CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — A legendary rugby player has cited the fear and anxiety that has come into his life among the reasons for urging the Australian government to fund support services and education about chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
Wally Lewis, dubbed “The King” when he played rugby league for Queensland state and Australia in the 1980s, made an appeal on behalf of the Concussion and CTE Coalition for millions of dollars in funding during a National Press Club address Tuesday.
The 64-year-old Lewis said he’s living with probable CTE, which he described as a type of dementia associated with repeated concussive and sub-concussive blows to the head.
Lewis, who worked for decades as a television sports anchor after retiring as a player in the early 1990s, relayed his own experience to get his message across.
“The fear is real. I don’t want anyone to have to live with the fear and anxiety that I live with every day, worried about what I’ve forgotten ... the fear of what my future will look like,” Lewis said. “And living with the constant fear and anxiety that I’ll let people down – the people who all my life have been able to rely on me and looked to me for my strength and leadership.”
Chiefs sign coach Andy Reid, GM Brett Veach, team president Mark Donovan to contract extensions
Insights丨 Literature works bridge for communications between China and Brazil: Brazilian professor
Egyptian FM urges restraint after Iranian attack on Israel
Multiple indicators signal upward trend in Chinese economy
Walz appointments give the Minnesota Supreme Court its first female majority in decades
China's homegrown unmanned aircraft takes to sky
Profile: President of Suriname Chandrikapersad Santokhi
Heart attack sees bus driver ram crowd, kill 3 pedestrians
Skubal has 9 strikeouts in 6 innings, Canha and Meadows homer as Tigers beat Rays 7
Beijing bolsters mediation efforts, seeks lasting peace
Australia and Papua New Guinea leaders trek toward WWII South Pacific battleground
Xi Congratulates Felix Tshisekedi on Reelection as DR Congo's President