1 October 2010 - Inside American Football

NEWS
One Wolverine’s Trek for Charity
Paul “BJ” Mather has been an
integral part of the Lancashire
Academy of American Football
(www.wolverineden.com) and
its development for years. From
his outstanding commitment and
performances on offence and defence
at Senior’s level, to his role in
founding the Chorley Buccaneers,
“BJ” always shows dedication and
enthusiasm towards the cause.
It’s with such commitment
that Paul is approaching another and
altogether more important cause.
In 2007, Paul’s nephew Peter was
8 Inside American Football - October 2010
diagnosed with autism. Beginning
August 14th Paul will embark on a
week long trek through Ladakh, in
the Himalayas, in an attempt to raise
as much money as possible for the
National Autistic Society (NAS). The
NAS provides important care and
support for Peter and thousands of
other children diagnosed with autism.
Autism is a life-long condition
and affects children’s development.
The ability and character of autistic
children crosses a wide spectrum but
in every case it has an undoubtedly
challenging impact on the families
concerned. The NAS “exists to
champion the rights and interests
of over half a million people with
autism and to ensure that they
and their families receive quality
services appropriate to their needs”.
Paul explained that the NAS has
helped his sister Carla and nephew
Peter immensely, “When Peter was
diagnosed with autism it was a difficult
and confusing time for Carla and the
family. They didn’t know much about
the condition and had no idea what sort
of help was available for Peter. But
the charity (NAS) has been a constant
support for my sister’s family and now
it is time I did something for them.”
Paul’s admirable principle of giving
back is something that our American
football club has benefitted from.
With all the fun and passion football
has offered to Paul, his role in
the establishment of the Chorley
Buccaneers was his way of giving back
to football. He acted as Coach and
Team Manager at different junctures
for the Buccaneers and, as in those
early days, the Buccaneers continue to
thrive at junior flag and kitted levels.
Much of the success can be traced
back to the strong foundations he laid.
Many of the “Bucs” graduates go on to
play for the Colts (the Academy Youth
team) and in some cases even go on to
play with Paul himself at senior level.
In preparation for the trek Paul
has been training 3 times a week,
running or walking. He will also
spend a couple of days at a training
camp when he arrives to ensure
that he can acclimatize and combat
altitude sickness. This is because he
will go on to climb 45 miles at high
altitudes of up to 5,000m. He will