DANNY MILLS PREPARES FOR HIS MARATHON CHALLENGE

Former England International, Danny Mills had plenty of time to think about life after football when a serious knee injury ruled him out of action for more than 18 months. Realising that he would never fully recover to play professionally, the former right back announced – in August 2009 - that he was retiring from the game, at just 32 years of age.

So what would come next for the man who helped England progress to the quarter finals of the 2006 World Cup? The answer is attempting the Brighton Marathon in a wheelchair.

“Once I picked up the injury and realised that this was a potentially career threatening injury, I started thinking about what I could do if the worst came to the worst.” he explains. “When it did I thought about running a marathon for charity as it was something that I had always wanted to do, but with 2 bad knees it wasn’t something that I could have done any time soon”

Mills had always worked closely with a number of charities and became a patron of ASBAH – the Association of Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus – after his young son, Archie died in 2002 from the condition. While still plying his trade in the Premiership with the likes of Leeds, Middlesbrough and Manchester City, he was able to raise more than £300,000, and set up a helpline for a cause very close to his heart.

“Being involved with a predominantly disabled charity I thought maybe I should try and do a marathon in a wheelchair and raise funds and awareness that way. I got in touch with Joyce Cook, who is the chairperson of the National Association of Disabled Supporters (NADS), she was thoroughly behind the idea and has been really supportive throughout the whole process.”

With the support of the NADS came the idea that Mills would not only attempt to complete the Brighton Marathon in a wheelchair, but also that he would experience life as a wheelchair user for a week. “Obviously the modern grounds are great for disabled supporters, the City of Manchester Stadium and Wembley are fantastic, but there are plenty of issues with sporting venues. One of NADS’ big campaigns is ‘a level playing field’.” Mills continues to explain. “It’s about access for everybody, no matter where it is, whether it is at a football ground or a badminton tournament. If disabled fans want to go and watch sport then it shouldn’t be a hassle for them to go and do it, you should be able to support your team the same as everybody else.”

The ex-defender is clearly very passionate about the cause and recognises the day to day difficulties that come with living in a wheelchair. “I started training outside but soon realised that I was really going to struggle. In the race wheelchairs, you are going around 8 or 9mph, well that’s the speed I am going at, but top guys go much quicker of course. Even at that speed trying to steer round tight corners is very hard while trying to stop quickly is very difficult. Even simple things like going up and down curbs is incredibly tricky so that opened my eyes to the everyday struggles.”

With the Brighton Marathon taking place on the 18th of April, the task facing Mills is a daunting one. Used to covering plenty of ground in his playing days, he will now be solely relying on the strength in his arms. Yet, Mills speaks with absolute confidence and knows that all the hard work and months of training will be worth it if he can complete the 26.2 mile course.

“I first started training back in September, before I actually got the wheelchair. I did a month in the gym working solely on the arms and once I got the chair, I did three months of training on rollers, which is the equivalent of a treadmill for a wheelchair,” describes Mills. “Since then I have been working on the track and I have now completed half marathon distances outside in the chair. I just hope that I can finish the race and raise awareness for this great cause.”
Danny Mills will be taking part in the Brighton Marathon on the 18th of April where Marmite will be sponsoring his marathon challenge.

Danny will be competing on behalf of the Association of Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus (ASBAH) and the National Association of Disabled Supporters (NADS). If you would like to sponsor Danny simply follow the link. http://www.justgiving.com/DannyMillsWheelchairMarathon/