If Buxton Popoali'i needs some reassurance as he waits on the sidelines for future surgery and recovery over heart issues, he needs only to look at the performance of Robbie Fruean for inspiration.
Fruean's impressive try against former Crusader team-mates must have obliterated any concerns people had of his return to Super rugby after undergoing heart surgery not once, but twice to replace a valve.
His form was impressive with solid tackles, speed, and the ability to bump and swerve his way down the sideline. He didn't shy away from contact and was hungry to get involved in the game.
Perhaps the wait for surgery and the road to recovery, which can be lengthy, boring and ultimately frustrating, has its benefits in terms of increasing enthusiasm and passion for being actively engaged and physically expressive.
My intention is not to make light of the heart problems people have, and Popoali'i and Fruean have had conditions they've been aware of for some time. Perhaps playing sport and being active was never taken for granted by these men who understand how precious their hearts and active bodies are.
It's great to see that sometimes the human spirit can adapt to and at times surpass the body's limitations. Both men have had reality checks during their sporting careers which will make them reassess their goals and motives in life and sport.
Fruean has decided to continue with his rugby career, and it seems Popoali'i will have to make that choice, too, post-surgery. Others have been forced to retire from their sporting careers due to heart problems.
For many of us, we don't know how one of the most important organs in our body is coping with the stress we put it under because the mantra ''no pain no gain'' has been ingrained in us. Puffing, feeling our heart beat frantically against our chest, and perspiring profusely are signs we are working in the zone! We are led to believe that physical activity and exercise will make our hearts stronger and thus us healthier, but that doesn't seem to be the case at the extremes.
Research conducted in 2006 suggests that intense athletic training can change the structure of the heart and that these changes can be similar to those of certain heart diseases. Research from the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation found that most of the elite athletes it studied experienced arrhythmia (fast irregular heart rhythm) and bradyarrhythmias (slow heart rhythm).
New Zealand athletes known to encounter heart problems of a similar nature include Hamish Carter, Rob Waddell, and Hayden Roulston. You don't even need to be an endurance athlete to have these symptoms as prior to the 2002 Women's Rugby World Cup campaign many of the players were diagnosed with arrhythmia.
What this suggests is that moderate aerobic exercise has huge health and life expectancy advantages but pumping massive volumes of blood around the body for lengthy periods of time, or expecting the heart to perform at its extreme limits on a regular basis, can cause damage to the heart.
Heart chambers can be over-stretched, walls can be thickened and electrical signalling can become erratic. But would that knowledge stop elite athletes from pursuing their dreams? Does knowing they have heart conditions reduce the desire to play rugby at an elite level for Popoali'i and Fruean? It doesn't appear so.
I know of two women who continue to play rugby and rugby league with diagnosed heart conditions. They are aware of the risks but they also know what they love - and that is being physical, pushing their bodies (and ultimately their hearts) to the limit, and enjoying the other benefits that come with sport. Who are we to judge where their priorities and aspirations lie?
For some their commitment is seen as foolish and for others it is brave. Ultimately our bodies break down to the point where no matter how strong our conviction and mental fortitude its component parts just won't co-operate. Some, like Brad Thorn, seem to manage that negotiation between body, mind and spirit better than others and that should be applauded.
We are a long time retired and spend a lifetime reminiscing, so all the best to the likes of Fruean and Popoali'i with their future aspirations (be it in sport or not), and hats off to athletes who put up with a lot of pain and strain to achieve their goals. As long as athletes are well-informed, manage their wellbeing wisely, and ''listen'' to their bodies and what they're able to deal with, can we expect anything more?
