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Stories of injury and overcoming inspire Albies students

October 17, 2006

Luke Fahy and Ben DarwinTwo former professional athletes who were put out of their sports by neck injuries gave inspiring talks at St Albert's College's annual sports dinner last week.

Ex-professional wrestler Luke Fahy and former Wallaby prop Ben Darwin described their journeys to the top of their sports, their injuries and their subsequent recoveries.

Armidale-born Luke Fahy was only the second Australian to be accepted into the Shawn Michaels Wrestling Academy, a professional wrestling school run in conjunction with the World Wrestling Federation (now World Wrestling Entertainment) in San Antonio, Texas.

“I never really thought it would happen,” he said, “but I thought I may as well chase the dream.”

Mr Fahy had been with the Texas Wrestling Alliance for just a short time when he injured himself during a training accident.

“I was performing a hip toss – a move I'd done about a thousand times before – but instead of landing on my back I landed on my neck.”

He returned to Armidale where he embarked on a highly successful career in real estate, winning the Real Estate Institute of NSW's Award for Excellence in Residential Sales and coming runner up for the Real Estate Institute of Australia's Salesperson of the Year award in 2006.

“Real estate's been good to me,” he said.

His message to St Albert's students was: “Don't take no for an answer. Anything is possible. There's only one way up from rock bottom and set goals.”

Ben Darwin played 28 games for the Wallabies, including the 2001 and 2002 Tri Nations Series and the 2003 World Cup. His greatest test would come, however, when he suffered a prolapsed disk in his neck during a scrum collapse in a game against the All Blacks in 2003. The injury ended his football career and forced him to reevaluate what was important in his life.

“Despite when something goes wrong, horribly wrong, you have to look at the good side of it,” Mr Darwin said. “I don't have any regrets. I got to have a wonderful experience. I travelled all over the world doing something I loved.”

“The thing is, no matter what you do the actual craft you have is not that important. The friends you make and your family, those are the important things and rugby is just something you do.”

Mr Darwin's girlfriend, Rebecca Trethowan, also spoke briefly at the dinner. Ms Trethowan plays breakaway for the Wallaroos Australian Womens Rugby Team.

The master of St Albert's College, Geoff Johnston, said the speakers were very well received.

“It was a great night,” he said. “We had two very good speakers who gave our students an insight into what happens when disaster strikes and how they reevaluated their lives as a result.”

For more information contact Leon Braun (UNE Public Relations) on (02) 6773 3771. A photo is available to accompany this story.

Posted by Leon Braun at October 17, 2006 03:22 PM