12 October 2023 , 18:30
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Former Rugby League champion Rob Burrow grew up watching Daily Mirror's Pride of Britain Awards, and now - with his wife Lindsey and their great friend and former Leeds Rhinos' teammate Kevin Sinfield - he has been chosen for the Special Recognition Award 2023.
The trio, who are true heroes in every way, have raised over £13 million for Motor Neurone Disease charities since Rob, 41, was diagnosed with the condition in 2019 and given two years at most to live. Lindsey, 40, has cared for him, while Kevin, 43, ran seven ultra-marathons in seven days among other astonishing fundraising acts.
Rob told the Mirror, in a computerised voice close to his own, ahead of receiving the award: "I never imagined I would receive an award from the Pride of Britain, I am just a lad from Yorkshire who had a dream of playing rugby. I have grown up watching Pride of Britain and every year I am inspired by the true unsung heroes that make me proud to be British. It is even more special that I get to receive the award alongside my wife Lindsey and great friend Kevin. I am so proud of them."
Rob, Lindsey and Kevin were awarded the Special Recognition Award 2023 for their incredible dedication to raising awareness of MND (Daily Mirror)Since his diagnosis, MBE Rob has written a book and allowed documentary film crews into his home, securing a National Television Award nomination. He even completed the Leeds Marathon with Kevin, his friend carrying him over the finish line. "People now know what MND is," Lindsey said. "This is so people no longer have to explain. And it is about giving hope to families who have little. You are given bleak statistics, we want to bring change, more funding and research."
Lindsey and Rob have three children, Macy, 11, Maya, eight, and Jackson, four, and they keep life full at home. Rob has a 'no tears policy', and Lindsey and the children follow suit. He explained: "I am amazed by Lindsey every day. It can be a very dark and lonely place at times but Lindsey always makes me feel like we are carrying on in the most normal way we can possibly manage. She is stronger than any rugby hero I have ever played alongside and I'm so lucky to have her."
Kevin Sinfield goes extra mile for MND sufferers as he brings hope to Rob Burrow
Rob and Lindsay pictured back in 2002When Rob was first told he had MND in December 2019, his initial instinct was to see if wife Lindsey was OK. "MND is not the worst thing in the world - your kids getting poorly is the worst thing. I'm not trying to portray myself as a hero, because any man would gladly take any pain from their wife and kids and give it to himself," he said in 2020 when his documentary, Rob Burrow: My Year With MND, aired on BBC.
The next hurdle they faced was telling their three young kids about their father's condition - but as with everything in life, Rob recalls what could have been a harrowing conversation with humour. "Me and Lindsey always said we'd be honest to make sure our kids trust us. So we told them the next day," he continued. "We sat them down and said, 'We've got something to tell you. Daddy's not very well, but he's got a lot of really good people looking after him'. "And Maya said, ‘Why are you telling us this? It's boring!'. So we all started laughing - it was the best thing ever."
Rob confessed that he found it difficult to get his head around his future, but after meeting with Scottish rugby union international Doddie Weir, who had been living with MND for over five years, he had a new perspective - to ride the wave with laughter. "Meeting Doddie changed everything. I saw how happy and jokey he was, how he took the mick out of everyone around him. And I thought, 'I want to be my own version of that'," Rob explained. "So when I came home, me and my wife Lindsey decided we'd have a no-cry policy at home. Because when I see Lindsey upset, I get upset. And neither of us want the kids to be upset."
- Watch The Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards with TSB on Thursday at 8pm on ITV1