As a retired England rugby captain, it's no wonder Mike Tindall has continued to channel his love of sport into his charity work.
The father-of-three, who is married to the Queen's eldest granddaughter Zara Tindall, works tirelessly to raise funds and awareness around Parkinson's – a condition that his father Philip was diagnosed with in 2003. Mike has hosted fundraising events, like his annual charity golf day Celebrity Golf Classic, and has taken part in cycling and running challenges.
Last year, the Rugby World Cup winner took on the Raid Local challenge, the charity's first-ever virtual cycling event amid the pandemic. Participants cycled 137km with a gruelling 3700m ascent in their local area to help raise funds and awareness for Cure Parkinson's.
"Mike has provided fantastic support to this charity and the wider Parkinson's community for several years" - Will Cook, CEO of Cure Parkinson's, of which Mike is a patron
Will Cook, CEO of Cure Parkinson's, thanked Mike for his support as the charity's patron since 2018, telling HELLO!: "Mike has provided fantastic support to this charity and the wider Parkinson's community for several years. He has worked hard to raise awareness for the condition, discussing publicly his family's experiences of Parkinson's and raising a large amount of money for research.
"His annual Celebrity Golf Classic at The Belfry is joyful, but his commitment is even more obvious in the gruelling cycling challenges he has endured to highlight the urgent need for a cure. We are proud that he is a patron of Cure Parkinson's."
Mike is also an ambassador for the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity which serves the county of Gloucestershire, where he lives and where he used to play professional rugby. The charity saves lives by responding to emergency situations (such as road traffic collisions and sports injuries) and reaching patients, who would otherwise be inaccessible by land, by helicopter.
"I have always been an advocate of the amazing work of the air ambulance and our military search and rescue services of the RAF and Royal Navy," Mike said when he was appointed the charity's ambassador. "Throughout my rugby career I have all too often been reminded of the potentially life-threatening injuries that can occur on the rugby pitch."
The sports star is also an athlete ambassador for Right to Play, a children's charity that works to keep youngsters safe and in school, away from disease and conflict, and of course, to highlight the importance of play in developing a child's confidence and self-esteem.
Mike has visited the organisation's programmes in Accra, Ghana and also attended the annual gala dinner, The Big Red Ball, where he led the live fundraising pledge alongside host Mark Durden-Smith and helped raise over £400,000.
Like this story? Sign up to our newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.
