Meet Mark

Mark and his son Tim after riding skateboards 600 miles from Washington DC to Ottawa, Canada

KEYNOTE SPEAKER... GYMNAST... COACH... ADVENTURER... AUTHOR... STORYTELLER

Mark developed the CAT ZONE Performance mindset as a simple tool to remind himself to always operate from a foundation of relentless CURIOSITY, to fast-track his progress with bold AUDACITY and to crush obstacles with resilient TENACITY.

Mark was slipping into the comfortable habit of predictable familiarity until a single piece of mail dropped into his mailbox shortly after his 49th birthday.

It was his invitation to join AARP (The American Association of Retired People). A stark reminder that time doesn't get put on hold just because you've been putting your dreams on hold. Less than a year later he ran his first 50-mile ultramarathon. Next, a 100-mile run along the Florida Keys was soon followed by a 276-mile run across Pennsylvania. And the list of crazy ideas is still growing! (See below).

Now he gets to share everything he learns in fun, engaging keynote speeches with his growing clan of "CAT people" who, like him, want to fully explore and exploit life's fleeting opportunities.

SOME OF MARK'S BIG ADVENTURES

Completed the 2,700 mile Tour Divide Mountain Bike Race from Banff, Canada to the Mexico border down the Continental Divide
Bicycled the 1,800 mile Pacific Coastline from Vancouver to San Diago
Ran 29,029 feet of climbing and decent over 63 miles (the height of Mount Everest) up and down the famous Philadelphia Art Museum Steps (Rocky Steps)
Completed a 100 mile run along the entire length of the Florida Keys from Key Largo to Key West (29 hours straight through)
Completed a 600 mile skateboard adventure from the Capitol building in Washington DC to the Parliament building in Ottawa, Canada.
Completed a 3,400 mile solo/self-supported bicycle ride across the US from Santa Cruz, CA to Ocean City, NJ
Completed a 5,000 mile self-supported bicycle ride across Europe
Finished a 276 mile run across Pennsylvania from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia (ten days - averaging over a marathon a day)
Completed a 47 mile double crossing run across the Grand Canyon from rim to rim and back again
Ran 87 miles around a 1.5 mile loop, just to see how far he could go in 24 hours
Completed a 26.2 mile marathon up and down the Art Museum (Rocky) steps in Philadelphia
Completed a 100 km (62 miles) run around New York city
Trekked the 200 mile Annapurna Circuit through the Nepal Himalayas
Backpacked through south-east Asia
Scuba dived the Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Learned to surf/drown in Bali, Indonesia
Drove a VW camper van across the US (It caught fire upon reaching Philadelphia)
Bicycled the length of Great Britain from his hometown of Southampton, England to John O'Groats, Scotland

Feeling the heat. 100 mile run. Key Largo to Key West in one day.

Part story-teller, part professional butt-kicker, he takes the lessons from his adventures and helps organizations build cultures where great ideas are born, acted upon and delivered

MARK HAS BEEN INSPIRING AUDIENCES FOR OVER 30 YEARS

Before he ever took on a corporate audience he cut his teeth inspiring teenage athletes. Working with kids you quickly discover that young people always learn more by doing than they ever will by just listening. He brings that experience to his corporate keynotes with stories, audience participation challenges and physical demonstrations.

WHEN HE'S NOT ON STAGE OR OFF GETTING NEW STORIES HE'S...

in the gym teaching kids at his own gymnastics center in Pennsylvania. Formally a member of the British National team he has been coaching kids since 1982. Mark is a former assistant coach to the US Junior Olympic Men's Team and is the author of "Going For It" a motivational book for teenage athletes.