EXCLUSIVE: CHAMPION CALLS TIME
Injury has forced Parramatta centre Beau Champion to retire after 11 years playing in the NRL.
The 28-year-old tore his ACL against Canterbury in just the second round of the season, but after undergoing four ankle reconstructions and a knee injury, Champion has been left with no other option but to hang up his boots effective immediately.
Ive done injuries to my knee before but nothing of this nature, Champion exclusively revealed to foxsports.com.au.
Walking off, I was trying not to fear the worst but I knew in the back of my mind it was really bad.
I went into the medical room and the physio tested my knee. She looked at the doctor and shook her head and I thought, Thats it, Im done.
A former City Origin and Indigenous All Stars representative, Champion was in his first season playing for the Eels after enjoying stints with South Sydney, Melbourne and the Gold Coast.
Champion spent all but two rounds of season 2014 rehabbing what threatened to be a career-ending wrist injury.
After receiving a one-year lifeline from the Eels, Champion said he had every intention of continuing his career for at least another two seasons and repaying the faith coach Brad Arthur had shown in him.
But after meeting with a surgeon earlier this year, he was convinced now is the right time to retire.
Being hyper-mobile and how unstable my knee was basically forced me into retirement, he said.
Brad gave me an opportunity to go to the Eels and I really wanted to repay the faith hed shown in me.
I trained so hard in the pre-season and trialled well. I was back in a good state of mind mentally and physically where I wanted to be, but unfortunately I copped that injury.
Not one to dwell on the negatives, Champion has been planning for life after football for the last six years.
He made his NRL debut for South Sydney in 2005 and since that time has developed a love for community youth work.
Working as ambassador for Kari, an out-of-home care service for indigenous children, Champion will travel to Europe with the under-16s Indigenous team as a mentor.
He is also in the process of opening an F45 gym in Matraville, which will officially launch next month.
The timing of my injury was unfortunate but its a blessing in disguise, he said.
When I was injured I was struggling to get motivated at the gym and getting bored easily.
Then I started training at F45 and got my love for training back. I enjoyed it so much that I decided to open one of my own, which is really exciting.
