Supporting the NHS and training in the garden – what sports stars did on Tuesday

Sports stars and clubs across the world continue to help their local communities – plus find new ways to amuse themselves – during the coronavirus pandemic.

Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the best examples from April 7.

Swimming

Olympic champion Adam Peaty will swap the swimming pool for a bike when he goes on a 100-kilometre ride to raise money for NHS charities on Wednesday. It will be done in the comfort of his home as he cycles ‘through’ London via Zwift.

F1

The Mercedes team will start delivering 10,000 breathing aids to the NHS after developing a new design with University College Hospitals.

Football

Former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry sent a message of support to Norwich Under-23s player Shae Hutchinson. The 19-year-old, who has yet to make his first-team debut, needs a second kidney transplant after his first round of surgery did not work.

While Liverpool’s James Milner and Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois both honed their ball skills in the garden.

Tennis

A very smartly-dressed Roger Federer showed off more of his home training drills and encouraged fans to reply with videos of them trying it out.

Jordanne Whiley, who won bronze at the 2012 and 2016 Paralympics, went through a workout routine at home with tennis on an enforced break.

Whiley is a four-time Wimbledon wheelchair doubles champion and won the US Open in 2015.

Cricket

Durham pace bowler Chris Rushworth has been eyeing up a May 1 half-marathon for charity but is preparing to do it in his garden.

Rushworth has pledged to run the 13 miles on May 1 for The Solan Connor Fawcett Family Cancer Trust, who are providing food and care for families dealing with cancer in the North East amid the coronavirus outbreak and beyond.

Rushworth has been using his hour of daily exercise to prepare for the run, but has acknowledged that he might be forced to put in the miles in his back garden should the government place further restrictions on outdoor activities.

“It’s always nice to raise money, but to raise awareness of the impact that coronavirus will have on the NHS and their patients in the long term is important,” he said.

“Hopefully at the moment it will be around the streets and parks where I live. If restrictions are in place then I’ll have to do it in my back garden!

“Someone did the maths and said it was 952 laps of the garden, so that will be interesting. It’s for a worthy cause and there are a lot of people in a worse position than I am running around the back garden.”

Boxing

Fury, wife Paris and their five children were pictured on Instagram, with the message ‘Stay home and help’.

Athletics

Double Paralympic champion Richard Whitehead demonstrated his balancing skills as he continues to train at home.

Darts

And, finally, 16-time world champion Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor tried to find some humour in getting ready to go shopping during the lockdown.