Penybont twins James and Dan run Rob Burrow Marathon
James and Dan Powell, 23, completed the marathon on Sunday, May 11, with the funds raised going to St Michael's Hospice, in Hereford.
The Penybont twins previously praised the hospice and its staff for their 'faultless' care provided to Gary in his final weeks.
Gary died on February 21, 2023, after bravely battling against motor neurone disease (MND), the same illness which Leeds Rhinos rugby league icon Rob died of. This year's marathon was the first one held since Rob's death, aged 41, in June last year.
'We got it done,' said James, in a post on Facebook.
'Today, as many of you are aware, me and Dan went to run the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon in memory of our dad, to raise money for St Michael's Hospice, a charity very close to our family's hearts.
'We managed to cross the line in the soaring heat in Leeds and I for one couldn't be prouder of myself and Dan for getting this done.
'We cannot thank you all enough for all the encouragement over the last few months, whether through donations, messages, or simple toots of the horn when you saw us running the roads in training.
'Thank you so much!' Bull rescued after getting stuck in remote bog in Powys
Powys motorbike event's plea, as organisers say 'we need more help than ever'
'And, of course, a huge thank you to our amazing team of supporters who came up with us. It was so tough, but the feeling at the end was so worth it.
'The community we have is amazing, the family and friends we have are amazing, and Dan you're amazing and I'm so proud of you.'
Dan crossed the line in 4 hours 43 minutes, with James coming home in 4 hours 46 minutes.
Mum Monica said: 'Well, what can I say.... we are all extremely proud of James and Dan and what they achieved today; it was tough, but they got there.
'They have done us (as a) family and, more importantly, their dad proud. Can I just say the support and generosity from everyone has been amazing. Thank you so much.'
The brothers previously described their dad as their hero, and said they were similarly inspired by the fight he showed during his battle with MND, while James said raising money for St Michael's was a 'no brainer'.
'Not only were they amazing with dad but grandparents of ours in the past too,' he said.
'They made things that bit more bearable during a time that, as a family, was as difficult as they get.
'Up until the very last day they treated him like a king and did all they could to keep him comfortable and smiling.'
Dan added: 'It's inspiring what they deal with on a daily basis, and the fact that they can face the toughest of situations and still deliver faultless care with a smile on their faces is nothing short of remarkable in my eyes.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
Head coach Arthur extends stay with Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos head coach Brad Arthur has resisted the pull of a return to NRL and committed his immediate future to Super League club confirmed Arthur has agreed to stay with the Rhinos until the end of the 2026 season with an option to extend that brings to an end speculation he was on the verge of switching Super League for a return to the NRL where he spent 10 years coaching Parramatta Eels."I am really pleased to be staying here at the Rhinos. My family and I have been made to feel so welcome since the first day I walked in the door and I am excited about what this group of players can achieve," Arthur said."I always said from the outset that I only wanted to be here if I felt I could help make the team better and have an impact on this group of players."Arthur took over at the Rhinos in July 2024 and guided the club to eighth in his first season in charge. This season Leeds look on track for a play-off place sitting in fifth place with six rounds of the regular season to go. The 51-year-old has been mulling over the offer of a multi-year contract with the Rhinos but was thought to be tempted by a return to Australia. Arthur's 22-year-old son Jake, who plays in NRL for Newcastle Knights, has been linked with a move to Hull FC for the 2026 season."We are delighted Brad will be staying at the Rhinos next season and hopefully for more years to come. I know it was a big decision for him and his family," Leeds Rhinos sporting director Ian Blease said."Brad is a man of his word and he did not want to commit to us if there was any doubt that he needed to return home to Australia."
Metro
2 days ago
- Metro
Premier League legend tips Arsenal for bad season and makes title prediction
Arsenal are hoping to push on from a hat-trick of second place finishes to win the title this season, but a Premier League legend does not see it happening. The Gunners have been consistent over the last three campaigns but have fallen short in their title challenges, twice to Manchester City and last season to Liverpool. They have made big moves in the transfer market this summer, with the likes of Viktor Gyokeres, Martin Zubimendi and Noni Madueke arriving as they hope to make that final leap to glory. Former Liverpool and Manchester City goalkeeper David James does not think they will manage that this season, in fact, he expects them to go the other way. The 53-cap England international fancies both Chelsea and Man City to improve on last season, with the Gunners dropping down to a disappointing fourth-place finish. In The Mixer: Exclusive analysis, FPL tips and transfer talk sent straight to your inbox every week – sign up, it's an open goal. 'This season will be unique in so many ways because of the Club World Cup,' James said at the launch of Final One Standing by William Hill. 'That tournament allowed Chelsea – and to a lesser extent Manchester City – an opportunity to get their summer signings integrated into the team in competitive fixtures. That would suggest those two teams come into the first game of the season in a strong position, with somewhat of a head-start compared to their rivals. 'Looking at Liverpool's pre-season, their new signings such as Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike look very good. If Arne Slot has learned from last season and continues to improve not only the players he inherited but the talent they've signed and can find a good chemistry in the squad, then they should make a flying start to the season. 'There will inevitably be a lot of expectation but Liverpool are better than their rivals and even if they do not make a spectacular start, they have a great chance to win the Premier League again – the title is theirs to lose. 'I can see Man City finishing second, Chelsea third and Arsenal falling back to fourth.' Liverpool 13/8 Arsenal 9/4 Man City 10/3 Chelsea 8/1 Man Utd 22/1 Newcastle 50/1 Tottenham 50/1 Aston Villa 80/1 Nottm Forest 200/1 Brighton 200/1 Crystal Palace 300/1 Bournemouth 300/1 Everton 300/1 Fulham 500/1 Leeds 500/1 West Ham 500/1 Wolves 500/1 Brentford 500/1 Burnley 1000/1 Sunderland 1000/1 Odds courtesy of Betfair The bookmakers agree with James that Liverpool are favourites for the title, although don't see the Gunners falling behind City and Chelsea. Arsenal are second favourites to win the Premier League behind the defending champions, followed by Manchester City, Chelsea and then a substantial jump in the odds to Manchester United. Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was asked last month about his team's title chances and suggested that as many as nine teams could challenge for the top prize. 'Every year we have to see how things develop but I see the right balance in terms of maturity, experience, youth, hunger and all these ingredients are there,' he said. 'The thing is there are another six, seven, eight clubs in the league that have the right ingredients to win and there is only going to be one winner. So we have to focus a lot on the things that we can control, that we can do, to achieve what we want at the end of the season.' Title favourites Liverpool were beaten on penalties by Crystal Palace after a 2-2 draw in the Community Shield on Sunday, with boss Arne Slot admitting his defence is a bit of a concern after conceding regularly in pre-season friendlies as well. More Trending 'It's a bit mixed feelings. If you look at our attacking play against a team who is so compact, it is maybe a bit better than last season,' Slot told TNT Sports. 'But on the other hand we conceded two goals, which we did against Bilbao and two more against Milan and that's something we need to do better. 'I think we are able to create more now but we are conceding more at the moment and if you want to compete to win the league, one of the things is not to concede chances, let alone goals.' MORE: Dean Henderson's classy gesture after penalty-shootout heroics in Crystal Palace's defeat of Liverpool MORE: Alejandro Garnacho shares cryptic post after Chelsea agree transfer deal with Man Utd winger MORE: Tottenham in talks for Man City star with winger open to shock move
BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
What is an ACL injury and why is it so serious?
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is an important band of connective tissue in the centre of the knee that helps to keep it stable. When the ACL is injured it can cause pain, swelling and a feeling of the knee 'giving way', making it difficult to bear weight or participate in activities - particularly that commonly lead to ACL injuries in football include rapid directional changes and landing after heading the a footballer partially tears or ruptures their ACL, it often leads to them missing most - and in some cases, all - of a season, typically requiring six to nine months on the internationals James Maddison and Levi Colwill both sustained ACL injuries in pre-season, which could see them miss most of the upcoming Premier League recovery can take even longer. Aston Villa duo Tyrone Mings and Emiliano Buendia both missed the duration of the 2023-24 season and the start of the following season due to ACL injuries. In some cases, players can struggle to reach the capabilities they once played at due to the severity of an ACL injury - and there's the worry that the injury may return. Why does ACL recovery take so long? How quickly a player recovers from ACL injury can depend on their age, the severity of the injury and how the individual reacts to Warburton is a physiotherapist experienced in ACL rehabilitation, having worked with Cardiff City, Wales' national rugby union team and says it will take a minimum of six months after surgery to get a player match-fit."Once you've had surgery, there's a lot of trauma to the knee," he explains. "Once that's calmed down, you've got to take it easy for the first three months. When you get past that three-month mark, you can rehab. "Then it's a case of conditioning and training, getting the leg strong and getting the player back to running, training and games. That's why it takes so long."Warburton says players who return to playing six months after ACL surgery are more likely to re-aggravate the injury than those who recover for nine months."You can go earlier [than six months], but it's a massive risk," Warburton adds."I don't know many surgeons who'd recommend to that. It has obviously happened. It hasn't not been successful, it's just unbelievably high-risk.""A lot of it comes down to player profile as well," he adds. "If they're a really important player, you're going to push them early. If they're a developing player in the future, you're going to probably go more towards nine months." What's next for Maddison and Colwill? Tottenham midfielder Maddison tore his ACL during Spurs' friendly with Newcastle in South Korea at the start of August and is expected to miss most of the upcoming campaign.A day later, Chelsea defender Colwill suffered a similar blow during his first pre-season training session and has since undergone would have been vying for a spot in Thomas Tuchel's England squad, should the Three Lions qualify for the 2026 World ACL injuries are most commonly caused by a sudden increase in workload or due to injury came just 21 days after winning the Club World Cup in a campaign where he made 47 appearances for club and country, while Maddison's occurred in his first game since missing the final six matches of last season with a knee injury.A metric called the acute:chronic workload is used to assess an athlete's injury risk by comparing their recent training (acute load) to their longer-term training (chronic workload)."They get a huge [training] spike in pre-season and that's where it's really hard to control it, because all the coaches want them to get fit quick - but the medical staff want them to stay fit," says Warburton."Maddison's just come back from a significant injury and then he gets back into training again - something goes when too much has happened too quickly."Colwill, 22, is six years younger than Maddison and that age difference may mean the Chelsea man will have a shorter lay-off."If you're younger, you're going to heal quicker," adds Warburton. Can an ACL injury end a football career? As recently as 10 years ago, a serious ACL injury increased the likelihood that a footballer might have to Warburton says nowadays, most footballers who have ACL surgery have between a 90-95% chance of returning to in technology and research are improving the management of ACL injuries, particularly in surgical decision-making and graft options. Surgeons now have access to improved techniques for ACL reconstruction, including the transplant of a kneecap and hamstring tendons from donors."There's so much research now on the best grafts and the strongest graft for an ACL, and success rates," says Warburton."And there are so many tests that we put players through, through technology that wasn't available even 10 years ago."Rates of a player reinjuring their ACL are heightened in the first 12 months following their return, meaning longer rest periods are key."What happens is players return and naturally their rehab goes down and their training and playing go up. So sometimes they lose quad [thigh muscle] strength and then with more game time fatigue kicks in," says Warburton."Within the first year, really the first six months, you've got to be careful. I think once you get past that period, you're a lot safer." Why are ACL injuries so common in women's football? Studies show female footballers are two to six times more likely to suffer an ACL injury than their male 2022, then-Arsenal trio Leah Williamson, Beth Mead and Vivianne Miedema all suffered ACL injuries in quick as to why this type of injury is more prevalent in women is ongoing, but anatomical differences are believed to play a role."[Women] have what's called a greater Q angle [the angle between the quadriceps muscle and the patellar tendon]," says Warburton, adding that this is because their pelvis is wider to facilitate childbirth.A larger Q angle can cause the knee to move inward during movements such as jumping, which places more stress on the this year, Fifa funded a research project into whether hormonal fluctuations during menstrual cycles could be contributing to the rise in ACL injuries in women's article is the latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team. What is Ask Me Anything? Ask Me Anything is a service dedicated to answering your want to reward your time by telling you things you do not know and reminding you of things you team will find out everything you need to know and be able to call upon a network of contacts including our experts and will be answering your questions from the heart of the BBC Sport newsroom, and going behind the scenes at some of the world's biggest sporting coverage will span the BBC Sport website, app, social media and YouTube accounts, plus BBC TV and radio. More questions answered... Why have authorities not stepped in over Sheff Wed and Morecambe crises?When do top European leagues start - and who will star?Why was the Charity Shield renamed?How are Man Utd able to afford Sesko?
