Combining a job with a time-consuming hobby is never easy, but at least if you are a semi-professional ice hockey player, it has benefits.

This is just the case for Daniel Farren, a PE teacher at King's Wood School, Settle Road, Harold Hill. In between lessons and after school clubs, he finds the time to compete for the Milton Keynes Kings ice hockey squad in the British National League, one of the top leagues in Europe.

And his sporting efforts were rewarded when he appeared on the cover of Powerplay magazine, the national read for all hockey fans and players.

Daniel, 22, has been playing the game since he was 15 years old, practising at the Romford ice rink and now he trains twice a week in Milton Keynes and plays around 80 games a year.

He said: "It came as a real shock when I saw myself on the cover of the magazine. I knew it was coming because each week they show the front page of next week's issue, and when I saw it I couldn't wait to get my hands on it."

The sport has also helped Daniel to travel the globe. "I used to play for the British under 21 team and competed in Russia, Japan, Canada and the Czech Republic," he explained

He added: "The reason I am a semi-pro is because there are four training sessions a week but because two of them are during school hours I cannot attend them. Instead I go to the two that are held in the evening."

A typical hockey-playing day for him involves getting up at around 7am, leaving his Stapleford Abbotts home for school. Teaching until 3.30pm, then taking after school clubs before driving for one and a half-hours to Milton Keynes for 10.30pm. Training until midnight and then driving home to get a few hours sleep before doing it all again.

In spite of the demanding hours, Daniel still says he wouldn't change a thing. "I love teaching and I love hockey, so this way I get the best of both worlds."

Head teacher at King's Wood, Chris Rudge said: "Daniel puts in an amazing effort and is a credit to the school."

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.