Leicester Tigers legend Lewis Moody marks one year since revealing MND diagnosis
The former England captain has spent the past 12 months raising awareness of motor neurone disease
One year on from revealing his diagnosis, Leicester Tigers legend, Lewis Moody, has continued to use his profile to shine a light on motor neurone disease (MND).
The former England captain, who was part of England's 2003 Rugby World Cup-winning team, has spent the past year speaking openly about his experience and supporting the wider MND community.
The 48-year-old discovered he had the condition after noticing weakness in his shoulder while training in the gym.
When physiotherapy did not resolve the problem, further tests and scans eventually revealed damage to nerves in his brain and spinal cord.
A year of fundraising:
Since announcing his diagnosis, Moody has taken part in a number of efforts to raise awareness and funds for those affected by MND.
One of the biggest came earlier this year when he completed a 500-mile cycle from Newcastle to Twickenham.
Moody was joined by more than a dozen rugby players, friends and family for the Lewis Moody XV Challenge, which began at Newcastle Red Bulls' stadium before travelling south, earlier this year.
The group stopped at Durham and Ripon Rugby Club before visiting five of Moody's former clubs, including Leicester Tigers and Bath, and eventually completing the challenge at Twickenham.
The event raised money for the My Name'5 Doddie Foundation, which was set up in memory of Scottish rugby international Doddie Weir, who died after being diagnosed with MND in 2017.
More recently, Moody also joined Sir Kevin Sinfield for part of his latest fundraising challenge in honour of the late Rob Burrow.
Sinfield's 7in7 challenge saw him complete seven ultra marathons across seven days to raise money and awareness for MND.
Moody's involvement provided another link between two of rugby's biggest fundraising campaigns for the MND community.
What is MND and why is fundraising so important?
The condition is a progressive neurological disease which affects the brain and spinal cord. It damages the nerve cells responsible for controlling muscles, eventually affecting movement and, for some people, their ability to speak, swallow and breathe.
Alastair Laing, relationship fundraiser for the MND Association in the East Midlands, said the involvement of high-profile sporting figures had helped more people understand the disease.
"People didn't really know what MND was," he said.
Laing said the decision by figures, including Moody, to speak publicly about experiences has helped increase awareness of the condition and the number of people it affects.
He said:
"With Lewis coming out and actually speaking about the disease, it's made so many more people aware of what it actually is and how many people it affects in the UK at any one time."
The MND Association says around 5,000 adults in the UK are living with MND at any one time.
A year after first speaking publicly about his diagnosis, Moody's continued involvement in fundraising has kept attention on a condition which remains relatively unfamiliar to many people.
His latest challenges have also brought together the rugby community he has been part of throughout his career, this time for a cause that has become deeply personal.