Sam Lane is one of NZs very best hockey players and an absolute lad! He is 100+ gamer for the New Zealand Black Sticks, two-time Olympian, captain and full-time financial advisor… somehow all at once. His journey is one of the most unbelievable combinations of talent, tragedy, resilience and pure Kiwi grit you’ll hear.

This episode has everything — the brutal reality of playing for a national team with almost no funding, a run of injuries that would end most careers, the inspirational comeback to make the Paris Olympics, and the heartbreaking loss of his mum during the biggest years of his life.

In this episode, Sam opens up on:

- How NZ Hockey lost 60% of its funding overnight

- How humble the Black Sticks set up is with players literally having to take unpaid leave to represent their country

- The injury setbacks he's had including his knee exploding and his foot collapsing

- The emotional toll of losing his mum to cancer

- His partner Greta's horrific accident after being hit by a car

- The challenge to be available for the Paris Olympics

- What it’s really like playing in the Indian Hockey League

- And the mindset that’s kept him going through it all

He’s humble, tough, honest and one incredibly inspiring lad. I know you'll enjoy this one with the great kiwi Sam Lane!

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Freedom Vaha'akaolo’s story is one of the wildest and most emotional you’ll ever hear. He is one incredibly talented rugby player who certainly didn't take the typical pathway.

From the age of just 11 years old he was homeless, eating from trash cans, and learning how to survive. Years later, he was scoring tries for Otago using his speed and power which earned him a spot with the Highlanders.

During that time he was involved in a cruel catfish scam almost ended it all.

In this episode, Freedom opens up about:

- What made a kid with two loving parent want to be homeless

- What life was like on the streets as a young teenager

- The impact that moving to 7 new schools had on him

- His identity struggle coming from mixed heritage and the impact that had.

- How he made NZ schools in basically his first year of rugby

- His pathway into professional rugby and the challenges involved.

- How an online relationship turned into a disaster being catfished,

- And how he’s rebuilt himself through faith, therapy, and sport again.

It’s raw. It’s real. It’s one of the most powerful stories ever shared on What a Lad and that is no exaggeration. Let me know what you thought about it in the comments👇

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Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens is one of the most electric players in New Zealand rugby!

A proud Taranaki man, who went from Blues prospect to a Highlanders star as his story takes a wild turn when a routine game left him with a fractured neck!

What followed is a powerful story of perspective, gratitude, and rediscovering his love for the game. Jacob’s honesty and maturity in this chat is incredible and the way he speaks about identity, family and resilience is seriously inspiring.

Some parts that stood out for me were..

• Growing up in Taranaki with his Fijian/Dutch heritage

• Breaking into Super Rugby straight out of school

• Losing the love for rugby and finding it again in Dunedin

• The incredible story of playing on with a broken neck

• How close he was to being paralysed

• The mindset shift that changed everything

• Life beyond rugby — content creation, purpose and gratitude

And heaps more

Jacob is genuine, humble and wise beyond his years. He's a real talent and someone I believe will have a massive future in the game. I'm sure you will enjoy this one!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.