Words by Cheyanne Bryan
Mark O’Brien will be attempting two Guinness World Records in one day in an effort to raise money for three motor neurone disease charities.
On 1st September, Mark O'Brien will set out to achieve two Guinness World Records, each in a different country. As he holds dual citizenship for the UK and Ireland, he will attempt the fastest 50m freestyle and 100m freestyle swim in each country respectively.
The charities that will benefit from Mark’s daring act are MND Association, Challenging MND and the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association.
Mark’s determination has been admired by the people he has worked with at the charities he is supporting with Liane Iles, CEO of Challenging MND saying “Mark’s determination is a testament to the human spirit, and together, we can make a significant impact in the fight against MND."
As ambitious as this feat is, it won’t be Mark’s first world record as around the same time in 2023 he set the world record for the longest non-stop, unaided open water swim by a person with MND with a distance of 11km.
Since being diagnosed in March 2022, the 55-year-old actively advocates for awareness of the conduction and the mental health aspect of going through a terminal illness. In an interview with Smiley News, he said: “It takes about six months for lots of different tests to be done to reconfirm the diagnosis. So at first, for the first couple of months, you're kind of sticking your head in the sand a little bit. [...] My mental health took an absolute nosedive, without doubt, the darkest time of my life.
Mark goes on to say: “But the impact on people's mental health of having a terminal illness, I think the focus is more on the illness itself, rather than the impacts on your mental health, which actually I think can be more destructive than the physical illness itself. And having lived through that and met some wonderful people who are living with terminal illnesses, not just MND, I think they would say the same thing. So I'd love to see a greater focus on the mental health side of things.”
Inspired by the charitable acts of Rob Burrow and Alex Gibson, Mark aspires to follow in their footsteps to dedicate his legacy to demonstrate to his children and others that despite life's challenges, persistence can turn the seemingly impossible into reality, urging them to never surrender.
When asked about why he enjoys swimming so much, he answered: “I've had five major back surgeries, and after every single surgery, my recovery has been based in water.”
He continued, “it's kind of like you go back to something you really know and that you're passionate about. So that’s swimming for me, and I think a lot of people would tell you who live with MND, in water, you have some kind of normalisation.”
To support Mark on his journey, share his story or donate to support 3 motor neurone disease charities, here: GiveWheel -Double Guinness World Record Attempts - UK & Ireland
At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.
MND Association. This is a charity that focuses on improving access to care, research and campaigning for those people living with or affected by MND in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Find out more.
Challenging MND. This organisation is a grant giving organisation dedicated to helping create lasting memories and provide assistance through bespoke experiences, equipment, home accessibility projects, virtual reality experiences and support for carers. Learn more here.
Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association. This is a primary care and support organisation for people living with MND, their families, caregivers. Support them here.
