{"id":2667,"date":"2026-04-24T11:05:43","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T11:05:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/?p=2667"},"modified":"2026-04-24T11:05:43","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T11:05:43","slug":"england-rugby-icon-lewis-moody-explains-why-he-feels-lucky-despite-mnd-heartbreak","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/?p=2667","title":{"rendered":"England rugby icon Lewis Moody explains why he feels LUCKY despite MND heartbreak"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"article-body\">\n<h2 class=\"LeadText_lead-text__wd_PA __className_7c26c0\" data-testid=\"leadtext\">England rugby icon Lewis Moody was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease in September last year and he has now opened up on his approach as he attempts to tackle the disease<\/h2>\n<div class=\"Byline_byline-container__K_Owl\" data-testid=\"byline\"><span class=\"Byline_byline-content-wrapper__Imque\" data-testid=\"byline-content\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"Byline_author-badge-date-wrapper__Q7jj1\">\n<p><span class=\"\" data-testid=\"byline-publishedDate\">11:19, 24 Apr 2026<\/span><span class=\"ArticleTimestamp_updated-date__7qD4Q ArticleTimestamp_updated-date-with-published__iFKpF\" data-testid=\"byline-updatedDate\">Updated 11:19, 24 Apr 2026<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<p><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX ImageEmbed_image-lead__Ti3qQ\" data-testid=\"leadimage\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37064195\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Lewis Moody\" loading=\"eager\" sizes=\"(max-width: 508px) 508px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37064195.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200f\/0_GettyImages-2244469349.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37064195.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s508\/0_GettyImages-2244469349.jpg 508w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37064195.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615\/0_GettyImages-2244469349.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37064195.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200f\/0_GettyImages-2244469349.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Lewis Moody has opened up on his heartbreaking diagnosis\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Lewis Moody has opened up on his heartbreaking diagnosis<cite aria-label=\"Image: Getty Images\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: Getty Images)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">England icon Lewis Moody believes he is \u2018lucky\u2019 to have picked up the fight against Motor Neurone Disease. The former Leicester Tigers and Bath flanker was diagnosed with the condition last September.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Despite that devastating news, Moody, 47, has taken an optimistic viewpoint and believes he is \u2018lucky\u2019 to now get the chance to draw attention to the disease with his platform, following in the footsteps of Doddie Weir and Rob Burrow.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Speaking to <a aria-label=\"Mail OnlineLink opens in a new tab.\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.com\/sport\/rugbyunion\/article-15754909\/Lewis-Moody-Clive-Woodward-MND-Doddie-Weir-Rob-Burrow.html\" rel=\"nofollow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_blank\">Mail Online<\/a>he said: \u201cI\u2019ve always had a positive outlook on life. There is uncertainty in life for all of us. Bizarrely, the news I\u2019ve received has given me certainty. It\u2019s given me a clear focus on what my day-to-day priorities are. There\u2019s no point going from day to day being gloomy or disappointed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cIt&#8217;s not that I don&#8217;t feel down from time to time. Of course, that happens \u2013 for example when I think about the things I\u2019m going to miss with the kids. But you can\u2019t dwell on it. We can only live in the present. I\u2019m in a position that allows me to really embrace that.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019ve started looking at house modifications. If you look around, there are a s***load of steps and levels, which for wheelchair access isn&#8217;t particularly efficient.<\/p>\n<p><span data-testid=\"readmore\" class=\"ReadMore_readmore-prefix__xS44r __className_82c8df\">READ MORE<!-- -->: <span class=\"ReadMore_readmore-link__eF9pN\">All Blacks great Dan Carter never wanted New Zealand return after &#8216;fairytale&#8217; ending<\/span><\/span><span data-testid=\"readmore\" class=\"ReadMore_readmore-prefix__xS44r __className_82c8df\">READ MORE<!-- -->: <span class=\"ReadMore_readmore-link__eF9pN\">Dan Carter hails impact of Hong Kong 7s as it celebrates landmark amid Olympic boom<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\"><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\"><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\">JOIN US ON FACEBOOK!<\/strong> <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MirrorSport#\" rel=\"nofollow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\"><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\"\/><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\"><u>All the best sports news and much more on our dedicated Facebook page<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019ve banked my voice (on a tape recorder) too in case that goes. That sort of stuff is horrible to talk about, but it&#8217;s a reality and it&#8217;s better to be prepared for it than not.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cI feel really lucky in a way because loads of people are diagnosed with diseases and they don&#8217;t have a platform to do anything about it. I spent a whole life post-rugby in charity and supporting others, so why wouldn&#8217;t I do it now?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Moody announced his diagnosis in October alongside wife Annie. Opening up on how he told his family, he has revealed that a mistaken dial let his son, Dylan, know something was wrong.<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"image-group\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX false\" data-testid=\"imageembed-37064198\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37064198\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"image\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.54\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Lewis Moody\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"(max-width: 458px) 458px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37064198.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_GettyImages-2241856361.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37064198.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s458b\/0_GettyImages-2241856361.jpg 458w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37064198.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/0_GettyImages-2241856361.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37064198.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_GettyImages-2241856361.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Lewis Moody was diagnosed with MND last year\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Lewis Moody was diagnosed with MND last year<cite aria-label=\"Image: Getty Images\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: Getty Images)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">He added: \u201c&#8217;When I got the news, I was all right about it actually. It was still a shock, but I\u2019d prepared myself for it. It was tough for Annie. You\u2019re told it&#8217;s the end of the world. It&#8217;s devastating. It&#8217;s awful. It&#8217;s a terrible illness. Everything was negative. It was the second referral I had in Oxford with a specialist called Martin Turner that was different.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cOnce I came out of the meeting with Dr Turner, I told my mum first. The worst thing that happened was on the way, I accidentally pocket-called Dylan.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cHe could hear part of the conversation, so when we got home he was aware we were going to tell him something. It was the first they were hearing of it, other than knowing I was going to the doctors. Dylan had heard of MND but Ethan had no clue what it was.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cDylan had a very controlled reaction. There were tears. Ethan was the opposite \u2013 just raw emotion. That was the worst bit by far for me \u2013 seeing the reaction of the kids and their sadness and emotion. Since then, they&#8217;re both doing OK. But it&#8217;s tricky.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\"><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\"><a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/chat.whatsapp.com\/Feq1SEG6mXDIZGTTnek7oz\" rel=\"nofollow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\"><em>Join our new WhatsApp community<\/em> <\/a>and receive your daily dose of <em>Mirror<\/em> <em>Football<\/em> content. 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