Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Kevin could give James Bond a run for his money
League legend on heroic pal
ROB BURROW has hailed best pal Kevin Sinfield as a “special kind of person” for raising £13million for motor neurone disease charities.
The rugby league legend, who has MND, said he has an unbreakable bond with his former team-mate and if their roles were reversed, he would do the same.
In a touching scene in May, Kevin carried Rob over the finish line of the inaugural Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon.
And since Rob was given two years to live in 2019, England rugby union coach Kevin has taken on a series of gruelling, money-raising challenges.
Rob, 41, said: “Our friendship continues to inspire us both.
“It makes us braver and stronger. The deep bond we have now is unbreakable and knowing we have each other is one of the biggest comforts there is.
“The qualities I most value in Kevin are his integrity and his ability to go out of his comfort zone. It takes a special kind of person to do what he has done for me and the whole MND community.
“He doesn’t like fuss and he won’t like me saying it, but he puts his body on the line every time he sets off on his challenges. He could give James Bond a run for his money.
GRATEFUL
“And he always has a cheeky message for me when I see him. You see him say a few words in my ear and those words are normally funny or not repeatable. “I hope he knows that I would do the same for him.
“I am truly grateful for everything that he has done for me.” Kevin, 43, recalled they had planned to end the marathon arm in arm but he had underestimated how tired Rob would be.
He said: “Carrying him seemed a great way to finish. “It was a really nice moment for us to share. And it wasn’t the first time I’ve given him a little kiss. Our friendship has gone through challenges but we have always stayed loyal and looked after each other. “People often think rugby is this macho sport but the best teams really care about each other and I think this showed it.” Rob’s wife Lindsey yesterday spoke of the traumatic day Rob, with whom she shares Macy, 11, Maya eight, and Jackson, four, was diagnosed with the degenerative condition.
She told Loose Women: “[It was] such a huge array of emotions, you know, you’ve just been told this devastating news and my first thought was, ‘How are we going to tell the children?’
“And the first thing that Rob said to me was, ‘Thank goodness it’s me and not you and the children.’
“And that was sort of Rob’s take on it, that was his perspective.
“He was more bothered about myself and the children and telling his family, and that was his biggest worry.”