Queensland rugby league icon Wally Lewis has urged the federal government to boost funding for dementia and brain‑injury research, speaking candidly about the daily challenges of living with a degenerative condition that has reshaped his life.
Known as The King, the former Maroons captain built a three‑decade career defined by toughness and brilliance, collecting a record eight Man of the Match honours in State of Origin and leading Queensland’s dominance over New South Wales throughout the 1980s and 90s.
Now 65, Lewis stepped away from his role as a sports presenter last year after revealing he had been diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a progressive brain disease linked to repeated head impacts.
