background and achievements
At the age of 16, Mark Eccleston had an accident in which he severed his spinal cord. He was left tetraplegic, paralysed from the chest down and was told he would never walk again.
During his 7-month stay in hospital he was introduced to wheelchairs sports as part of his rehab program. On leaving hospital he won gold in table tennis at the National Wheelchair Games. It was here where he was introduced to Wheelchair Rugby, and in 1992 he captained Southport to the National Title.
Between 1992 and 1996 he captained Great Britain in two World Finals and the 1996 Atlanta Paralympics. He was also the first British player to play a season in America when he signed for Tampa Bay.
After Atlanta Mark needed a new challenge and so took up wheelchair tennis. He has since won seven National titles and in 2002 he became the first British player ever to be Number 1 on the World Singles Ranking. He was also part of the first British team ever to win the World Team Cup (the Davis Cup of wheelchair tennis) and he won a Silver Medal at the 2004 Athens Paralympics.
After Athens Mark retired from competing and in August 2005 began taking his LTA tennis coaching qualification. In January 2006 Mark became the first tetraplegic in the world to qualify as a tennis coach.
Speaking engagements
Recently Mark attended a public speaking course run by Frank Furness, internationally renowned speaker, and is now available to do motivational and inspirational speaking at your function.
Mark talks about his life, the obstacles he has faced and his ground breaking achievements, and is able to tailor his presentations to the needs of the clients. His story is moving, inspiring and humorous, as he talks about his determination to deal with trauma at such a young age and what it took to be the best in the world.
Testimonials
"With the Cliff Richard Foundation now involved in providing opportunities for children with disabilities to play tennis it was fantastic that Mark was able to join us at the Tennis Classic. His achievements are truly inspirational and his participation in the Tennis Classic helped make the whole occasion a wonderful success" Sir Cliff Richard - The Cliff Richard Tennis Foundation
"Mark has a powerful message. His personal experiences and achievements translate into all walks of life. If we follow his example in our personal and business lives we will benefit tremendously." Rhys Jones- Human Resources Director, Mowlem PLC
"Mark is the sort of person who gives you confidence, inspires you and who you would always want on your team. His is a remarkable story of determination. Failure is simply not on his agenda." Jenny Rudge OBE - Chief Executive, Connexions - Devon and Cornwall
"The children loved talking to Mark and asking him questions about his life, he was truly inspirational" Mrs.H.Arnold - Head teacher, St.Theresa's school, St.Helens
"I heard Mark speak to an audience last night where he kept them entranced and spellbound. He is a true motivational speaker and also very entertaining!" Len Marlow – St.Helens Rotary Club
Contact details
- Email: markecc@hotmail.co.uk
- Web: www.markeccleston.com
Google links
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