Author(s): Gregor Paul

Sports Biography

It is well known that Kiwi sporstmen punch well above their weight in many different sporting arenas. What is perhaps less known is that some of them have had to battle extreme adversity to come back and live out their sporting dreams. Hard Men Fight Back is a collection of 17 remarkable stories of New Zealanders who have suffered severely, either through horrendous accidents, life-threatening illnesses or dire misfortune, yet have fought their way back to succeed in their chosen sport. Their courage, determination and tenacity make compelling reading.

Among them are young golfer Bradley Iles, legendary endurance athlete Steve Gurney, charismatic rugby league star Tawera Nikau, and current Highlanders rugby coach Greg Cooper, who was taken home to die from bone cancer as a teenager yet became an All Black by the age of 21. Eamonn DoyleÃÂÃÂÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs conversion from a listless teenager into a national indoor rowing champion is almost too incredible to believe. A horrific motorcycle crash put him in a coma for four weeks and a rehabilitation centre for six months, yet he now wants to crew for Team New Zealand in its 2007 AmericaÃÂÃÂÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Cup bid. Then there is young track athlete Jeffrey Thumath, who was diagnosed with testicular cancer at 17 and has endured chemotherapy and several serious bouts of surgery in the past three years, yet is now focusing on representing New Zealand at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.