Lindsey Burrow, the wife of rugby legend Rob Burrow, has spoken about life after the tragic death of her husband. The Leeds Rhinos icon passed away aged just 41 in 2024 following his brave fight against Motor Neurone Disease (MND).
A promise to keep living life to the full
The teenage sweethearts had three children together, Macy, 14, Maya, 10, and Jackson, seven, and Rob's devastating diagnosis in December 2019 turned the family's world upside down. Speaking to the Mirror, Lindsey spoke of the heartache of her husband's absence.
She said: "It's heartbreaking that he isn't here, but I'm so grateful to have had him as a husband, and father. He taught us that in the darkest of times, there's a strength within us that we don't realise we have."
Despite the tragedy of his health, he fundamentally changed the national conversation surrounding MND, bringing a sense of urgency and candour to a condition that few truly understood, opening up the family home to documentary crews for films such as My Year With MND and There's Only One Rob Burrow.
Grief hits in unexpected moments
Lindsey revealed the promise she made to Rob before his passing and admitted that she continues to live up to it. She explained: "I made Rob a promise that we'd keep living life to the full. And we're doing that. But you have good and bad days. You can be driving, a song comes on that reminds you of Rob and the grief just hits you.
"We were married for 17 years, we started dating as teenagers. Rob probably knew me better than I knew myself."
Lindsey recalled the moments Rob would rush to spend as much time as possible with their children, who she said miss their dad incredibly. She explained: "He'd always be the first to leave a function, as he wanted to get home to them. He was the best dad I could have ever wished for. They've helped me more than they'll ever know. They get on with life, and like Rob, don't look for pity. They're strong, and brave. They miss him terribly."
Raising awareness for MND
"But the way that they've handled it is because Rob showed them how. They're the reason I wake up with a smile in the morning. He'd be so proud. He idolised them."
Alongside his former Leeds team-mate, the now-Sir Kevin Sinfield, the pair sought to raise global awareness for MND, with Sinfield raising more than £13million for the cause.
Lindsey said of her husband: "Rob was, pound for pound, the strongest player on the team. So out of the blue, to be handed a diagnosis of MND was devastating. The reality is, half of people living with MND will die within a year of diagnosis. Six people in the UK will die today.
"After he was diagnosed, he turned to me and said, 'Thank God it was me, not you or the children.' But as an NHS physiotherapist, I've seen how devastating MND is, whereas Rob was very much, 'There'll be a treatment, a cure.' He made it his mission to raise awareness, to give families hope."
