Jayden Broome is one of the most inspiring young rugby players you'll come across. A proud Gore local who spent his childhood with a rugby ball in his hands with a dream to become a professional rugby player. He was doing everything he could to reach that dream and everything was tracking that way. He captained all Southland age grade sides before leading New Zealand Māori Schoolboys to a historic victory over New Zealand Schools and even earned a preseason opportunity with his beloved Southland Stags.
Then one moment changed everything for Jayden. After falling from a roof at a flat, Jayden suffered a traumatic brain injury that left him fighting for his life. He was placed in an induced coma, spent months in hospital and was ultimately forced to make the heartbreaking decision to walk away from the game he loved.
Despite everything he's been through, Jayden's outlook on life, positivity and determination to keep moving forward is what makes this episode so special.
Some parts that stood out for me in this episode were…
- Walking 40 minutes to school and back every day and how that shaped him
- Writing down his rugby goals as a teenager and dreaming of one day becoming an All Black
- Getting his opportunity with the Southland Stags and realising he was good enough to compete at that level
- The night of the accident and the reality of waking up after weeks in a coma
- Learning just how close he came to losing his life
- Coming to terms with the fact he would never play rugby again
- Why he chose life over rugby and the powerful message he now wants to share with others
- What his plans are in the future and how he wants to stay in the game
This is a story about much more than rugby. It's about resilience, perspective, gratitude and finding purpose when the path you thought you were on suddenly disappears. Jayden's maturity, positivity and self-awareness at such a young age make this one of the most powerful conversations we've had on the podcast.