Richard David Parks (born 14 August 1977) is a former Wales international rugby union player turned extreme endurance athlete and television presenter.

After taking longer to recover than anticipated, he was released from his contract at Newport RFC after 62 appearances and finished the season playing university rugby for Cardiff Meds.

He earned his first full international cap on 8 June 2002, coming on as a substitute in a 34–19 defeat to South Africa in Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein.

Following the Introduction of regional rugby union teams in Wales in 2003, Parks was signed to the newly formed Celtic Warriors.

[6] Following the demise of the region after only one season, Parks joined the then Welsh head coach Phil Davies at Leeds Tykes.

After a difficult start to the 2004–05 season through injury, Parks became an influential member of the Leeds squad and was at times named as vice captain.

However, due to a failure to gain sufficient game time, Parks returned to Wales for the 2007–08 season with the Newport Gwent Dragons.

Parks tore his knee ligaments in the Boxing Day derby against Cardiff Blues, marking the start of a long line of injuries, which ultimately led to his retirement from rugby.

[10] On 12 December 2010, Parks left Cardiff on the centenary of the departure from the city of the ill-fated Terra Nova Expedition, led by Robert Falcon Scott.

[14] He subsequently returned to Antarctica at the end of 2013, and on 4 January 2014 he completed an unsupported and unassisted journey to the South Pole, covering 1,150 km (715 miles) in 29 days, 19 hours and 24 minutes, the fastest solo for a Briton.

Filmed by Zig Zag Productions, it followed a year of preparation and then completion of endurance races, as well as skiing solo and unsupported to the South Pole.