Sunday 27 April 2014

We've Come A Long Way.

Happy Sunday to you all.

Well we did it!

Firstly and most importantly I am happy to tell you that Neil and I have, as of this morning, raised £572 (plus a further £108.75 in gift aid) for Marie Curie Cancer Care.

A massive virtual round of applause for all of the wonderful people who kindly donated. You're fantastic!

If there are any latecomers still wishing to donate, please feel free, via the following link: http://www.justgiving.com/TheOddballs

On a personal level, yesterday was tough. Far tougher than I had anticipated. I had trained hard for distance and stamina but the terrain and obstacles, I am not afraid to admit, have battered me. My training never incorporated being shot by paintball snipers, climbing hills with a heavy back pack on, or jumping 6 metres off of scaffolding, onto a massive crash pillow thing. I used muscles I had either forgotten about or failed to realise existed.

But like many hard things in life, I have come through it with positivity and pride.

To some we may just appear to have gone out on a nice sunny day in the countryside, done a middle distance run and thrown ourselves over some stuff. On a broader level, the sense of achievement is vast and emotional because of where we have come from.

Myself, an Alcoholic/Addict whom, three times in recent memory, has been only a matter of weeks away from not being here anymore, now about to celebrate 17 months clean and sober and my great friend Neil, who has transformed himself from a heart attack in a chair, into a true warrior, through sheer hard work and persistence. I'm proud of myself, of course I am but I am equally proud to have a genuine, loving and indeed inspirational friend, as Neil.

So thank you to him, to my family and friends for everything and also to the team I ran with yesterday, who were superb.

Even another rubbish result for Watford on the road, yesterday afternoon, could not extinguish my flame.

More on Watford FC in the coming days, I'm sure.

Have a great day.

Paul.

Tweet @hoganwatford

3 comments:

  1. Beautiful. Well done boys.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Well done tough guys. A well deserved victory!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Lovely emotional stuff.

    ReplyDelete