The Vale of Glamorgan Council's rugby development officer Matt Silva tackled one of his biggest challenges yet by completing the 2012 London Marathon.
Running with four colleagues from the WRU, Matt was raising money for the Welsh Charitable Trust, which helps support rugby players in Wales who have suffered serious injuries while playing the sport.
Describing the day, Matt said: “The whole Marathon experience was absolutely fantastic, from the build-up to the day. It was something that I will never forget. Just getting through your training and reaching the start line relatively injury-free is a big achievement, as were the logistics of getting to London.”
Matt added: “I drove down at 4am on the morning of the Marathon with my daughters Jessica and Sophie and when we got to the start at Blackheath I was taken back by the excitement of the morning and the sheer number of people who were all getting ready to run (with most of them queuing up for the toilets!).
“Running the Marathon, with so many people cheering you on, was like having a standing ovation for 26.2 miles. There was a real carnival atmosphere, with music along the route, the crowd giving you sweets and drinks, and it was great to run past so many famous landmarks.
“I was hoping to finish in about 4 hours 30 minutes, and at halfway I was on track, but I hit the wall at 23 miles and I think I probably carried that wall with me for the next three miles! Those tough final three miles took forever, giving me a finish time of 4 hours 55 minutes, which I am immensely proud of.”
Matt and his colleagues have so far raised £3,000 for the Welsh charitable Trust and you can still make donations up until 22 July by going online at http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/mattsilva.