'It was an honour to run in Rob's memory'
"It was nice to be able to give back something to those charities which are so close to our hearts," she said."Thank you, a heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported me along the way."
Burrow was diagnosed with MND two years after his retirement, following a 17-year career at Leeds Rhinos.Burrow and Kevin Sinfield, his former teammate and close friend, raised more than £15m for various MND charities.Mrs Burrow previously told the BBC it was a "privilege" to care for her husband."It's so important we keep raising awareness," she said."We still don't have a cure. Five people in the UK will be diagnosed with MND today and [I want] to tell other people, other families, that there is hope."
She said she was "nervous" about taking on the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon so soon after Sunday's challenge."I'll be sore, but my muscles will heal - patients with MND don't have that luxury," she said."I will be running for Rob again. He will be with me all the way."
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The National
17 hours ago
- The National
Paula Radcliffe: Eilish McColgan could break British record
In 2003, Paula Radcliffe set a British marathon record of 2 hours 15 minutes 25 seconds and in the 22 years since, no British woman has ever bettered that mark, which was a new world record at the time. Indeed, no one has even come close, with the next best time by a Brit a whole six minutes slower than Radcliffe's mark. There is, however, according to the woman who has had such a firm grip on that record for over two decades, one candidate who has the potential to come closer to that record than any other, and perhaps even beat it. That runner who is as likely, if not more likely, to finally break the longstanding British record is Eilish McColgan and given the prediction is coming from Radcliffe herself, it holds more weight than most. McColgan may have been a world-class runner for well over a decade but she remains a novice in marathon terms. The 34-year-old Dundonian made her marathon debut earlier this year, in April's London Marathon, and on her first attempt at 26.2 miles, set a new Scottish record of 2 hours 24 minutes 25 seconds. It was a debut that had been eagerly anticipated given McColgan had initially planned to run her first marathon in 2023 before several injury setbacks caused postponement after postponement of her maiden marathon appearance, Finally, though, she got to the start line in April. McColgan's Scottish record-beating run, which also bettered her mum, Liz McColgan's, best-ever marathon time, was particularly impressive when taking into account both her disrupted preparation, and the fact she ran almost the entirety of the race alone having been separated from the leading pack in the very early stages. Radcliffe was an interested observer of McColgan's marathon debut and she admits she was extremely impressed with how McColgan equipped herself over the 26.2 miles in London. 'Eilish's preparation was maybe a little bit short on volume because of the injury issues but she was really smart in taking her time to get on top of everything and not to do a marathon until she was healthy,' Radcliffe says. 'In London, she spent so much of the race on her own and in no man's land so she should be proud of how well she did given those circumstances because, of course, if you're running alone, it's not going to be as quick as if you're running with others. 'I ran alone in the marathon a few times but most of the times I did that, it was because I was leading and that's a very different feeling to when you know the race is moving away ahead of you. 'So the way Eilish did that race is much tougher than any time I did it. 'Ahead of London, she's been pretty vocal about having set herself the target of bettering her mum's time so to get her mum's record, and the Scottish record, was very good for her first marathon.' Eilish McColgan set a Scottish record on her marathon debut earlier this year (Image: Steve Christo - Corbis) Radcliffe and McColgan may have been competing in different eras but the pair share several similarities including their mentalities and the obstacles they've encountered in their careers, namely injuries. Radcliffe was famous for pushing herself to her physical and psychological limit and McColgan is made from the same mould, which she demonstrated in her gold medal-winning run in the 10,000m final at the Commonwealth Games in 2022. And with Radcliffe's career being ended by injuries, she can empathise with McColgan's injury challenges over the past few years which have seen her race schedule seriously disrupted. McColgan has now rediscovered full fitness but it is, says Radcliffe, a razor-thin line between fitness and injury for all elite marathon runners. 'Injuries are part and parcel of being a marathon runner and most marathon build-ups will have niggles. It's about working out where the line is between a serious injury and a niggle,' the former world champion says. 'I loved the mental challenge of the marathon, though, and I think Eilish will too because I think she's the type of person who does relish that. 'On race day, I did feel like it was a little bit of a game in terms of you're hurting, but how long can you ignore it and keep going?' The next milestone for McColgan, now she has her hands on the Scottish record is, of course, Radcliffe's British record. To take the Englishwoman's record, McColgan, whose next competitive outing will be at next month's Great North Run over 13.1 miles, will need to slice nine minutes from her debut marathon time which is, clearly, a sizeable chunk. It's not an improvement that'll happen overnight but Radcliffe is confident that as the Scot gains experience over the distance, she'll get closer and closer to the fabled mark. 'I think, and Eilish would probably agree, that at the moment she's still more comfortable and more solid over the 10k and the half marathon distance. But that's absolutely not to say that in the future that can't change,' says Radcliffe. Paula Radcliffe set her current British record back in 2003 (Image: Getty Images) 'I hit the ground running with the marathon - it went amazing the very first time I ran it but that's probably unusual because you look at other really successful marathon runners like Haile Gebrselassie or Paul Tergat and they took a while to settle into the marathon. 'After my first marathon, in my lifetime, I only improved about three minutes whereas other people improved a lot more from their marathon debut so everyone's very different. 'What I've noticed with Eilish, over the years, is it can take her a bit of time to learn a new distance so she just needs a little bit more time to feel really comfortable with the marathon. 'She's now experienced the marathon and I think Eilish has got as good a shot, if not a better shot, than almost anyone else at breaking my British record. 'I don't think it's unachievable for her - the thing about the marathon is getting it right on the day. 'I think she can go quicker than she did in London so it's just a question of how much quicker.'
The Herald Scotland
17 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Paula Radcliffe: Eilish McColgan could break British record
There is, however, according to the woman who has had such a firm grip on that record for over two decades, one candidate who has the potential to come closer to that record than any other, and perhaps even beat it. That runner who is as likely, if not more likely, to finally break the longstanding British record is Eilish McColgan and given the prediction is coming from Radcliffe herself, it holds more weight than most. McColgan may have been a world-class runner for well over a decade but she remains a novice in marathon terms. The 34-year-old Dundonian made her marathon debut earlier this year, in April's London Marathon, and on her first attempt at 26.2 miles, set a new Scottish record of 2 hours 24 minutes 25 seconds. It was a debut that had been eagerly anticipated given McColgan had initially planned to run her first marathon in 2023 before several injury setbacks caused postponement after postponement of her maiden marathon appearance, Finally, though, she got to the start line in April. McColgan's Scottish record-beating run, which also bettered her mum, Liz McColgan's, best-ever marathon time, was particularly impressive when taking into account both her disrupted preparation, and the fact she ran almost the entirety of the race alone having been separated from the leading pack in the very early stages. Radcliffe was an interested observer of McColgan's marathon debut and she admits she was extremely impressed with how McColgan equipped herself over the 26.2 miles in London. 'Eilish's preparation was maybe a little bit short on volume because of the injury issues but she was really smart in taking her time to get on top of everything and not to do a marathon until she was healthy,' Radcliffe says. 'In London, she spent so much of the race on her own and in no man's land so she should be proud of how well she did given those circumstances because, of course, if you're running alone, it's not going to be as quick as if you're running with others. 'I ran alone in the marathon a few times but most of the times I did that, it was because I was leading and that's a very different feeling to when you know the race is moving away ahead of you. 'So the way Eilish did that race is much tougher than any time I did it. 'Ahead of London, she's been pretty vocal about having set herself the target of bettering her mum's time so to get her mum's record, and the Scottish record, was very good for her first marathon.' Eilish McColgan set a Scottish record on her marathon debut earlier this year (Image: Steve Christo - Corbis) Radcliffe and McColgan may have been competing in different eras but the pair share several similarities including their mentalities and the obstacles they've encountered in their careers, namely injuries. Radcliffe was famous for pushing herself to her physical and psychological limit and McColgan is made from the same mould, which she demonstrated in her gold medal-winning run in the 10,000m final at the Commonwealth Games in 2022. And with Radcliffe's career being ended by injuries, she can empathise with McColgan's injury challenges over the past few years which have seen her race schedule seriously disrupted. McColgan has now rediscovered full fitness but it is, says Radcliffe, a razor-thin line between fitness and injury for all elite marathon runners. 'Injuries are part and parcel of being a marathon runner and most marathon build-ups will have niggles. It's about working out where the line is between a serious injury and a niggle,' the former world champion says. 'I loved the mental challenge of the marathon, though, and I think Eilish will too because I think she's the type of person who does relish that. 'On race day, I did feel like it was a little bit of a game in terms of you're hurting, but how long can you ignore it and keep going?' The next milestone for McColgan, now she has her hands on the Scottish record is, of course, Radcliffe's British record. To take the Englishwoman's record, McColgan, whose next competitive outing will be at next month's Great North Run over 13.1 miles, will need to slice nine minutes from her debut marathon time which is, clearly, a sizeable chunk. It's not an improvement that'll happen overnight but Radcliffe is confident that as the Scot gains experience over the distance, she'll get closer and closer to the fabled mark. 'I think, and Eilish would probably agree, that at the moment she's still more comfortable and more solid over the 10k and the half marathon distance. But that's absolutely not to say that in the future that can't change,' says Radcliffe. Paula Radcliffe set her current British record back in 2003 (Image: Getty Images) 'I hit the ground running with the marathon - it went amazing the very first time I ran it but that's probably unusual because you look at other really successful marathon runners like Haile Gebrselassie or Paul Tergat and they took a while to settle into the marathon. 'After my first marathon, in my lifetime, I only improved about three minutes whereas other people improved a lot more from their marathon debut so everyone's very different. 'What I've noticed with Eilish, over the years, is it can take her a bit of time to learn a new distance so she just needs a little bit more time to feel really comfortable with the marathon. 'She's now experienced the marathon and I think Eilish has got as good a shot, if not a better shot, than almost anyone else at breaking my British record. 'I don't think it's unachievable for her - the thing about the marathon is getting it right on the day. 'I think she can go quicker than she did in London so it's just a question of how much quicker.'
BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
Facing past trauma and ADHD after becoming homeless
Stephanie and Rob have never met but have several things in common - both have lived through trauma, are neurodivergent and have experienced suggests 94% of people facing homelessness have experienced one or more traits are over-represented in homeless people, according to separate Williams, who has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and is being tested for autism, became homeless in December following a suicide attempt and the breakdown of her marriage. "It can happen to just anybody, a lot of us are actually only three pay checks away from being homeless ourselves... especially if you haven't got savings behind you," she said. Experts have said neurodivergent people appear to have a higher risk of becoming homeless as they may have fewer friends and family they can turn to for support and find it hard to stay on top of the things they need to to keep their housing, such as bill-paying and said through her life she had struggled to maintain relationships. "I've lost quite a lot of people through them not understanding how I've meant something or if they've said something I've taken it very, very literally," she added. "When you've got autism or ADHD, a lot of the time you're looking at how other people are in a situation, you're mimicking but it creates this massive distance between you because you're trying to fit into something that you're really not understanding what it is that you're trying to fit into." She said she had never understood how other people were able to make friends and maintain friendships. Initially after moving out of the home she had rented with her wife she was able to stay on a friend's a few weeks she contacted Citizen's Advice and was moved into a hotel that was being used to house others experiencing now has a permanent home in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, is a Scout leader, volunteers with homelessness charity The Wallich and plans to start her training to become a support worker next was only recently diagnosed with ADHD and is on medication for that, she still sees a psychiatrist and is about to start psychodynamic therapy, to explore traumas she has faced in her life, including being "outed" as gay when she was growing up. Rob Thomas is a private practice clinical psychotherapist and counsellor in Swansea, who works with people experiencing homelessness. He experienced homelessness himself in his 20s, which he believes was in part down to living with childhood trauma and undiagnosed ADHD. Rob was born with a heart condition and spent long periods of time away from his family while being treated in hospital."What I realise now is that I was taken away from my family and what that embedded in me was a sense of it's just me, I'm on my own with this, so then asking for help became impossible," he began unravelling after he finished his degree in biomedical science in Preston - and he found he could not ask for help. "My landlord wasn't happy with me because I wasn't maintaining the property to his satisfaction... I hadn't paid council tax, I hadn't been paying my electricity," he said. Missed appointments at the Job Centre meant his benefits were stopped. "Someone who is neurotypical would encounter a problem and they'd go 'all right I'll make that phone call to the electricity company and sort that out' but the level of anxiety that I would experience would be overwhelming, the idea of making that phone call I'd be getting sweats, I'd go into panic, I'd have problems sleeping," he said. "I would not respond to letters. I wouldn't answer the phone."Rob said he found himself with nowhere to go and was forced to sleep rough, often in bus stops. "You're sleeping for like an hour, two hours, and then you're awake again. You're constantly on guard - who's going to come asking for money? Who's going to try taking shoes?," he said. After being on the streets for a few weeks his friend's mother took him in."She basically dragged me by the scruff of the neck, kicking and screaming to her house," recalled Rob. He stayed for several months before moving back to his parents' in took many years but he eventually returned to education and became a support worker for The Wallich before becoming a psychotherapist. But even 30 years on from losing a grip on his bills he gets a rush of panic when his phone rings."Everybody's expected to be the same but neurodiverse people are just people who think differently," he added systems were only set up with neurotypical people in mind. "If you don't fill out the form the system doesn't ask you 'why didn't you fill out the form? Is there anything we can help with?' It's 'you didn't fill out the form, you have your money stopped' or 'you didn't fill out the form so we're not giving you any more appointments'." Sean Stillman, who founded Zac's Place that provides support to the homeless in Swansea, said people often make assumptions about people who are homeless but almost everyone his project supports has experienced trauma."When you truly try and engage with somebody's story, you start to lift the lid, you discover that there are often multiple traumas," he said. "You might think someone has ended up sleeping rough or they're homeless because they've got an addiction but then if you ask the question why you discover there's so many layers, there might be broken relationships, issues of abuse, you might find that they've fallen out of the care system but once you get caught in a destructive pattern which involves sleeping rough, your health and mental health can quickly deteriorate, and all of a sudden you end up being somebody quite different."Anthony Vaughan is a trauma-informed specialist at The Wallich, which runs an in-house counselling service, the Reflections said the people they work with who have not dealt with their trauma found it harder to move out of homelessness. "We know that people don't have 'something' wrong with them - they are people who've had 'something happen to them'," he said."They are survivors of trauma."
