Jonah Lomu
Jonah Lomu
Jonah Tali Lomu, MNZMwas a New Zealand rugby union player. He was the youngest ever All Black when he played his first international in 1994 at the age of 19 years and 45 days. Lomu finished with 63 caps and scored 37 international tries. He has been described as the first true global superstar of rugby union and as having a huge impact on the game. Lomu was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame on 9 October 2007,...
NationalityNew Zealander
ProfessionAthlete
Date of Birth12 May 1975
moving air feet
How do I take a step? How do I lift my foot off the ground, move it through the air a little bit and then bring it down? I had to teach myself to walk again.
tired recovery player
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.
years choices world
It was in 2003 that I realised there was no choice but to have dialysis treatment - by the time of the World Cup that year, I could barely walk. A year later, I finally had a kidney transplant.
fitness opportunity long
It's been a long road back to health and fitness for me. I am just glad to have been given the opportunity to do what I love most.
fields incredibles
The biggest thing for me is just to get out on that field. Just to do that will be incredible.
giving-up looks energy
For me to get through the toughest periods in my life, I had to look within to find the energy to do it. I dont give up. Never have. Never will.
rugby surreal whole-life
Looking back, my whole life seems so surreal. I didnt just turn up on the doorstep playing rugby; I had to go through a whole lot of things to get there.
I was diagnosed with the illness right before the 1995 World Cup.
school taught
I went to a boarding school with a strong Maori tradition, where we were taught all about the haka.
training
For me, I want to get into training and make the squad,
allow challenge critics former looking phil platform prove rugby spent standard time
Where do I start? My former manager, Phil Kingsley-Jones, is Welsh, and I've spent a lot of time in the Principality, and I am looking for a challenge and a platform which will allow me a standard of rugby which will allow me to prove to my critics that I am not some washed-up has-been,
fall home ordinary-days
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.
best fully people
I always say to people that you have never seen the best of me, and that's what I mean - I've never been fully fit.
I was only operating at about 80% of my capacity.