Rents takes on gruelling challenge
AformerBrighton&HoveAlbionandCrawleyTowndefender will take on a gruelling endurance challenge next month in aidofacharitydeartohisheart.
Sam Rents, 34, will run a 100-mile ultra marathon around London on Saturday, April16,alongsideGreatBritain and England rugby league legend Jamie Peacock MBE, in aid of leading sports and mentoringcharityGreenhouseSports.
The ambitious challenge is called ‘Run for the Roof ’ and will raise funds for Greenhouse’s urgent work, including their sports coaching with young people in deprived UK schools and the crucial roof repair of the Greenhouse Centre - a hub for young people.
The route, which will start and finish at the Greenhouse Centre, will take in a number of the 39 schools in the capital that the charity supports.
Sam, following his retirement from professional football,becameaqualifiedteacher specialising in BTEC and ALEVEL sport, teaching in further education settings.
And the ex-Albion and Reds player,whonowworksinsports therapy, said the nine years he spent teaching motivated him to take on this titanic test.
He said: “I got put in touch with Simon Dent [founder of HEROtalentagencyandsports marketingagencyDarkHorses] throughamutualfriend.Hebecameaclient,andwefoundout wehadacommoninterestinultra running.
“He mentioned that he was doing something like that, and if I wanted to get involved, and I stupidly accepted!
“Since I’ve stopped playing full-time football I’ve been involved in a lot of teaching in football academies and working with disadvantaged young people.
“It’s been part of my life since football. It’s just such a good cause.
“Sport really is a level playing field.
“Whether you come from a good or poor background, it puts people on a level playing ground and it gives them the same opportunity as anyone else.”
Sam said training with Jamie, who accumulated 47 caps for Great Britain and England, was going well.
“Buttheformerleftbackadmittedpreparationshadbeena ‘stepup’indifficultycompared to his usual training regime.
Hesaid:“We’vebeenputting in a lot of hours and a lot of miles. You can’t really ‘underprepare’ for this type of event, otherwise you’re just never going to come close to completing it.”