Hat-trick bid Hospice to benefit from Crowe’s run
GAVIN Crowe spends his days preparing professional footballers for the rigours of training and matches at Cheltenham Town.
But this week the club’s head of medical has spent significant time on the treatment table himself as he prepares to take on a gruelling challenge of his own.
He will be running the London Marathon on Sunday, raising money for Acorns Children’s Hospice.
It is the third time he has taken part in the famous race through the capital, but he admits he is still feeling the pressure.
“I am very, very nervous,” he said. “The players have been joking that I keep going on about it, but I woke up at 3.30am this morning panicking and worrying if I’ve done enough training.
“I have done it a couple of times before, but I need to run it this time, rather than having a bit of a sponsored walk at times, so it’s all about the mental battle, and I have set myself a few markers along the way.”
Crowe, who is also a keen cyclist, has built up plenty of miles in his legs ahead of the big day, but his training regime has been hampered slightly in recent weeks by a problem with his foot.
“Everything was going well, but I’ve had problems with plantar fasciitis because my gait has changed slightly due to a bony growth at the front of my ankle,” he said.
“Luckily I’ve been able to see a specialist and have been supported by physio Paul Tompkins.
“I’ve also been able to use the Alter-g running machine at the Nuffield Health Hospital and I have a Wattbike at home, so I have tested my heart and lungs and now it’s just whether my body can hold up on the day, so we’ll see.”
Crowe paid a visit to Acorns recently along with several members of the Robins squad to see the work that goes on.
In the past year, the charity has provided care to more than 700 children and over 940 families, including those who are bereaved. It costs £27,000 per day to provide its services.
“It made me realise how fortunate I am to have two healthy daughters and I was also able to see how much they need help from fundraisers to make sure they can keep operating,” he said.
“It caught me off guard when I went because I got quite emotional and I feel really strongly about the charity and want to make a difference.”
There will be a bucket collection at Saturday’s home match against Shrewsbury Town, with some of the Under-18s players helping out, and donations can also be made at tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/ gavin-crowe.
Anyone who contributes online will be entered into a draw to win a signed Alfie May playing shirt, and the Robins
striker will meet the winner to chat and pose for photos, providing they are relatively local to the area.
There will also be a sweepstake over his official finish time circulating around the hospitality areas of the ground on Saturday.
Crowe has been well-supported by the players and staff at the Completely-suzuki Stadium and for the first time he will be cheered on in the capital by his family.
“The players have been giving me some stick as I’ve been caught on the treatment table having a calf massage a few times,” he said.
“But they’ve been great and a few were planning to come and watch but now we have a game on Tuesday night (against Bolton), it’s important they stay off their feet to rest and recover, so they’ll be tracking me online.”