Out of the Shadows

Rugby league's 'King', as you've never seen him Wally Lewis will forever be known to rugby league fans as 'the King'. He could do what appeared to be impossible on the field and yet, unbeknown to those around him, including his family and closest friends, he managed to perform at the most elite level while hiding a secret. When he finally revealed to a stunned public that he'd been living with epilepsy for years, he did so just prior to undergoing life-saving brain surgery for the neurological disorder. Wally talks of the difficulty he had in facing major surgery and the emotional and physical impact of his deteriorating condition, including a dramatic virtual 'blackout' on air in 2006. Interestingly, Wally dealt with his only daughter's deafness publicly, all the while keeping his own crisis so profoundly private. Following a successful procedure, Wally has gone on to work with epilepsy organisations to raise awareness about the disorder, helping de-stigmatise the condition and inspiring others to live positively with epilepsy. In 2008, he was included in the Australian and Queensland teams of the century during the Centenary Year of the League.