Pair finish first day of Children In Need challenge

Yorkshire fundraiser Lindsey Burrow and BBC Look North's Amy Garcia have finished the first day of their 30-mile three-legged walking challenge across the region for BBC 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, rugby league legend Rob Burrow, and Amy completed the first day of the challenge having walked from Castleford to Selby.

Speaking afterwards, Lindsey said the turnout in Selby was "phenomenal", adding: "Thanks to everyone who turned out to support us."

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.

Ahead of the challenge, Lindsey told BBC Radio Leeds she was "excited and nervous", but "raring to go".

"BBC 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."

Speaking after the pair reached Selby on Thursday night, Amy said it had been a "tough 12 hours" but there had been a "fantastic response".

She added: "Lindsey is brilliant company. She's the strongest woman I've ever met, so she's the perfect person to be tied to and she hasn't whinged once."

Earlier, Amy had urged people along the route to turn out and cheer them 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."

The second day of the challenge, on Friday, will see the pair set off from Barnsley at 08:00 GMT and walk to the Forget Me Not Children's Hospice in Huddersfield.

They are due to go via High Hoyland, Clayton West, Emley, Flockton, Grange Moor, Kirkheaton and Colne Bridge.

They are due to arrive at the hospice at about 18:30 GMT.

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.

This is not the programme's first three-legged challenge, with BBC 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 BBC Look North studio sofa across the county - covering 50 locations in total.

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.