Rob Burrow, the former star of Leeds Rhinos, opened up about his struggle with motor neurone disease and how his three children inspired him to never give up. In a podcast interview recorded before his death, Burrow said he hoped his children knew how much they meant to him and spoke of the pain of not being able to hug them. His wife Lindsey was present during the recordings and said that he would have wanted people to hear the series and enjoy the laughter and fun.
The interview was part of his award-winning “Rob Burrow Seven, Meets…” series and saw guests from the sports world, including Rio Ferdinand, Wayne Rooney, and Mike and Zara Tindall, ask him questions. Burrow, who passed away in June, recorded five new podcasts before his death.
During the interview, Burrow said his children, Macy, Maya, and Jackson, inspired him to “stay strong and keep a positive mindset.” He said they were the reason he would never submit to the disease and that he wanted to be there for as many milestones in their lives as possible. Responding to a question from former Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand about the most difficult thing about having MND, Burrow said it was not being able to be the dad he wanted to be.
Burrow wished for his children’s happiness and health above all else, saying that their personalities gave him a hint as to what they might choose to do in the future but that he would be proud no matter what. He had previously recorded messages for his children as they grew up.
Other episodes in the series will feature appearances from retired Lioness Steph Houghton, her husband Stephen Darby, who also has MND, retired boxer Ricky Hatton, cricketer Stuart Broad, and Burrow’s rugby league friend Kevin Sinfield. All episodes from the first series are already available on BBC Sounds and BBC Radio Leeds
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