By Adam Dutton via SWNS
A former paratrooper who cheated death after plummeting 1,000ft to the ground has made amazing strides to become a record-breaking ultra runner.
Superfit Jon Shield, 41, is the first person ever to win all four of the world’s toughest races.
Jon has battled jungle, ice, mountains and desert, to become champion of the Beyond the Ultimate Global Race Series.
The grueling races sees competitors attempt to run a total of 910km (565 miles) over four marathons set in the world’s toughest environments.
Last month he won the Desert Ultra Marathon in Namibia after completing the 250km (155 miles) course in 27 hours and 39 minutes.
Jon has also won the Ice Ultra Marathon in the Swedish Arctic and just months later came first in the Jungle Ultra Marathon in Africa.
Last year he won the Mountain Ultra Marathon across the Tian Shan mountains in Asia in a near-record time of 29 hours and 32 minutes.
Jon’s incredible feats of endurance came after a horror accident left him unable to run for seven years.
In 2013 while Jon was in the Parachute Regiment he undertook a 1,000ft parachute jump at night.
Complications on the landing meant Jon plummeted to the ground at high speed, smashing his ankle, knee and hip.
He had several surgeries but his injuries were so severe he was medically discharged months later.
Jon decided to retrain as a paramedic and it was while he started running to work he became obsessed with Ultra Marathons.
He said: “You always forget how difficult each race is as time goes on.
“You can do the most hideous of races and think never again, but then two days later you think you would do it again.
“A lot of people say the desert is the hardest, but I had no problems at all.
“I’d done heat training before so when I got out there I raced hard on day one. After that I just cruised, I didn’t take any risks or chances.
“I got a spike of wood in my shoe which knocked time off. It had gone through into my foot, so I had to have a medic pull it out.
“I’m the first one to win the overall race series and it feels great.
“Ever since I became interested in the races it’s been a goal to go out and win them.
“You put yourself through everything, the insect and wildlife and the temperatures, you need to be very adaptable.
But it’s always the case of what’s next.
“It’s nice to have the acknowledgment that you’ve achieved something, but I never want to rest on my laurels.
“I’m always looking ahead to the next challenge.”
Reflecting on his remarkable achievements following his terrible parachuting accident, Jon, who is single and lives with his dogs in Oswestry, Shropshire, added: “It’s amazing how far I’ve come.”
He said: “When I suffered the injuries it was just a nighttime training jump and we took off from Brize Norton for a night jump.
“It was a static line jump out the back of a Hercules. It deploys the parachute for you and the height you’re jumping from is very low.
“This one was very low. It’s pitch black and you can’t see anything and you drop ridiculously fast around two meters a second.
“You’re trying to listen, for a split second, listening to the equipment hitting the ground before you can break your fall.
“I just hit the ground incredible hard. Because the landing is so heavy, people are prone to these injuries.
“The labral tear was the worst, it stopped me enjoying my cycling. I had a mesh in my groin area.
“I wasn’t able to go cycling, running or doing any cardio because of this pain in my groin area.
“I didn’t run for seven years, but I managed to run a marathon when it was pain free that same week.
“I was determined to keep fit and push myself to the extremes. I had to overcome my injuries.
“If I fail at something, I learn lessons from it.
“The jungle was my most difficult race I feel, we had a difficult year in terms of the weather.
“It was oppressively hot, it was around 36C. You were exposed to direct sunlight, with the humidity. I looked and felt absolutely dead.
“There’s no paths in these forests. Locals had gone out and cut these pathways in.
“We were racing in places people had never run before. The conditions, the weather, the wildlife being bitten and stung.
“At one point you’re in a river for 15km.
“You’d occasionally get up to chest height in this water, but it was mainly knee height.
“At one point there was this coral snake swimming alongside us, a good metre in length swimming by the side of us.
“Ants and wasps were the main thing, getting thorns in your hands. You’re told not to touch the trees or branches.
“Some of them have massive spikes or ants on them.
“Two spiders dropped down off the ceiling off of this hut where we got out water.
“It’s five days, all five stages are self-sufficient. You carry all your own food.
“The only thing they give you is water. You carry your sleeping bag, change of clothes.
“I’m very proud of winning the races, it wasn’t about the times, it was about making sure I was the first person to win the overall series.”
