Kevin Sinfield and Rob Burrow's friendship continues to warm the hearts of the nation and in the latest recognition of their MND campaigning, the Leeds Rhinos legends were surprised with a truly beautiful painting in their honour.
Giving him a kiss on his cheek as they completed the full 26.2 miles, it was one of the most emotional moments of the year and has not only led to countless signs up to next year's race already, but even inspired an award-winning artist to pay tribute to them.
Depicting the now iconic image of the Rhinos teammates crossing the finish line, Sinfield was surprised with a painting by Oscar-winning artist, illustrator and children's author Charlie Mackesy, best known for his short film, The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse.
Kevin Sinfield was surprised with the painting on Tuesday.
TheManchester-born rugby league legend turned England roach was visibly moved by the gesture, stating that he was simply "blown away" by the picture.
Sinfield has gone on to become not just a sporting icon but a national hero, raising over £4 million for MND research from the marathon alone and well over £7 million in total since his charity work began back in 2019 when Rob was diagnosed.
Appearing on BBC Breakfast after completing the marathon named in his friend's honour, the 42-year-old insisted on directing all the credit to Rob and his family, hailing them as "a real inspiration for everybody", adding that Rob's wife "Lindsey has shown everyone what real love is."
Speaking of the Burrows, they were also sent the painting of their dad being carried across the finish line, receiving several signed copies from Mackesy which and calling it "a moment we'll never forget". Rob also described it as "the best day of his life".
Sinfield has since written a book chronicling the remarkable journey he and Burrow have been on in an effort to raise money for the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA) over the past few years entitled, Kevin Sinfield: Going The Extra Mile.
Moreover, the documentary of the same name that ran alongside aired back in February and is also nominated for a National Television Award (NTA), as is Rob Burrow's Living With MND film.
However, it's no surprise that Sinfield urged viewers to "please vote for Rob, everybody. Their story is incredible certainly across the UK but worldwide; they've shown everybody what living is and I think Lindsey has shown everyone what real love looks like". Great, now we're crying again.
As for the painting itself, you can buy prints of it on Charlie Mackesy's website HERE, with proceeds going to the MDNA. In fact, more than 16,000 copies have already been sold with over £30,000 raised for the cause in just 12 hours. Amazing.
Get ready to take the plunge Leeds, as a community-led sauna and ice bath concept is on its way.
Hidden behind a railway arch in Saxton Gardens, Kontrast is gearing up to bring its popular sauna and ice bath concept to the city.
Following the huge success of its Manchester site, Kontrast Leeds will combine saunas, ice baths and a cafe designed to bring wellness into everyday life.
The Leeds space will feature two traditional saunas, one infrared saunas and four ice baths each varying in temperature between 3 and 13 degrees.
Images: Supplied
Plunge pools can be enjoyed solo or shared, depending on what guests choose, giving people the opportunity to shape each session around exactly what they need that day.
To suit different moods and preferences, Kontrast Leeds will include both a social sauna and a silent sauna, giving guests the option to come for conversation or reflection.
Single sessions will cost just £12 for 45 minutes, with 90-minute sessions from £20.
Image: Supplied
Known for making sauna and ice feel more accessible, welcoming and community-driven, Kontrast has grown beyond regular sessions to become a base for recurring events. These include their live ambient DJ set event, Unwind, which celebrates local talent, and their weekly run club, both of which the team hopes to bring to Leeds as part of building a similar sense of community in the city.
The Leeds site builds on everything the team has learned from Kontrast in Manchester.
Alongside the core sauna, Ice, cafe offering, the new site will include improved facilities, more spacious sauna provision and additional ice baths meaning more room for people to get involved.
Leeds city centre crowned one of the best places to live in the north by The Sunday Times
Clementine Hall
Today, Leeds city centre earned itself a coveted spot in the annual Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide.
What brilliant news to end the week on, hey?
Leeds city centre was amongst eight other locations across the north and the north east to be featured on the list.
The market town of Skipton took home the dazzling first prize, but it's still nice to be included isn't it.
Here's what the judges had to say about Leeds city centre: “Leeds has five universities, the fourth largest urban economy in the UK (with job opportunities in finance, insurance and big business), a youthful vibe and a relatively affordable average house price (£285,100).
Image: Unsplash
“Stay close to the centre, where you won’t have to worry about the patchy public transport, and it all adds up to a fun-filled, fulfilled life within walking distance of stylish shops, cafés, bars and restaurants. There’s a good choice of riverside homes, where you may spot kingfishers and otters, and even the schools are good.”
In total, 72 places across the UK were selected by The Sunday Times to showcase the very best of Britain, with Norwich named the overall national winner.
The full list of locations in the north and northeast include:
Skipton
Howardian Hills, North Yorkshire
Leeds city centre
Morpeth, Northumberland
Newcastle: Gosforth
Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire
Slaithwaite, West Yorkshire
York
Helen Davies, editorial projects director and Best Places to Live editor, said: “This guide is a great opportunity to highlight the best places in Britain.
“It is full of places that show that our village, town and city centres can still be full of life, as well as places bursting with natural beauty, culture, connectivity and most importantly a sense of community.
“Our expert team of judges visit every location on the list and talk to the locals to find out what they love about the place they live."
Danny Jones -
24th May 2023 
