Schalk fights back to earn top award

Schalk Burger

Schalk Burger

Published Apr 16, 2015

Share

Kevin McCallum

SHANGHAI: Schalk Burger wore the broadest of smiles – and his family the happiest of tears – when he was presented with the Comeback of the Year award at the Laureus World Sports Awards last night.

The big, blond flank’s return from life-threatening viral meningitis to pulling on the Springbok jersey again is a tale of miracles and wonders, of a giant of a man so close to death his family were prepared to say goodbye to him. He would celebrate, he said, with a few beers.

“But not too many. I have to play for the Stormers against the Force on Saturday,” smiled Burger, who paid tribute to his family.

“I think this was tougher on the family than it was on me. It was quite scary for everyone. Basically, they got the phone call to say, ‘This is it. Your oldest son is on the way out’. I was newly married with a six-month-old kid.

“It’s crazy how much things change in two years. I don’t think we as humans are programmed to remember the bad things. When I look back now through everything, I tend to pick out the positives. It was a scary time for all of them – my wife, my family and my mates.”

Burger said anger and stubbornness kept him going through the critical time of his illness, when he was kept in isolation in critical care after having gone in to have a cyst near his spinal cord drained. He then picked up a bug in hospital.

“I was fighting for every second of my life. Every heartbeat felt like someone was putting a knife straight into my brain.”

Burger’s next goal is to make the World Cup squad, which would be his fourth time at the tournament, including being a member of the 2007 World Cup-winning squad.

Related Topics: