In just a few days time Kevin Sinfield will embark on another of his epic challenges, this time running seven marathons in seven days, but across seven different cities, all in the name of spreading awareness and raising funds for Motor Neurone Disease.
It marks a change from last year’s ‘Seven in Seven’ challenge during which Sinfield worked his way towards Old Trafford to finish his challenge during the World Cup Final, but it’s yet another example of the immense sacrifice that he and his team are making.
Speaking to the media about this latest challenge, he explained: “We’re not having a family holiday this year. There’s a lot of sacrifices that this team have committed to, but like I said, there are a thousand reasons why we shouldn’t go. It’s never bigger than the reason why we have to line up on the start line or first of December.
“I can have a break after that and then we’re up to Christmas but it’s an important thing we’re doing.”
Thus far Sinfield has helped raise millions of pounds with the Rob Burrow Centre for MND having been built in Leeds, whilst this challenge will raise money for several charities across the different cities that he takes in on his route.
Since former Leeds Rhinos’ teammate Rob Burrow’s diagnosis Sinfield has been by his side in helping to raise funds and awareness, embracing the MND Community whom he is now a beacon for.
He continued: “The easy option and the easy choice will be to say no we’re not going again, but the team and I don’t want to take the easy option, we want to give it everything we can and because people with MND don’t have a choice.”
The challenge this year comes just over a year after the death of former Scottish rugby union international Doddie Weir, the man who Sinfield attributes so much to in terms of helping make the public aware of MND, and also helping himself and Burrow personally.
Weir passed just days after Sinfield completed his Seven in Seven challenge, and the ex-Rhinos captain spoke on the impact the ‘gentle giant’ had on him: “I think about Doddie a lot. He’s been a huge inspirational guy to everybody. I’ll never forget that first meeting when he met Rob and the brotherhood that was created that day between them, between a guy who was 6ft10 and a guy who was 5ft5, the picture still makes me smile today.
“But what started that day was an unbelievable friendship for Doddie and I too and his support has been incredible. We miss him but his legacy lives on.
“I think what he’s done and achieved for the MND community, he’ll move the dial more than anybody ever has. Hopefully we get to represent him in Edinburgh in the right sort of way so that Cathy and the boys, hopefully can feel proud of what Doddie has done and the legacy he has left.”
Edinburgh will be day four of the challenge, with more information on the route and how to donate available via the link here.
