It’s five years since Doddie Weir was told by his doctor that he had motor neurone disease and his life changed forever.
Five years since the former Scotland stalwart, who was once described as “a mad giraffe” by his fellow Borderer, Bill McLaren, had to reassess all his priorities and switch direction with the same speed and power of positive thinking which he had once displayed on the rugby pitch.
In the intervening period, Weir has won the hearts of supporters around the world, celebrated his 50th birthday, helped pledge close to £10m for MND research, and, whatever his difficulties with mobility, has been a shining light and the inspiration for myriad charity initiatives, including golf challenges, charity cycle rides, sponsored walks and runs.
But behind the scenes, and though he is one of the most irrepressible characters you could ever meet, he has never had any illusions about tackling what is a debilitating, unpredictable and incurable disease.
Weir is a natural optimist, somebody blessed with a down-to-earth pawky humour and an ability to find laughs in the grimmest of situations. But, as his new book Doddie’s Diary reveals, his condition is growing worse and his determination to find a cure for those and others like him is ever more urgent.
He said: “You have to be honest with yourself. My self-belief – something which I have never lacked – isn’t what it was.
“Walking has become an effort and dangerous; my balance just isn’t there. it seems that the least wee thing knocks my stability or highlights the lack of it.
“And, something I notice more when I hear myself back again, is that my speech isn’t as strong or as clear.
‘There is no beating it’
“I knew this would eventually happen. We’ve given this condition a run for its money or at least I think so. But it is catching me up and I see the changes.
“Whereas before, I was always able to soldier on, I now see that I tire, show fatigue, and start to falter more often. The condition is utterly relentless. There is no beating it – but I’m not beaten yet.”
Back in the 1990s, trips to meet this fellow either in Melrose or after he had signed up with Newcastle Falcons were always a delight. He was in his element at The Greenyards, prior to the launch of professionalism, but after moving to Kingston Park on Tyneside, I visited him in the late 1990s and Weir was like a kid with a free pass to Disneyworld.
He darted around the clubhouse and later told me: “When I was down there, we had the likes of George Graham, Pat Lam, Dean Ryan and Peter Walton in our pack and, when you looked at our backs, they were different class.
“There was Gary Armstrong at No 9, Rob Andrew at stand-off and some youngster called Jonny Wilkinson hot on his heels, with the likes of Alan Tait, Va’aiga Tuigamala and Tony Underwood waiting to do their stuff out wide.
“It was fantastic and I’ve kept in touch with these lads. That is one of the great things about rugby. It’s a family and that has been borne out by how people have come together to help me in recent years. The friendships which were formed 30 or 40 years ago will never be broken.”
Although the Scot isn’t inclined to play party politics in his fight for greater funding in the quest for new treatments, one senses he is increasingly fed up with those who only talk a good game.
‘I’ve asked the question before’
He said: “The 110,000 signatures on the petition that the Foundation and I began meant that we had the issue debated in parliament. But the real test is whether we see the £50m over the next five years that we’ve requested for development and research come to fruition.
“[The] Government could, if they had the compulsion and the compassion, write that figure off with a stroke of the Chancellor’s pen. But, as yet, while there have been platitudes and knowing nods, there has been no cash.
“Unfortunately, time is running out for a great many and, sadly, it already has for others. A sum of £50m against what has been spent to secure a vaccine during the Covid pandemic. Why hasn’t it been forthcoming?
“I’ve asked the question before. It’s worth asking it again.”
But, despite his frustration, Doddie’s Diary isn’t a gloomy book. Whatever his own issues, he can derive comfort and joy from others, including the recent news about Lucy Lintott, the Moray woman who was diagnosed with MND when she was still a teenager.
Weir’s entry for September 1 2021 reads: “What catches my attention today is a link to a story about Lucy. Against all odds, she fell pregnant and gave birth to a baby boy in February last year. Her obstetrician said then they didn’t expect to see her back again. Oh, how wrong they were.
“For the Sunday Post reports that Lucy, now 27, is expecting again, this time a baby girl. I am delighted for Lucy and her partner, Tommy, and the happiness and positivity which this news will have brought them.”
He has always been one of the good guys and Doddie Weir is still defying the odds with the attitude: “I’ll beat this”. And whatever happens in the future, he’s not going down without an almighty scrap.
Doddie’s Diary is published by Black & White.
