Running For Niall

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I have decided to dust off my trainers and do 1 more half marathon in Cardiff. I vowed after Llanelli 2023 (I’m not built for marathons/running), that it would be my last, due to the pain I was in crossing the line. However, the pain that I sustained, is nothing in comparison to what this talented young man has had to go through mentally over the last 4 years and physically this year.

Niall Smith recently underwent significant knee reconstruction surgery (this involved three procedures) due to an injury sustained, representing Haverfordwest Youth at the age of 16, against Aberystwyth.

Following a second medical opinion, Niall’s knee was injured far worse than first thought, and if he was to have a chance of full recovery, then surgery was required to happen sooner, rather than later.

This obviously required a substantial amount of money, to go private, but for Ady and Maria (Parents), it was a no brainer and something that just had to happen. So off to Cardiff they went.

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NOW…. For those of you that know the family, you will know that they tragically lost their daughter Ella in 2021, in a road traffic accident. This is something that they are still dealing with and will be for the rest of their lives. Ady (Niall’s Father) also attended the scene in his role as a firefighter, not realising that his daughter was involved. I’m a Father of two, and I would struggle to think of anything worse than that.

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On the pitch, Niall is a naturally talented, committed, hardworking player, with huge potential. Off the pitch, a genuine, respectable, young man with a bright future. However, this young, talented, respectable man, has not only had to deal with the personal loss off his sister, but also witness the effects it has had on his family.

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Niall loves his rugby, and that has physically been taken away from him for at least 9 – 12 months, but his love for the game will continue, until he is back showing what he can do. The family have been through a shit few years mentally, after losing someone so loved, so seeing Niall excel in what he loves has been a huge source of comfort. For him to be sidelined for a year, due to injury, in itself is soul destroying, and then the financial cost on top, to get him back, is just another level of shit.

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The family haven’t asked me to do this. If anything, I pushed it on them. I had pretty much the same injury, and it really hit me, as I was only 19. But this isn’t about me, I hadn’t had anything near the trauma that Niall and his family have dealt with prior to it, so to see how committed he is, is absolutely outstanding!!!!

Please give if you can, this is something I want to do to support Niall and you are really helping him and his family.

Disclaimer – “The family have agreed to the content of this post”