Mark Black is a Heart and Double-Lung Transplant Recipient – turned – 4- Time Marathon Runner. A resilience expert, coach, and author, Mark helps people “Break Through” their limitations, and his coaching programs provide clients with the tools to transform their adversity into a competitive advantage.

Mark doesn’t just teach resilience; he embodies it. Born with a life-threatening heart defect, Mark underwent two open-heart surgeries before age one. He battled his condition and its limitations for twenty-two years until he was forced to deal with the biggest obstacle of his young life. His doctor informed him that his heart was failing, and without a rare and dangerous heart and double-lung transplant, he would not see his 25th birthday.

In 2002, Mark was fortunate that a suitable donor was found. He not only survived the surgery, but less than three years later, Mark became the only man in history to run a marathon with someone else’s heart and lungs. Then he did it three more times.

Mark is a Certified Speaking Professional, a designation held by less than 1500 speakers in the world. He has inspired over 150,000 people in more than 600 presentations and has worked with global brands, including Exxon Mobil, Mercedes Benz, and many national and regional associations.

Mark lives in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada, where he spends as much time as possible with the most important people: his wife Marise and their three children, Emma, Matteo, and Caleb.