NRL fans rally around Sam Thaiday after Broncos legend goes public with awful news
NRL fans are praising Sam Thaiday for his bravery after the Brisbane Broncos legend revealed on national TV on Tuesday night that he once contemplated suicide. The Broncos and Queensland Maroons icon is one of a number of Aussie sporing stars on this year's season of 'I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here'.
On Tuesday night's episode, the celebs were asked about why they'd decided to enter the jungle and the charities they'd chosen for the potential prize-money to go to. The 39-year-old spoke bravely about wanting to help the 'Find Your Feet' charity because of how it had helped him.
Thaiday, who played 304 games for the Broncos as well as 29 State of Origin games for Queensland and 32 Test matches for Australia, said he could have benefited from such a charity when he was younger. 'My charity is called Find Your Feet. It's run by a guy named Tommy Herschel,' he told the other celebs.
'He goes into schools and helps young boys, and he gives them a safe place to share their feelings and talk about how they're feeling. I sat in on one of his sessions and to hear how brave some of these young boys were in opening up and sharing their stories about what was going on in their lives.'
Thaiday made the heartbreaking admission that he contemplated suicide when he was a teenager. 'As a 13-year-old boy, I wanted to take my own life, and I wish I had someone like Tommy around to let me know that it was okay to talk about my feelings. As a young kid, I really struggled to find my place.
'I found myself too white to be black and too black to be white, and didn't know where I fit in. And if I had someone like Tommy Herschel in my life as a young kid, maybe I would have shared a lot of these stories a lot earlier in my life.
'He's a bit of a one-man band at the moment, and I just thought he needed help. So that's why I'm in here. And hopefully even, like, I don't even have to win it, I just want to raise some awareness for him, I want people talking about it.'
Learn more about our celeb's chosen charities here: https://t.co/GwcHMYgXlb#ImACelebrityAU | Watch on @Channel10AU and 10 Play pic.twitter.com/Mwqt1ELpU6
— #ImACelebrityAU (@ImACelebrityAU) January 28, 2025
Thaiday first spoke about his mental health demons back in 2020, but Tuesday night brought it to the attention of a national audience on TV. Fans took to social media to praise his bravery and rallied around the beloved NRL legend.
One person wrote: "Never had much knowledge about Sam Thaiday...After tonight, I freakin love him. What a legend of a bloke." Another wrote: "Sam Thaiday is such a lovely person. He is my pick to win ...I'm a celebrity get me out of here." While a third commented: "I'm warming to Sam Thaiday. What a lovely bloke."
#ImACelebrityAU Sam Thaiday CharityPlease donate todayhttps://t.co/hL1K8mmLmc
— AUNT TRACE HANSHAW (@HanshawTracey) January 28, 2025
How good is Sam Thaiday on #ImACelebrityAU
— dubzz2228 (@dubzz2228) January 25, 2025
Absolute legend.
— Jen Lee 🇺🇦🇺🇦 (@jenleeren) January 22, 2025
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Thaiday first spoke about his troubles in 2020 and revealed how therapy helped him. 'I had bottled up my feelings for so long not knowing how to express them," he said. "I told her (the therapist) my story and I left that session somewhat motivated to tell people my story. Hopefully by getting my story out I can encourage people to speak up.
'I still have moments now where I second guess myself. Self doubt is the loudest voice in your head. That kind of was an ongoing thing throughout my whole life. I want to learn and grow and get better to make that the quietest voice in side my head. I see myself right now as being a little bit lost and lonely at times."
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