Posted on 05/15/2023 5:23:57 AM PDT by Cronos
Former rugby league star Rob Burrow was carried across the finish line at the inaugural Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon on Sunday by former team-mate Kevin Sinfield after being pushed around the 26-mile course in a wheelchair.
The pair were raising money for motor neurone disease (MND) charities and used a specially-adapted chair to join 12,500 other runners in the first Leeds marathon in 20 years.
Rugby coach Sinfield has raised over £8million for MND charities since friend and former Leeds Rhinos team-mate Burrow was diagnosed with the condition in late 2019.
The event has raised in excess of £1 million for various charities, including those that research motor neurone disease
Sinfield and Rob Burrow finished the incredible distance at a little after 1.30pm. Before crossing the line, Sinfield stopped and took his friend out of his wheelchair, choosing to carry him across the line himself.
Sinfield said ahead of the marathon: 'To raise money for the MND Association and the Leeds Hospitals Charity is really important, but this is also about a celebration of friendship. 'We get the chance to do it together with 12,500 people and hopefully people will come out and see us and say hello out on the streets supporting. I think it's a wonderful thing for Leeds.
urrow's wife Lindsey is hoping to complete her first full marathon, despite carrying a knee injury.
She said: 'We're unbelievably proud and we just want to say a massive thank you to all the amazing runners and everyone who has supported Rob and to the crowd who support on the day as well.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
“He ain’t heavy he’s my Brother.....”
In only four years, his body has been shredded down to skin and bones. Even now, it appears that he remains awake, aware and in the moment, able to smile with his Buddy. What a precious moment. I’m guessing otherwise, this man is residing in a hospice environment.
In this country, motor neuron disease is known as amyotrophic lateral schlerosis (ALS) or Charcot’s disease.
I think most of us would know it by Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Thank you for posting.
Reminiscent of the father and son Team Hoyt, another inspiring runner story.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Team_Hoyt
Lou Gehrig's disease. One of my basketball friends, a retired police chief in his late 50s, died of it. He was playing with us at the end of our indoor season in May (rec ball, in the HS gym), was fully incapacitated by November, and died in late January.
Although only a few hundred die of it each year, it seems that everyone either knows a victim or knows someone who knows a victim. One of my classmates in Sunday school who grew up with me in my church succumbed to it, as did the son of the newsletter editor at the museum where I do volunteer work.
My mom died of ALS and it progressed fast. Died 5 months after diagnosis. She was 68.
this is what he looked like in his prime
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