'Rugby family' show their support for former Six Nations and Welsh Rugby Union 商業の director Craig Maxwell after he raises £800,000 on charity walk after 存在 診断するd with incurable 癌

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Those?within the sport are 井戸／弁護士席 aware of the idea of the ‘rugby family’ ? the notion 存在 it fosters a 集団の／共同の spirit and 株d values between its individuals.

Some readily 解任する the idea. I beg to 異なる and have first-手渡す experience as to why.

In the 部隊d Kingdom, rugby continues to 戦う／戦い problems both on and off the field.

But, for all its 問題／発行するs, there remains no other sport like it in 存在 able to bring people together as a 軍隊 for good. To spend a day with the inspirational Craig Maxwell this week was a 思い出の品 of 正確に／まさに why that is the 事例／患者. Here’s hoping it always will be.

On Monday, I took on a 20-mile 脚 of the むちの跡s Coast Path walk as part of a heroic fundraising 使節団 led by Maxwell ? the former Welsh Rugby Union and Six Nations 商業の director ? who was cruelly given a diagnosis of 行う／開催する／段階 four, incurable and inoperable 肺 癌 in 2022.

MailSport joined former Welsh Rugby Union and Six Nations 商業の 長，指導者 Craig Maxwell on his length of むちの跡s charity walk on Monday

The walk, which started in north むちの跡s, will 最高潮に達する on Sunday when Maxwell and his family 配達する the match ball for the Six Nations match between むちの跡s and フラン at Principality Stadium. A 抱擁する total of £800,000 has already been raised with 600 walkers 参加するing.

Taking in other heroic 成果／努力s he has already 完全にするd, Maxwell’s total fundraising to support the 癌 pathway in むちの跡s stands at an astonishing £1.2million.

The ‘rugby family’ really has come together in an incredible show of support.

‘The 目的（とする） of creating the Maxwell Family Genomics 基金 was to raise important money to support 癌 diagnosis, 研究, 革新 and 治療 in むちの跡s,’ said Maxwell.

‘The 返答 has been just amazing. This challenge has been so hard. We’ve been walking a 最小限 of 20 miles each day over difficult 地形. But having different people come each day and bringing their energy has really helped. It’s been unbelievable. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without that support ? no way.

‘The bit I’ve loved is seei ng and reconnecting with friends who I’ve lost 接触する with or not seen since working together. I’ve also loved 会合 people I didn’t know 以前 who have had 類似の 癌 旅行s to me. We’ve been able to give them some 目的 and direction and 許すd them to look at how they can support the 癌 pathway too.

‘Their stories have been really 奮起させるing.’

It took 78 days from the day he was first 実験（する）d for Maxwell to 公式に receive the life-粉々にするing news of his diagnosis. The 目的（とする） of the Maxwell Family Genomics 基金 is to 減ずる that time to 26 days for 癌 患者s in むちの跡s through better 実験（する）ing and 増加するd 研究.

Former むちの跡s centre Tom Shanklin (権利) joined Maxwell on Monday’s 脚. Lunch was spent at Tenby RFC ? Shanklin’s first club

That is why the walking challenge has been a total of 780 miles over 26 days.

‘The 基金 will look at different ways to 速度(を上げる） up 癌 diagnosis and 治療. I never thought we’d raise this 量 of money,’ said Maxwell.

‘Unfortunately, it shows how much 癌 has 影響する／感情d different families in むちの跡s. For me it’s a 優先 to make a happier and healthier むちの跡s.’

I joined Maxwell as part of a 30-strong 次第で変わる／派遣部隊 for day 20 of the walk which took place in Pembrokeshire. 条件s, to put it bluntly, were horrific. We began in Stackpole.

After a 乾燥した，日照りの start, the 運動ing rain began after the first stop at Manorbier 城 ? a poignant 発生地 for Maxwell given it was where he married his wife Tracey.

Fuelled by sausage rolls at Manorbier and bacon 挟むs at another stop off, our party walked ? or rather oinked ? our way に向かって Tenby which is where things took a turn for the worse.

運動ing 水平の rain turned to hailstones at one point. There was a howling 勝利，勝つd. The wet 天候 meant the 沿岸の path was caked in mud. There were 正規の／正選手 fallers の中で the party.

Maxwell has carried the match ball for the むちの跡s-フラン game the length of the country. His fitness levels considering the 癌 麻薬s he continues to take have been astonishing.

?条件s on the wa lk were horrendous with 運動ing rain, あられ／賞賛する and high 勝利，勝つd

‘I sent Craig a message last month to wish him a happy birthday,’ said むちの跡s 長，率いる coach 過密な住居 Gatland, who worked と一緒に Maxwell during one of the WRU’s most successful periods.

‘I know he’s finding the walk very 堅い 肉体的に and it’s very 需要・要求するing but I 手配中の，お尋ね者 him to know what he’s doing is amazing and an inspiration to so many people.

‘The money he’s raised for 癌 治療 in むちの跡s has been and continues to be phenomenal. The whole 国家の team is behind him 100 per cent.’

Maxwell has been joined on his 最新の epic challenge by members of the ‘rugby family’ who have links to him and the sport through all manner of different ways.

Ex-players 含むing Sam Warburton and Jamie Roberts have shown their support.

So too have coaches, 行政官／管理者s, former 同僚s at the WRU and Six Nations, and many, many more besides.

This week, as the walk reaches its 結論, 関係者s have 含むd cricket 広大な／多数の／重要な Andrew Strauss. Former むちの跡s centre Tom Shanklin joined Maxwell and MailSport on day 20 of the walk as it began its last week. ‘What Craig is doing is incredible,’ Shanklin said over a pint once the miles had been banked.

‘I’ve only done a tiny part of what he’s done and I’m knackered! I loved every minute of it. The 天候 was horrific but everyone dug in for Craig and it didn’t 影響する／感情 意気込み／士気.

The first stop of the day on the 20-mile 大勝する was Manorbier 城 ? the 発生地 where Maxwell married his wife Tracey

‘Craig has shown an amazing and 肯定的な 態度 to raise so much money and it was 広大な／多数の／重要な to see so many new 直面するs on the walk.

‘This 大勝する was the one I 手配中の，お尋ね者 to do as I grew up in the area.’

Lunch on day 20 was spent at Tenby RFC, Shanklin’s first club. 優先 No 1 was 乾燥した，日照りのing out before more 決定的な sustenance. The organisation and support for the walk was first class.

The 初期の 計画（する） of walking 27 miles was 削減（する） short in the afternoon as the 天候 made some parts of the 沿岸の path a health and safety 関心 in the 注目する，もくろむs of the organisers.

It was something of a 救済 as the mud got 厚い, the pace slowed, and the chatter の中で the group ? noticeably very high in the morning ? began to quieten 負かす／撃墜する.

At the 最高の，を越す of one 特に 汚い climb and with many of the group out of breath に引き続いて the ascent, it was Maxwell who was the one checking in on the 残り／休憩（する） of the group to see how they were. His 造幣局-green 引き上げ（る）ing jacket was caked in mud after a 宙返り／暴落する. ‘Now it’s 造幣局 chocolate 半導体素子-coloured,’ said Maxwell with a smile, summing up the sort of indefatigable spirit that has seen him 答える／応じる to the worst possible news you can receive by raising more than £1m for charity.

This is an ordinary (ish) man doing truly 驚くべき／特命の／臨時の things that will leave a 継続している 遺産／遺物.

If you will be at the むちの跡s-フラン game or will be watching on television, look out for Maxwell and his children Isla and Zach as they enter the pitch before kick-off.

It 約束s to be a hugely poignant and emotional afternoon for the family.

?Maxwell has raised more £1.2million in total to support the 癌 pathway in むちの跡s. He sat 負かす／撃墜する to talk about his 成果／努力s with me over a pint at the end of a 堅い day walking

‘It’s going to be amazing,’ said Maxwell, after we had been 元気づけるd into Saundersfoot’s 王室の Oak pub at the day’s end. Tired 団体／死体s 崩壊（する）d into the 妨げる／法廷，弁護士業 to be met by 麻薬を吸うing hot tea and coffee, cake, and the 選択 of a celebratory Guinness, lager or cider.

‘Each day as we’ve got closer to the end I’ve 設立する myself getting more and more emotional. That’s what gets me in t he throat and a little bit teary,’ Maxwell 結論するd.

‘One of the main 推論する／理由s I did this walk was because I’m not going to be there in the 未来 to give the messages I want to as my children grow up. But hopefully them seeing their dad do this and 部隊ing people together for one 原因（となる） to really make a difference will show them what 存在 a 役割 model looks like. Hopefully that’s something they can tap into.’

To support MailSport’s fundraising for the Maxwell Family Genomics 基金, go to https://the-maxwell-family-基金.justgiving-場所／位置s.com/fundraising/alex-bywaters-fundraising-page