By Josh Heslop
Jonah Lomu has spoken out for the first time since his latest health scare.
The former All Black has decided to pull out of Fight For Life as a competitor, due to continuing battles with his kidney transplant.
He is facing kidney failure again, just seven years after his life-saving transplant.
“The thing with kidney transplants is that there is no guarantee. It can happen at any time. It just happened at a time I didn’t want it,” he says.
Lomu and his wife and manager Nadine made the decision to quit the boxing match three weeks ago, after another stint in hospital.
While he’s disappointed not to be competing, he is realistic about the complications of his condition.
“This is part and parcel of my life. It’s something I’ve got to deal with, something I’ve constantly got to deal with,” Lomu says.
But that’s not stopping him from being involved in the charity. He has signed up for ambassador for Fight For Life instead, which will see top league stars matched up with union players in the ring.
Lomu will play a key role in the promotion of the event and the publicity of its chosen charity, the New Zealand Prostate Foundation.
“That means he’ll be turning up from time to time in the media around the country promoting Fight For Life and also the fact that mean over 40 should get in to see a doctor,” says event organiser Dean Lonergan.
“If there’s one person who can tell you to look after your body and see the next time around, it’s me,” says Lomu.
He was quick to downplay any suggestion that training for the event put a strain on his health. Lomu is now on the waiting list for a fresh kidney – which can take up to three years on a public list.
So he’s not fighting, but Lomu is happy to be a cheerleader for the cause.
3 News