In this deeply emotional episode, former All Black halfback Steve Devine opens like never before about the physical and mental toll of his rugby career.
After enduring around 40 concussions in his career with Auckland and the All Blacks, Steve ended up in some disturbingly low places: bedridden, depressed, and contemplating the unthinkable.
These days Steve channels his experience into helping others, both as a firefighter and as an advocate for better brain injury management in sport.
Some of the stuff we cover here includes:
The brutal injury list from his professional rugby career, from 12 ankle surgeries to broken bones and relentless concussions.
The devastating impact his health had on his marriage and family life.
His transition into the New Zealand Fire Service, the trauma that comes with the job, and his advocacy for better mental health support for first responders.
His reflections on mental resilience, vulnerability, and why men need to get better at asking for help.
Then there are some cool old rugby yarns, including the bollocking he got from Eddie Jones as a young player and memories of playing with legends like Sir Michael Jones, Jonah Lomu, Andrew Mehrtens, and Richie McCaw, and what he learned from each.
This is an incredibly emotional episode from one of the real good guys.
*****
Massive thanks to my long-term podcast sponsors, Generate.
Generate is an award-winning KiwiSaver provider with a track record of delivering strong long-term returns for their clients- you can see their latest returns for yourself on their website.
I became a client when they came on board as the show sponsor and it’s been a gamechanger for me personally- I’m kicking myself for not doing it years earlier.
You can book a no obligation chat with one of their awesome KiwiSaver advisers at generatekiwisaver.co.nz/dom
The issuer of the scheme is Generate Investment Management Limited. To see their Product disclosure statement see generatekiwisaver.co.nz/pds
Past performance does not guarantee future returns.
And just a reminder — I’m a podcast host, not a financial adviser, so this is just general advice. I recommend getting expert advice before making any financial decisions.
","author_name":"Dom Harvey"}