If the answer is Yes to one of the above then you need to hear the story of Danny Sculthorpe.
Danny Sculthorpe is a former England and Wigan Rugby League player. As a teenager Danny was the captain of England Schoolboys and signed professional terms with Leeds rugby league club when after a serious knee injury led to him contracting type 1 diabetes. At the time no player with type 1 diabetes had gone on to play professional rugby.
The effects of Danny’s diabetes and his struggle to control it led to him dropping out of rugby league and becoming a labourer in sheet metal working and then in plastering. He was able to go back into rugby for lower league team Rochdale Hornets and after finding ways to manage his weight and build his fitness Danny started to prove he could play at the highest level.
In 2001 Danny was picked up by Superleague club Wigan Warriors and went on to make 300 Superleague appearances as well as representing Lancashire and England.
It was during pre season training with Bradford Bulls in 2009 that Danny suffered the injury that would end his career. The combination of a chronic back injury and Danny’s diabetes caused complications that resulted in major surgery which effectively ended Danny’s ability to continue as a rugby career. The devastating impact of this injury led to Danny being in hospital for 8 weeks and then unable to move more than a few steps at a time. Unable to support his family they lost their home and with the stress of the situation Danny sank into depression and was even contemplating taking his own life. It was the support of his family that helped Danny get control of his situation and begin to rebuild his life
Since leaving rugby league Danny has become a speaker in mental health and dealing with stress and has spoken to audiences all over Europe including a talk to 3000 psychiatrists at the Excel arena in London. Danny brings his honesty and character to every talk that he delivers and has been incredibly successful in delivering a powerful and memorable message that audience members will take away with them.
