Nine 樱桃福利视频 Traineeship learners are amongst the 100 rookie runners trained up by rugby legend Gareth 鈥楢lfie鈥� Thomas to tackle this year鈥檚 Cardiff Half Marathon with Alfie鈥檚 Army.
The army consists of a hundred young people aged 17-21 who are tasked with completing the 13.1 mile run on Sunday 1st October.
Our learners taking on the challenge are听Kayleigh Owen, Lena McGhee, Teigan Henry, Thomas Watts, Liam Roche, Lauren Parsons, Jaden McKenzie, Chanel Mitchell and Laura Morris.
We spoke to some of the learners to find out how they have dealt with the training and how they鈥檙e feeling before the big race on Sunday.
Chanel Mitchell is working towards a Level 1 Traineeship in Customer Services and is currently on placement in Ocean Park House caf茅.
Liam Roche is studying towards his Health and Social Care Level 1 Traineeship听and is on placement at Castleford House Care Home.
Jaden McKenzie is studying towards a Level 1听Traineeship in IT and currently looking for a placement.
Lauren Parsons is also on her way towards her Health and Social Care Level 1 Traineeship. She is on placement in Busy Bees Nursery.
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What motivated you to apply to Alfie鈥檚 Army?
Chanel Mitchell: 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 take it too seriously at first but my friend suggested I do it. I didn鈥檛 expect there to be such support from Alfie and the camera crew. They must have been funded a lot of money to provide us with all the equipment.鈥�
Liam Roche: 鈥淚 wanted to do it for my own personal achievement to see how far I could push myself. I was a bit wary at the start I didn鈥檛 really know if I should apply [鈥 I didn鈥檛 really want to do it on my own but then Tom said he鈥檇 do it with me.鈥�
Jaden McKenzie: 鈥淚鈥檓 not healthy. I鈥檓 not fit. I鈥檓 a lazy person and now I鈥檝e gone quite healthy and I want to run. I stopped smoking [鈥 and I can run fast and far now.鈥�
Lauren Parsons: 鈥淚 just thought it would be different and something out of my comfort zone as I鈥檝e never done anything like it before so I just thought why not?鈥�
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How have you found the training programme?
CM: 鈥淭hey took us to the half tough mudder. [鈥 It was really fun. I loved it. I鈥檓 feeling really nervous but I have the support from Alfie and the others.鈥�
LR: 鈥淚t鈥檚 been tough. I haven鈥檛 been able to do too much because of my legs but I鈥檝e been trying to get a lot of cardio in, so swimming and things like that.鈥�
JM: 鈥淚鈥檝e had some ups and downs but it鈥檚 been good. They eased us in gently and told us what to do and answered any questions we had.鈥�
LP: 鈥淚t鈥檚 been alright. I haven鈥檛 been sticking to it as much as I鈥檝e changed the days a bit [鈥 but apart from that it鈥檚 been good. The first thing we did was a relay 5k but they broke it down.It鈥檚 got easier but it鈥檚 still difficult as it鈥檚 such a new thing to me.鈥�
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What was Alfie like to train with?
CM: 鈥淗e鈥檚 an amazing person. He鈥檚 nice, he鈥檚 very motivational, he鈥檚 warm-hearted and he鈥檚 very understanding. If you鈥檙e struggling he won鈥檛 have a go at you, he won鈥檛 judge you he鈥檒l help you through it. The team is really supportive. I felt more support from that team than I鈥檝e felt in my entire life.鈥�
LR: “He pushes and motivated you quite a lot. He鈥檚 a really nice bloke and you can tell he really genuinely cares how you do in the marathon.”
LP: 鈥淗e was really nice and down to earth. He was kind and he would push you to do things but if you were struggling he鈥檇 slow you down. Everyone has been really supportive.鈥�
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Has doing this boosted your confidence in other parts of your life?
CM: 鈥淵es definitely! I am a really confident person but it helped me help others in a way, because when you鈥檙e rolling around in mud and you鈥檙e sweating and feeling really uncomfortable it鈥檚 not about how you look or how people see you, it鈥檚 about having fun. That was one of the main things I liked about it.鈥�
LR: “I think it just keeps your fitness level up. I took it on to see how my fitness would cope doing running. I like to think I鈥檒l keep up running but it鈥檚 hard to keep motivated.”
JM: “I feel healthier and feel good about myself.”
LP: 鈥淚 was already confident but I feel a lot more confident now, especially with running as before I hated it and would be so embarrassed to run.鈥�
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Would you recommend this experience to others?
CM: 鈥淚 would recommend my whole family to do it because it鈥檚 really fun. It鈥檚 really good for building friendships and bonding.鈥�
LR: “Yeah they would enjoy it. It鈥檚 good fun!”
LP: 鈥淚f I can do it anybody can and that鈥檚 a promise! The experience was amazing and I just want to finish it on Sunday.鈥�
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Tune into BBC Wales on Wednesday 27th September at 9pm to see their journey to the Cardiff Half. Good luck to Alfie鈥檚 Army and to all the runners taking part in the run on Sunday 1st October!
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