Five members of Flanagan’s Onions will put their bodies on the line in the name of charity as they bid to raise funds for a life-saving defibrillator to be installed at Goose Gosling Field.

Micky Ward, the Onions coach, players Gavin Thomason, Nick Barrett, Stephen Gould and physio Baden Cashmore are set to push themselves to the limits when the take part in the gruelling Atlanta Tough Mudder on Saturday, April 26. They hope to raise $5,000 to cover the costs of the device and operational training for about eighteen players, coaches and match officials.

Cashmore, who works at the Apex Physio Orthopaedic Sports Clinic, said that Goose Gosling Field would be the ideal location to place the defibrillator, which anyone could use in the event of someone suffering sudden cardiac arrest to shock their heart back into a normal rhythm.

“Last year I did a talk to some of the local coaches for the Bermuda Football Association about sports trauma and first aid,” Cashmore said.

“I was alarmed to learn how little training the coaches had in CPR [Cardiopulmonary resuscitation] and the extremely limited numbers of defibrillators on the Island.

“From here we contacted the Bermuda Red Cross to find out the cost of a defibrillator and how much it would cost to train as many football coaches, players and officials as we can. Our aim is to place a defibrillator at the Bermuda Athletic Association.”

Fabrice Muamba, the former Bolton Wanderers midfielder, was saved with the help of a defibrillator when he collapsed on the pitch with sudden cardiac arrest in March, 2012.

The chances of survival dramatically increase from just 5 percent with CPR alone to 50 percent with CPR and defibrillation.

“Anyone can use a defibrillator, it really is idiot proof, and if anything ever occurred then we could really help decrease the chances of a fatality, whether it’s someone on the pitch or the sidelines,” added Cashmore.

“If it never got used then brilliant, but if it only gets used once and saves someone’s life then it would have been worth it.

“A lot of teams play and train [at Goose Gosling Field] and the whole Corona League is held there. The idea would be to take two members of each team, and maybe the referees, and train them in how to use the device.

“Recently in Scotland, a teenager died from suspected sudden cardiac death syndrome. If a defibrillator was used, he may have been saved.”

In preparation for the hardcore Tough Mudder — a 12-mile obstacle race designed by British Special Forces to test mental as well as physical strength — the fearless fivesome have been clocking in hours of training at LifeThyme CrossFit as well beach running.

Cashmore believes the team spirit of Onions — who finished third in the Premier Division this season — will stand the group in good stead.

“Gavin [Thomason] had the idea to do the Tough Mudder when he was recovering from a broken leg,” Cashmore said.

“Guys like [Stephen] Gouldy are good at the explosive stuff but as a goalkeeper he never has to run more than ten yards, so he struggles at the endurance stuff.

“It’s going to be pretty extreme and we know it’s going to be hard.

“There’s no mud in Bermuda so we’ve been running on Warwick Long Bay, which is pretty tough.

“It’s been a team thing and we’re really trying to push each other on.”

Donations can be made to Bank of Butterfield, MR Onions Football Club, Account Number 20-006-060-723583-100. State Defib and name as a reference. For more details e-mail Cashmore at bcpexptx@gmail.com.