Welsh Rugby legend Gareth ‘Alfie’ Thomas retired from rugby 6 years ago, but that doesn’t mean he’s been kicking his heels, Alfie is passionate about getting the nation fitter and healthier and has spent the last three summers training rookie runners to compete in the Cardiff Half Marathon.
Last year Alfie helped 100 novice women runners train for the Cardiff Half Marathon, but this year he felt passionate about targeting young people. Among the 100 this year are two teams, ACT College Cardiff, and a second team of young people who have been or are currently being helped by the Coedlys Supported Housing team in Llangefni, which offers support for young people with complex needs.
Alfie said: “Ages 17-21 can be a very troublesome time, but it can also be the one time in your life where you can find something or do something that inspires you for the rest of your life, and that’s ultimately why I wanted to go for this age group.”
The Coedlys Team took part in the early Saturday morning 5k Parkrun at Penrhyn Castle in Bangor during the summer, but can Alfie train them to complete the half marathon, give up smoking, can he even persuade them to get out of bed in the morning?
Alfie’s Army airs on Wednesday, September 27, on BBC One Wales at 9pm (Also available on BBC iPlayer) and on Monday, October 2 on BBC One Wales at 8.30pm.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b096m8wj/alfies-army-series-1-episode-1#
