Warrior Joost fought to the end
Springbok star was as brave on the field as he was tackling his illness
The lingering image of Joost van der Westhuizen is of him throwing himself at the feet of a rampaging Jonah Lomu in the 1995 World Cup final at Ellis Park to fell the behemoth at a time when others had not. He faced up to the physical threat Lomu posed with courage and single-mindedness. It was the same way he approached life after he was diagnosed with motor neuron disease (MND) in 2011. Van der Westhuizen did not shy away from his condition and instead embraced the challenge of trying to find a solution while also raising awareness for other sufferers of the disease through his J9 Foundation. Both players are now gone‚ but neither will be forgotten as much for their rugby exploits as for their courage and humility in the face of terminal illness. Ultimately Van der Westhuizen lost the war against MND when he died on Monday surrounded by family and friends‚ but he won many battles along the way. He was 45 and leaves two children‚ Jordan, 13, and Kylie, 10‚ as well as his father Gus...
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