Leeds Rhinos legend Kevin Sinfield’s heroics have now gone beyond the rugby league field and into the hearts of the Motor Neurone Disease community.
Since his good friend and former teammate Rob Burrow was diagnosed with MND in December 2019, Sinfield has done three challenges to raise money and awareness in the fight against the disease raising over £7 million overall.
He finished his latest with seven ultramarathons in seven days at the end of the Rugby League World Cup as he raised £2.1 million in that challenge alone.
Speaking after this to the press, Sinfield revealed that he feels like he knows “why I was put on thsi earth.”
“When I finished playing,” he elaborated, “I was pretty adamant that my rugby career wouldn’t define the rest of my life, I didn’t quite know how or where I would find this next little bit.
“I’m delighted that I’ve found it, but it is in such tragic circumstances and if I could change I would but I can’t so we have to try and make the best of it.
“My big message is that we can all do a little bit, you don’t have to do seven ultramarathons, then you can support this and try and help people.”
He also believes that the challenges have made him a billionaire in terms of friends:
“The challenges have provided me the chance to provide hope to people and there is no greater gift.
“I don’t want any rewards, I’ve had my rewards, the memories and the hope we’ve made.
“I said this about my playing career, the medals and the trophies matter but they don’t really matter because the thing I treasure are the memories.
“So after the last three years I feel like I’m a billionaire in terms of friendships.”
