Runner injured in parachute jump makes history

Jon Shield made history by winning the Desert Ultra in Namibia

An ultra runner has fought back from a horrific parachuting accident to achieve an extreme sporting first.

Jon Shield, from Oswestry, Shropshire, has become the first man to win all four events in Beyond the Ultimate's Global Race Series, which takes on some of the world's most gruelling environments.

After battling through jungle, ice, mountains and desert, he completed the milestone by winning the Desert Ultra in Namibia on Friday.

"When I won the ice ultra in Sweden... I hadn't done anything like that with snow shoes before, it was just a case of... 'I can go and do this'," he said.

"To have four, the Global Race Series, is brilliant," said Mr Shield, who, asked if he was there to win, replied: "Always."

He always had a sporting background and his resilience was forged in the military, where a parachute jump left him with severe injuries, leading to his medical discharge.

Mr Shield retrained as a paramedic and now works online doing consultations for 111 and is also a running coach.

He really started running himself during a Covid lockdown.

"I was hospital-based at the time working through Covid and I used to come back and just go out running during the evening," he said.

Mr Shield said he had had failures in recent years and persevered

"I... got seen by a very good physio, who sorted me out and I just started running and taking the dogs down the canal.

"It just spiralled from then, just kept running and running further and further and further and then got into some races."

In Namibia, he tackled 50C heat, powerful winds and relentless deep sand to win every stage, completing 250km in 27 hours and 39 minutes.

Reflecting on his triumph, he said: "It’s taken me to some beautiful, far-flung places and extreme environments.

"From stunning scenery to amazing wildlife and fantastic people, I’ve loved every minute."

He said it was "amazing how liberating it is"

Asked where his mind goes while running, he replied: "I guess it is auto pilot in a way, because actually for me these are holidays. I switch off."

He also said: "It's amazing how liberating it is and you meet people that are very like minded, that are driven and want to be there for their own personal reasons.

"Not everyone is there to compete and win."

Speeds "aren't quite as quick" as for the London Marathon, for example, with "varied terrain" involved

He already had experience of carrying weight on his back in the military.

With food, "your sleeping bag, medical kits and so on for the week, with water [you] are probably carrying nine kilos at the start of the race on your back".

It was "quite different to just running a marathon".

And how does he feel with mission accomplished?

"It's really, really good."