Billy Cooper, the Barmy Army's trumpeter is getting in training to run the 2014 London Marathon in aid of Chance to Shine. As cricket's most famous trumpeter, Billy is known through the cricketing world and has supported England from Headingley to Sydney and plenty of grounds in between. He'll be combining his training with supporting the England team as they attempt to retain the Ashes in Australia.

Speaking about the Marathon and why he chose to run for Chance to Shine, Billy said, "Running the Marathon is a massive challenge for someone like me. It's something I've always wanted to do, and this is the year to do it. There are lots of good charities to run the Marathon for but Chance to Shine is one which is close to my heart. It fits very well. I'm a cricket lover and through the Barmy Army, we do a lot together. I thought it was a perfect fit. Talking about his current fitness, Billy commented, "Right now I'm probably not as fit as I should be and I'm carrying a bit of extra weight.

"I normally go to the Ashes tour and put on weight but this time I need to get fitter and lose some. My goal for the next couple of months is to go and enjoy the ashes but also to get fitter, get the miles in, and to lose a bit of timber!"

Billy was also confident that the cricketing community would support him and his fundraising efforts: "Hopefully people will support because it's for a very good cause. If people can pay just £15, that helps to support a child's cricket coaching for a year. All the money goes to a very worthy cause to help children that don't have the opportunities that other children have, so it all links into cricket. Hopefully I can be a shining example of someone who can improve, lose weight and get fitter through Chance to Shine!"

You can sponsor Billy: http://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/billycooper1

Billy recently took part in a Rocky inspired training run around the London South Bank by The Thames before he jetted out to Australia for the start of the Ashes: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yf0K80TpLAI&feature=c4-overview&list=UUPIqt656AFXK804I6VwzVGA