Inspriring All Blacks Story: Jonah Lomu

Post by SKY Sport NZ.

First things first: listening to almost any speaking with a New Zealand accent is going to be enticing.


I'll try to give the summary of this amazing individual but I know I'll fail at it.

• Jonah Lomu is the youngest player to ever be on the All Blacks; he was 19 years old when he first started. 

• He was a winger that was 6'5 and on average it took 4 PLAYERS TO TACKLE HIM (we've heard of on average one or two players being drawn in to tackle someone, but FOUR?! That's more than half of your team in sevens!!!!). 

• He has also been used as a prime example of why there are so many issues/inaccuracies with the BMI: his body produced a BMI that would be considered obese.

• In his career, he has scored 15 tries in the IRB Rugby World Cup, NEVER dropped a pass, and NEVER caused a penalty.
   
• He turned down a multimillion dollar contract with the NFL to continue playing rugby

• He's been considered rugby's first global star

• He's also rugby's first millionaire

This is a pretty famous picture of him.....unfortunate for Mike Catt of England who is getting pummeled on the ground.


But where Jonah Lomu's true legacy lies is in his dedication and refusal to ever give up.....even when you have a kidney transplant trying to hold you back.
He was on dialysis for 18 MONTHS, and still was able to score two tries in the 1999 World Cup afterwards. These quotes he said about having to handle his illness and still train with the team show how much he was put through:

"It was like falling off a building and suddenly, bang, you hit the bottom. The first time it happened was on an ordinary day at home. I was taking down some curtains. I took one step, turned around, took another step and then I fell and hit my head hard on the rowing machine."

"I was this guy who'd been racing around down there, on that field in 1999, running straight over people, scoring tries, winning games, having fun. And I ended up so sick I couldn't even run past a little baby."

"I was on dialysis for 18 months before the transplant, so it was important I tried to look ahead to days like my comeback this Saturday. You need those big goals to drive you on."

"When I was playing I felt tired all the time. My recovery period was a lot longer than the other players. They'd be ok after an hour - I'd have to stay in bed till the next session."

"Towards the end of 2003 it was hard to get through training - and the darkest point was when a doctor told me there was a possibility I could end up in a wheelchair." (quotes source)

BUT he continued to come back....again......and AGAIN. He's even played through surgery on a shoulder and a broken ankle. Even when he officially retired from the All Blacks and professional rugby, he has continued to play on random teams in Europe and in many charity events. He's a member of the "Champions for Peace" club that contains 54 famous athletes who "serve peace to the world through sport."

No matter how much the odds are stacked against you, even when your body is telling you that rugby isn't in the cards, sheer will can get you pretty damn far.

"I didn't just turn up on the doorstep playing rugby; I had to go through a whole lot of things to get there."