‘It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done’… Sir Kevin Sinfield reveals the toughest challenge he’s faced ahead of 7 in 7: The Grand Finale

EXCLUSIVE: Sir Kevin Sinfield has put his body through many a gruelling physical challenge, but one stands out from the pack.

While the legend achieved so much for Leeds Rhinos in his remarkable rugby league career, it’s the money he’s raised for motor neurone disease causes (MND) that’s earned the love of the public.

Sir Kevin Sinfield opens up about his toughest challenge

On May 14, 2023, Sir Kevin Sinfield famously carried Rob Burrow, over the finishing line in the inaugural Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon.

After his friend was diagnosed with MND, the rugby legend made it his mission to raise as much awareness and money for the condition as possible by competing in various physical challenges, with the 7 in 7: The Grand Finale, set to be one of his most difficult yet.

In an exclusive interview with Sporf, the 46-year-old explained: “It’s our seventh challenge. We built the challenges around the number seven right from the start because that was Rob’s playing number. We run seven ultra marathons in seven days, just short of about 50KM each day. We start in Hull, but it’s right across the north of England. We’re going to visit every English Super League team, run right to the end of the M62 to Wigan and St Helens, and then, on the final day, we run back to Old Trafford to deliver the match ball for the Super League Grand Final. It’s a pretty special route where Rob terrorised our opponents time and time again. It feels like the right thing to do, to bring it home, to bring it back to the rugby league community. Rugby has a great way of looking after its own, and it certainly did that for Rob and the Burrow family.”

Since embarking on his journey of raising money, Sinfield has overcome many hurdles, with one particular challenge standing out from the pack.

The esteemed athlete reminisced: “I know it sounds daft, but the training is brutal, trying to get yourself ready and in shape to complete the challenge. The weight of expectation for you to do to it, is one I’m happy to bear and crack on with, but there’s a fair amount of risk. The challenges are all tough, but I remember the first time I ran a back-to-back marathon, going back six years; that was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but you find a way. Thankfully, we’ve got a great team who help and support. I’ve no doubt this one is going to be tough; they all are. You can’t take it for granted that you’ve got it in your legs; you haven’t, so the work is important. The great thing about when we come to doing the events is the people we see, the donations that are ticking over, the smiles and well wishes you get; it gives us a huge drive.”

Sir Kevin Sinfield is making a difference with Legacy Locker

In addition to his fundraising, Sinfield is trying to help people through Legacy Locker, an app which he has co-founded to give users a secure space to protect a plethora of important things, ranging from personal documents to special messages to be delivered to their loved ones after they’ve passed.

The national treasure enthused: “I’m delighted to be involved. I think we all take the future for granted, and I think this gives us a way of securing, saving and creating memories, getting things in place for when the inevitable happens, which none of us wants to think about, but it will happen at some point to all of us. When we leave this world, what we leave for those we love and care about is really important. The big thing that pulled me here was the charitable side of it. 25% of it all goes to a charity of your choice — it’s something I’m really passionate about.”

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