Sonny Bill Williams

Book excerpt: In this powerful, open and honest memoir, sporting champion Sonny Bill Williams shares the triumphs and missteps of his extraordinary sporting life and reveals how faith and family have made him the man he is today. Unforgettable and inspiring. 'compelling and open-hearted' Donald McRae, Guardian 'Excellent' David Walsh, Sunday Times 'an athlete like no other...complex and interesting.' Weekend Australian 'full of hard truths that sporting teams, sportspeople and fans can learn from.' Sun-Herald Sonny Bill Williams (SBW) is a once in a hundred-year athlete with immense sporting talent in Rugby League, Rugby Union and Boxing. Sonny Bill has built an incredible career and sporting reputation across the globe. His athleticism has taken him from inner-city Auckland, where he grew up, to the highest sporting moments in Twickenham, Eden Park and Sydney's Olympic Stadium. But there is so much more to Sonny Bill Williams' life and journey than his on-field and in-the-ring triumphs. Sonny Bill's love of family, his faith, his skill and performance throughout his unparalleled sporting career, his ability to unite a team under pressure, his grace in owning his mistakes, the challenges of leaving home as a young man and dealing with a negative culture and the temptations that followed, and his courage in speaking out for the vulnerable and calling out injustice are all aspects of an inspiring life story. Sonny Bill Williams was the first Muslim to play for the All Blacks. Driven by a fierce moral compass, Sonny Bill thoughtfully and authentically uses his standing and platform as both a UNICEF Ambassador and an elite sportsperson to speak out on political issues that confront the world today and to benefit those struggling in life. He is a dedicated family man, devoted to his faith, committed to his teammates, respectful of his fans and aware that the path he has taken can inspire and empower others. He is especially focused on opening up opportunities for his Pasifika brothers and sisters and for people of colour. Writing with Alan Duff, award-winning author of Once Were Warriors, this is a must-read memoir for anyone who loves sport and an inspiring story of faith, family and the power of daring to dream.