sport news Footy legend Wally Lewis opens up on CTE hell that has left him with a life of ... trends now
Queensland rugby league legend Wally Lewis has called on the federal government to allocate more funding towards dementia and brain injury research after revealing the stark realities of living with a debilitating disorder.
The former Maroons captain, dubbed 'The King', spent three decades honing an elite sporting career that saw him win a record eight Man of the Match awards at State of Origin level, spearheading Queensland's dominance over NSW during the 1980s and 90s.
The 68-year-old announced his shock retirement as a sports presenter last year, after revealing he was suffering from the effects of a neurodegenerative condition known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE.
He detailed the profound effects of his early onset dementia diagnosis in a moving speech to the National Press Club in Canberra on Tuesday.
'I once had the confidence in myself to succeed – lead my team to victory, captain my country, remember the strengths and weaknesses of my opposition, organise myself and feel in control of my life,' Lewis said.
Rugby league legend Wally Lewis has called on the federal government to pour more funding towards dementia and brain injury research after revealing the stark realities of living with a debilitating brain disorder
Lewis is suffering from the effects of a neurodegenerative condition known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE (Wally Lewis is pictured playing for Queensland in 1990)
'Now, much of that confidence has been taken away from me by the effects of probable CTE dementia.
'My everyday life is no longer blessed by confidence in my daily activities.
'Now, I struggle to accept that it has been filled with fear and embarrassment about how forgetful I've become.'
CTE is the progressive degenerative disease most commonly found in people who have suffered repeated concussions and traumatic head injuries.
The disease is most commonly
