It was quite a weekend for Bemerton Heath Harlequins skipper, Danny Young.
Having played the full 90 minutes in a hard-fought 1-1 draw with Westbury United on Saturday in the Pitching In Southern League Division One South, the pocket battleship then took part in the London Landmarks Half-Marathon the following day where he raised over £500 for children with Crohn’s Disease and secured an impressive time.
“It’s been a busy period over Easter with football never mind training for the half-marathon,” he told us as he enjoyed a well-earned rest in Prague. “It’s safe to say the last 5k on Sunday was a real struggle, particularly after 90 minutes the day before!
“Luckily, I was able to get straight off to Prague with my Mrs to rest my legs!”
So, what was the inspiration behind running the half-marathon?
“I work in a secondary school and the son of one of my colleagues, who I taught, was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease,” he explained. “So, when the chance came to do any form of sponsorship I jumped at it. I’ve always wanted to test myself physically so a half-marathon seemed like the perfect opportunity whilst raising vital funds at the same time.
“My final time was 1:38:14, which I was chuffed with. I was expecting to be between 1:40 and 1:45 but my target was under 1:40, so to be under by nearly two minutes I was absolutely buzzing with, to be honest, particularly after a tough game on Saturday!
“There are no plans currently for any more half-marathons, but I’m sure I’ll get the bug and enter another one or two. I’d love to really test myself with a full marathon, but I might wait until my playing days are over for that challenge, particularly after how my legs have felt over these past few days!”
As someone who enjoys a challenge, Young has relished the test that the Southern League has provided this term following back-to-back promotions out of the Wessex League.
“We started off really well but we’ve dropped off as the season has gone on,” he admitted. “We are quite an inexperienced group, but have some outstanding players, who we are lucky to have.
“Having risen from Step 6 to Step 4 in such a short period of time, we always knew that it would be a really tough task this season but to still be in and around the race to make the play-offs at this late stage is testament to the players, the Gaffer and the club as a whole.
“Even though I am knocking on a bit now, I feel that I’ve had a good season. I’ve played in a number of different positions, but I will always help the Gaffer out wherever he needs me. I’ve chipped in with a few goals and assists as well from all over the park, so that can’t be bad!
“To be skipper of a club that means so much to me really is the icing on the cake.
“These final few weeks are going to be exciting. This division has been extremely close throughout; I think at one stage there were just four points separating fourth place from 14th place! As I say, it’s a real achievement that we have been in and around those play-off places pretty much all the way through.
“If we’re being totally honest, we may have fallen a little short of getting into that top five now, but it’s been an amazing first season at this level for the club and we’re hopeful of being able to push on next year and compete.
“For a lot of our lads, this is their first season at this level and I am extremely proud of them. It all bodes well for when we have a bit more experience next time around.
“We’ll look to finish as high up the table as we can; it would be nice to end with a few wins to take into the summer.”
Saturday sees them head to Melksham Town before they host Mousehole in their final home game before finishing the season at Bideford AFC.
To find out more about Crohn’s Disease in children and how you can donate to the CICRA Charity | CLICK HERE
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