Having completed three Kathmandu Coast to Coasts and several ultra-marathons,  father-of-two Mark Ford was getting set to compete in yet another ultra-marathon.

Then, on the morning of February 6, 2019, he woke up unable to speak or walk, keeping his eyes open was near impossible and the 40-year-old had almost no control over his emotions.

An undiagnosed small hole in his heart had allowed a clot to enter the bloodstream and lodge in his brain. He had suffered an ischemic stroke and his future was entirely uncertain. Within hours Mark and his family were at Burwood hospital where he was admitted straight to intensive care.

Listen above as Mark speaks to Lesley Murdoch ahead of the event.