"Ellis Genge" - 5 inspiring rugby union players who live with disabilities
Rugby NewsFriday, 04 August 2023 at 20:55
From the iconic All Blacks winger Jonah Lomu to the present England captain Ellis Genge, this article delves into the inspiring stories of several rugby players who triumphed over disabilities to accomplish remarkable feats in the sport they hold dear.
These inspiring achievers pursued their dreams and achieved so much!
RUGBY PLAYERS WITH DISABILITIES:
1. Ian Mckinley - Blindness
It’s now roughly eight years since the accident that led to Ian McKinley losing the sight in his left eye.
In a freak accident, a stray boot from a fellow teammate perforated his left eye while playing a club match in 2010 for University College Dublin, leaving him partially blind in that eye.
The injury would be a career-ending one for 99.9% of professional athletes but not for McKinley.
2. Henry Slade - Type 1 Diabetes
Slade signed his first professional contract with Exeter Chiefs at the age of 18, the same year in which he also developed type 1 diabetes.
Under the 2010 Equality Act, type 1 diabetes is defined as a disability, in that it may have a 'substantial, long-term, negative impact on a person's ability to carry out normal, day-to-day activities'.
3. Jonah Lomu - Nephrotic syndrome
He was diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome, a serious kidney disorder in 1995, and the disease had a significant impact on his playing career and wider life.
By 2003 he was on dialysis and in 2004 underwent a kidney transplant. He then attempted a comeback but did not play international rugby again, and retired from professional rugby in 2007.
He died unexpectedly on 18 November 2015 after suffering a heart attack associated with his kidney condition.
4. Jodie Ounsley - Deaf
When Ounsley was born profoundly deaf after being two months premature her parents were told she would struggle speaking, struggle with education and struggle getting a job.
But how the Exeter star has proven those predictions wrong.
can hear sound thanks to a cochlear implant which she had fitted when she was just 14 months old. Incredibly it's a moment that was captured on camera.
She says, "It was so crazy to watch me as a young girl in a silent world and then suddenly a switch and I'm hearing the sounds around me, I'm hearing my mum and dad speak to me.
"Even though I was so young at the time, just imagining that moment was a bit surreal to be honest."
Her scrum cap protects the implant while she plays but mishaps can happen like when her batteries died mid-game.
She says, "I didn't want to stop because it looked like we were going to score so I thought I'm just going to hang in there.
"Literally thought just use your eyes right now. And then the ball popped to me and I just thought oh god.
"So I sprinted, scored but then I thought have I actually scored because I can't hear the whistle right now so I was in just a complete panic."
5. Ellis Genge - Dyspraxia
The superstar Bristol and England prop is thriving.
Dyspraxia affects the use of muscles. Different types of dyspraxia can affect writing, speech and other movements involved in learning.
Forever inspiring us, Genge has gone onto help kids going through the same struggles he did as a teenager.
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