Prince William and Princess Kate have wished rugby league legend Kevin Sinfield “the very best of luck” before he embarks on his latest endurance fitness challenge to raise money for motor neurone disease.
Sinfield started his fundraising efforts in 2020 in support of his best friend and former Rhinos teammate Rub Burrow – who died from MND in June – and has vowed to keep going in memory of his friend.
On Sunday, he starts his fifth annual ‘Running Home for Christmas’ challenge which will see him run more than 31 miles (50km) every day for a week.
The former rugby star will start in Liverpool and visit seven regions of the UK in homage to the number seven that Burrow wore as a player.
In a selfie-style video posted to Kensington Palace’s social media pages, Prince William, 42, said Sinfield’s latest challenge is a “very fitting tribute” to his best friend’s legacy.
“Kevin – Catherine and I just wanted to wish you the very best of luck for what’s going to be a very gruelling week, raising money and awareness around MND,” the prince said in a video recorded in Windsor.
“What you and Rob have achieved has been incredible and it’s a very fitting tribute to his legacy, what you’re achieving again this week. I’m sure you’ll be running with him in your mind the whole way round.
“So the very best of luck from Catherine and I. We’ll be thinking of you all week. Good luck.”
Since Burrow was diagnosed with MND in December 2019, Sinfield has raised almost £10m for charity.
He hopes his latest running challenge will raise £777,777, which will see him quite literally running home for Christmas as he runs from Manchester to his home area of Saddleworth.
Following his diagnosis, Burrow threw himself into campaigning to raise awareness of MND and he and Sinfield were awarded CBEs for services to MND awareness in January.
William travelled to Leeds to personally present the honours, and said Burrow had “taught us ‘in a world full of adversity, we must dare to dream’”.
During the meeting with the two former rugby league players in Leeds, William met Burrow’s wife Lindsey.
He was said to be moved by how she was handling the situation with strength and positivity.
As a result, the prince has written a foreword for a memoir written by Burrow’s wife, Lindsey.
The book, titled Take Care: A Memoir Of Love, Family & Never Giving Up, is due to be published in February next year.
On Friday, Lindsey will light a candle during the Princess of Wales’s Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey.
This year’s theme is love and empathy and reflects on “how much we need each other, especially in the most difficult times of our lives”.
Kensington Palace said those chosen to light candles are linked to theme, and also includes Sir Chris Hoy MBE who has terminal prostate cancer, and teammate Paralympians Lizzie Jordan and Danni Khan.
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