In the twinkle of an eye, Israel Folau has accomplished what most
athletes would be happy to achieve in an entire career -- and in his
case he has done it in three sports.
Since bursting onto the
scene in 2007, the Australian has made his considerable presence felt in
not one but three oval-ball codes, weighing in with match-winning
performances in Rugby League, Aussie Rules football and, most recently,
Rugby Union.
Still only 25, Folau is
now reaching his athletic peak and keen for the second half of his
career to be just as successful as the first in which he has become a
try scorer par excellence.
"Everything's going to plan, the way I would have liked it," Folau told CNN's Human to Hero series.
"There's hopefully a long way to go in my career."
Affectionately known as
"Izzy," Folau was born in the Sydney suburb of Minto to parents of
Tongan descent. One of six siblings, Folau recalls being encouraged to
participate in sports from an early age.
"They were a very, very
big part of my career growing up. I think probably all of my
determination and eagerness to want to play professional sport came from
my family."
Folau began his
professional Rugby League career at the age of 17, scoring a record 36
tries for Melbourne Storm in his rookie season.
His raw talent earned him
a call-up to the national squad becoming the youngest-ever player to
represent the Kangeroos -- though his record of 18 years and 194 days
was recently eclipsed by Sione Mata'utia.
The following year, he
rubber-stamped his status as an emerging star with a further 37 tries in
39 games, this time for the Brisbane Broncos.
It was incredible start by any measure, but Folau took it all in his stride.
"I probably realized
when I was maybe 13 years of age that I could make a living out of
playing professional sport and from that time on it was really a goal
for me do that as soon as I can."
Intimidating presence
Weighing in at just over
100 kg (220 lbs) and standing 1.95 m (6'5") tall, Folau is, like his
childhood idol, former New Zealand winger Jonah Lomu, an intimidating
physical presence on the pitch.
A hefty frame allied to
explosive turns of speed make Folau a real handful for opposition
defenses. He is also incredibly agile for a big man, capable of
salmon-like leaps to catch the high ball.
"I get excited when the
ball goes up in the air. I try to always get up there ... I get a buzz
out of it. I am always trying to work at it."
Having excelled at both
club and international levels -- he scored six tries in eight
appearances for the Kangeroos -- Folau inevitably attracted the
attention of Rugby Union scouts.
But rather than making
what has become a routine switch between the 13 and 15-man codes, Folau
opted to take a detour, signing for Australian Football League (AFL)
side, the Greater Western Sydney Giants in 2011.
"There are different
reasons why I wanted to try AFL -- some of them family reasons and
others were more personal ones," he explains of a route taken by only a
handful of Australian Rugby League players in the past.
"I wanted to challenge myself, you know, take myself out of my comfort zone."
His two seasons in AFL didn't hit the heights reached in Rugby League but, as he has admitted in previous interviews, it was extremely rewarding financially.
It wasn't just his bank balance that profited though, his all-round game did too, he says.
"My time in AFL improved
my kicking and, you know, I dropped a lot of weight when I was playing
AFL, so I got to be a lot fitter. It has helped me a lot," he said.
Union star
A comparatively quiet
period in AFL exploded back into life when Folau signed for the Rugby
Union side New South Wales Waratahs for the 2013 season.
Cementing his place at
fullback, Folau impressed with 20 tries in his debut season and he was
drafted into the international squad to face the British and Irish Lions
touring side.
Folau's impact was
immediate as he ran in two tries -- the second a sensational solo effort
that lit up the Brisbane's Suncorp stadium -- earning him the Man of
the Match award.
Folau would end the year
scoring a total of 10 international tries, equaling the Australian
record for a season set by Lote Tuqiri in 2004. To date, he has scored
17 times in 29 appearances.
Show-stopping cameos on
the pitch have inevitably increased his profile off it, but Folau has
remained focused, says former Australia coach, Ewen McKenzie.
"Sometimes success can
get in the way and people get confused, sidetracked and distracted, but
he's just a very consistent operator," McKenzie told The New York Times in August.
"He's difficult to contain. If you can get him in a one-on-one situation, he's going to get you a pretty good outcome.
"He's a pretty big guy,
he's got good skills, and he's pretty measured off the field. He's a
very quiet, humble guy who is always smiling and laughing."
After being voted
Wallabies Rookie of the Year in 2013, Folau was honored again this year,
winning the John Eales Medal -- an annual award given to the best
Australian player of the year.
Folau's talents seem to
ensure that he will be singled out for some time to come, but it's being
part of a team that he enjoys the most.
"It's the best thing
about it. You know, you get to enjoy the ups and downs together as a
team, so you ride the emotions together. For me, I really enjoy the
camaraderie and the things that you form within the team."
With a World Cup in
England to look forward to next year, Folau and his teammates will be
aiming to win the William Webb Ellis trophy for a third time.
Given the Wallabies
recent run of form -- a disappointing five-match tour of Europe in
November yielded just two victories -- that looks unlikely, but whatever
happens Folau won't be taking his foot off the gas as he looks to
continue repaying the sporting debt owed to his family.
"Coming to Australia
from overseas to try and give us an opportunity to make something out of
living in Australia was a huge thing for me so I wanted to probably
give back a bit," he says.
"In a way I wanted to
work hard and play at a professional level to help them out. It's always
been a key part of my success and always will be to the day of my
retirement."
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