A group of rugby legends joined Lewis Moody, a World Cup winner from 2003, as he set off on a 500-mile cycling challenge to raise funds for research into Motor Neurone Disease (MND). Moody revealed his own diagnosis last year and is now leading a major fundraiser for the My Name'5 Doddie Foundation.
The charity was established by the late Doddie Weir, a former Newcastle, Scotland, and Lions player. His wife Kathy and son Hamish also participated in the Lewis Moody XV event, alongside a host of sporting stars including Martin Johnson, Kenny Logan, Tom Croft, and Geordan Murphy.
The 500-mile journey will see the team spend seven days cycling from Newcastle to London, stopping at key rugby locations such as all five of Lewis Moody's former clubs. The route includes Bath, Leicester, Ripon, Bracknell, and Oakham, before delivering the PREM final matchball to the Allianz Stadium at Twickenham in London.
Ahead of the event, Moody expressed his excitement: "505 miles! It's longer than my normal bike rides down to the shop. I'm just excited. I had the pre-game anxieties that you always get before a big challenge but I think the overarching feeling is one of 'let's get going' and I'm excited."
He added: "It's incredible to have the support of people in the Newcastle area and Newcastle rugby club, along with the support of my teammates and other friends is awesome." Moody aims to raise a total of £777,777 for the charity.
Reflecting on the Weir family's involvement, Moody said: "Having Kathy and Hamish with us feels incredibly poignant and powerful. Doddie did so much to change the conversation around MND, and in many ways this ride feels like continuing something he started. There's a real sense of carrying the baton forward. Doddie inspired people because he faced this disease head on with unbelievable courage, humour and determination, and I think all of us involved in the ride feel a responsibility to keep pushing that fight forward."
He also thanked his own family: "I couldn't be doing this without my own family too. Annie, Dylan and Ethan have been so incredibly strong for me. This ride is about raising money, of course, but it's also about showing the MND community that we're still fighting, still driving awareness, and still refusing to accept that this disease cannot be beaten."
Kathy Weir, joining for the first stage to Ripon, commented: "We didn't know the charity would still be going when Doddie passed, but the fact is we are here and it is still going stronger than ever. It's really important we do keep going and our mission is to get a cure at the end of the day."
For more information on the ride and to donate, visit lewismoodyxv-cyclechallenge.com.
