Jonah Lomu is a sportsman that has defied all the odds to become a living legend.
Jonah came to fame from humble origins, of Tongan parentage raised in Mangere, one of the poorer areas of Auckland, to become arguably New Zealand’s most famous sportsman. He had a serious kidney illness, Nephrotic Syndrome, which affected him when he should have been at the peak of his playing powers and eventually he had to undergo dialysis treatment which brought his career to a premature halt.
Considering that for most of his playing days Lomu was under a severe health handicap it is really remarkable that he achieved so much. His illness has also made it a little more understandable that very often Jonah struggled to get anywhere near the exalted heights he reached in his two glory seasons of 1995 and 1999. But in each of those Lomu was sensational, with a physical presence no one has ever quite managed before or since.
At his best, which was when he first burst onto the New Zealand rugby scene as an 18-year old in 1994 and then in the two World Cup tournaments, Lomu was virtually unstoppable. Standing 1.96m (about 6ft 5in) and weighing up to 120kgs (between 18 and 19 stones), Lomu in top physical condition could run 100 metres in around 11 seconds. Given space and room he was a nightmare for much smaller defenders and the image of him trampling over England's Mike Catt in the 1995 World Cup semifinal will be one which persists through the next few decades.
In 2003 at the International Rugby Players Association's awards ceremony Lomu was presented with a Special Merit Award. IRPA gave Lomu the rare honour - only two players, Jason Leonard and John Eales, have previously received it - for his contribution to the international game.
The award was presented by one of Jonah’s heroes French great Serge Blanco. Jonah said he was extremely humbled to be given such an honour and added that it meant even more to him coming through recognition from his fellow players.
In June 2005, Jonah made an incredible return from his kidney illness, leading an invitational XV in Martin Johnson's testimonial match, only to be put back on the treatment table by breaking a collarbone in the first half of the game. Jonah was to put this setback behind him though, and in
November 2005 Jonah joined the Cardiff Blues on a 6-month contract. Jonah subsequently played for Marseille but has since retired from professional Rugby.
In 2011 Jonah Lomu took part in the British TV programme ‘Famous and Fearless’ and is New Zealand’s ambassador for the Rugby World Cup. Jonah Lomu will be appearing in an educational video as part of a nationwide Transplantation Campaign throughout 2011 and 2012 helping people who have received an organ transplant to keep their organ in the best possible condition and helping them to maintain a full and active life for as long as possible
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