Q & A: Rugby star Parks on WRC ride

In July he became the first ever person to stand on the highest summit in each of the world's seven continents as well as all three poles (the South Pole, the Geographical North Pole and the summit of Everest) in the same calendar year.

Parks completed this remarkable feat in less than seven months, raising funds in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care.

And today he went for a spin with Matthew Wilson, the Englishman taking the Welshman for a ride in his Ford Fiesta RS WRC at Rally GB shakedown.

Q. How was it?

Richard Parks: "An amazing experience. I'm so grateful to the Stobart team and especially Matt (Wilson) and Scott (Martin, Wilson's co-driver). It was just amazing. I know it was a short stage, but every second really was incredible. I've been down here and watched the rally before, but this was just incredible."

Q. What surprised you most about the car?

Parks: "Two things stood out. The car was phenomenal; it was just mind-blowing what the car could do - especially the stopping power of it in the mud. But, more than that, the thing that came through is Matt's skill behind the wheel. The way he controlled the car when it was sideways, how he could turn it on the spot and put it just where he wanted was just amazing."

Q. You say you've watched rallies before, was this anything like you expected?

Parks: "No. It was much more than I expected. I'm a keen motorsport fan and being inside the car is something which is really hard to articulate. It's something which is going to keep me bubbling and talking about it for a very long time to come."

Q. Having sat in for the ride, could you imagine trying to read notes and co-drive?

Parks: "Do you know what, I struggle to read a newspaper in the car when my mates are driving! What Scott does in there is just incredible. I didn't feel nauseous or anything like that, but I wasn't looking at notes and trying to maintain the level of composure needed to read notes. The skill set from both the guys is just incredible. "

Q. And would you like to try your hand at competing?

Parks: "Definitely. I'd love to have a go. But for me at the moment I'm sticking to mountains to try and get the 737 Challenge finished to raise some more money for Marie Curie Cancer Care."