Sir Kevin Sinfield brings inspiration to Bridgewater
An unforgettable morning saw pupils welcome Sir Kevin and his team on Day 6 of his seventh and final 7 in 7 challenge – bringing weeks of learning about friendship, courage and going the extra mile for others to life.
There are some moments in school life that stay with you long after they have passed – and Friday 2nd October 2026 was certainly one of them.
Pupils from across Bridgewater gathered to welcome Sir Kevin Sinfield and his 7 in 7 team as they reached the school during Day 6 of their extraordinary fundraising challenge in support of the MND community.
It was a real privilege to play just a small part in their journey.
As Sir Kevin and his fellow runners arrived at Bridgewater, they were met by children lining the route with flags, handmade signs and plenty of encouragement. The team included Olympic cyclists Jason and Laura Kenny, alongside members of the MND community, including former primary school teacher Rob Hasler and his family – a powerful reminder of the people and families at the heart of every mile.
For our pupils, however, the story had begun long before Friday.
It started with friendship
In the weeks leading up to Sir Kevin’s arrival, children across the school had been learning about the remarkable friendship between Sir Kevin and his former Leeds Rhinos teammate Rob Burrow CBE, and how that friendship grew into an extraordinary movement of support for people living with motor neurone disease.
From that story, pupils explored seven qualities:
– Friendship – Courage – Teamwork – Positivity – Integrity – Inspiration – Resilience –
Those seven words became the thread running through Bridgewater’s own 7 in 7 activities, giving pupils from Early Years through to Sixth Form opportunities to consider not simple what the words mean, but what they can look like in our own lives.
Seven values brought to life
Across Art, pupils transformed the seven values through colour, pattern and creativity, producing striking hand designs and colourful running shoes representing qualities such as friendship, courage and inspiration.
Creative writing gave students another opportunity to reflect. They wrote about what courage means to them, the people who inspire them and the friendships that have made a difference in their own lives. The resulting pieces ranged from thoughtful personal reflections to poetry inspired by Sir Kevin’s journey.
In Religious Studies, the story prompted one pupil to explore Sir Kevin as a modern-day Good Samaritan, considering compassion, friendship and what it means to help another person when they need it most.
Our youngest children discovered the story in their own way, sharing a special story time centred on the children’s book by Rob and Kevin and learning about friendship, kindness and supporting one another.
And, inspired by the incredible physical endurance behind 7 in 7, pupils got moving too – taking on challenges of their own and discovering the importance of encouraging one another, keeping going and crossing the finish line together.
Inspiration in front of them
‘Inspiration’ is one of our school values and a word our pupils encounter regularly. On Friday morning, they were able to experience it in an altogether different way.
Having spent weeks talking, writing, creating and thinking about the qualities behind Sir Kevin’s challenge, suddenly the people demonstrating those qualities were right there in front of them.
Sir Kevin generously spent time meeting pupils before he and the team continued on their way, with the children cheering them onwards as their remarkable journey resumed.
Headteacher, Mrs Nairn, said:
“Inspiration is one of our school values and something we talk about regularly, but today students were able to see and experience what that can really mean. To witness Sir Kevin and the people alongside him – each with their own reasons for being part of this extraordinary challenge – was incredibly powerful.
“We feel enormously privileged to have played just a very small part in their journey. It was about standing together in support of Sir Kevin, his team and the MND community, and giving our children the opportunity to witness what friendship, courage and determination can achieve.”
Going the extra mile
The Bridgewater community has also thrown its support behind the fundraising effort, with our Bridgewater 7 in 7 JustGiving page reaching over £2,300 in support of the MND community.
We are hugely grateful to every student, parent, member of staff, friend and supporter who has taken part or donated.
But perhaps the greatest legacy of the experience cannot be measured in pounds raised. Our pupils began by learning about an extraordinary friendship. They explored courage, teamwork, resilience, integrity, inspiration and positivity. They wrote about them, drew them, talked about them and put them into action. Then, for a few very special moments on Friday morning, they saw those qualities pass right in front of them.
Thank you, Sir Kevin – and everyone taking every step alongside you – for inspiring us all to go the extra mile.
