Lindsey Burrow and Amy Garcia were cheered off by children in Castleford on Thursday morning
Yorkshire fundraiser Lindsey Burrow and BBC Look North’s Amy Garcia have started a 30-mile three-legged walking challenge across the region for Children In Need.
The pair are taking part in the Thousand Mile Challenge Extra Leg, with dozens of BBC radio presenters and celebrities collectively walking 1,000 miles last week in aid of the cause.
Lindsey, who has run several marathons in memory of her late husband and rugby league legend Rob Burrow, and Amy set off from Castleford at about 08:30 GMT.
Their journey will take them through villages, towns and cities across West, South and North Yorkshire over two days, including Selby, Barnsley, Wakefield and Huddersfield.
Steve Sheard/BBC
Amy Garcia and Lindsey Burrow are walking across Yorkshire for Children In Need
Who is taking part?
Lindsey Burrow is the wife of Leeds Rhinos star Rob Burrow, who died last year after being diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) in 2019.
Lindsey has continued to raise funds for MND-related causes since his death and has completed several marathon challenges.
Last week she opened the Rob Burrow Centre for MND – a specialist clinical unit in Leeds for people living with the condition.
Wakefield-born Amy Garcia is the lead presenter for BBC Look North, having first joined the programme in 2013.
Olivia Courtney-Ashton/BBC
The pair were given a rousing send-off at Airedale Academy on Thursday morning
Ahead of the challenge, Lindsey told BBC Radio Leeds said she was “excited and nervous” but “raring to go”.
“Children In Need is a fantastic charity, so to be able to contribute in a little way and to do this is really special,” she said.
“To be here in front of Rob’s old high school and in front of the Rob Burrow Fitness Suite is really special. He’ll be here in spirit waving us off.”
Stephen Sheard/BBC
The pair have been greeted by well-wishers along their route
Speaking after the pair reached Hambleton, they said they were feeling tired, but doing “OK”.
“We are really pleased to be here because that last few miles felt like a slog,” said Amy.
Lindsey added: “It’s when you stop and have a rest, that’s when you start to feel it most. But it’s all for a good cause so we are determined to get to that finish.”
Earlier, Amy urged people across the route to turn out and cheer the pair on.
She said: “Especially tomorrow we’ve got a lot of hills to climb and the weather’s not going to be kind, so as much support as we can get is definitely going to spur us on.
“We’re going into it really positive and we’ll be positive all the way through, because that’s the Burrow mantra, but it’s definitely going to be tough tomorrow!”
Stephen Sheard/BBC
Amy and Lindsey are walking 30 miles across South, West and North Yorkshire
What is the route?
BBC Children in Need
The routes for Thursday (left) and Friday (right) have been mapped out
After leaving Castleford, the pair will travel north-east to Selby via Ferrybridge, Byram, Burton Salmon, Hillam and Thorpe Willoughby.
They are due to arrive in Selby at 20:30 GMT on Thursday.
They will then set off from Barnsley at 08:00 on Friday and walk to the Forget Me Not Hospice in Huddersfield via High Hoyland, Clayton West, Emley, Flockton, Grange Moor, Kirkheaton and Colne Bridge.
They are due to arrive at the hospice at 16:15.
What else is happening with Children In Need?
On Friday, BBC Radio 2 presenter Sara Cox will also complete her own Children in Need challenge as she reaches the Leeds suburb of Pudsey at the end of a five-day 135-mile walk.
Sara started her journey on Monday at Kielder Forest near the Scottish border, before travelling south through Northumberland, Durham and North Yorkshire.
Last week, BBC radio presenters across the UK braved all weathers while taking on the Thousand Mile Challenge.
Together, they walked 1,000 miles in two days – all while tied at the ankle.
What fundraising has Look North done previously?
This isn’t the programme’s first three-legged challenge, with Look North weather presenter Paul Hudson and the late programme presenter Harry Gration completing a nine-day fundraiser in 2016.
Raising money for Sport Relief on that occasion, Paul and Harry covered 121 miles while strapped together on a route which also took them through North, West and South Yorkshire.
Harry and Paul were back in action again for the same cause two years later, this time alongside Amy, as they pulled the Look North studio sofa across the county – covering 50 locations in total.
