Just two years ago, rugby union star Todd McManus seemed the epitome of physical health.
But his rugby journey was tragically cut short after the center fell ill at the age of 23.
McManus was born in Darwin and had a promising future in the sport.
After excelling as a junior player, he would be scouted by the ACT Brumbies in 2017 and join their development team.
The center would later join the Queanbeyan Whites and work his way up the ranks before helping the club’s first team win a premiership title in 2022.
Speaking in an interview with NT newsMcManus claimed that the achievement was something that “no one can ever take away from me.”
The center showed off his ripped physique as he posed for a photo with some of his teammates online after winning the premiership.
But during a visit to his partner Courtney Tamati’s family in Queensland, things took a turn.
The rugby player was taken to hospital with severe stomach pains, but after undergoing tests doctors told McManus he had a stomach flu and there was nothing to worry about.
‘I woke up abruptly with 10/10 stomach pain. I ended up curled up in a ball on the floor and groaning in pain. I was rushed to hospital to be discharged with ‘severe gastrointestinal complaints,’” McManus wrote on social media.
Promising rugby player Todd McManus (left) was the epitome of physical health several years ago
McManus (right) was taken to hospital with abdominal pain, but was told by doctors that he had ‘severe gastrointestinal complaints’
A year passed, but the avid rugby fan still suffered from symptoms. He was constantly tired and his love for the sport began to wane. He added that he became uninterested in many things in life.
“I was referred to a gastroenterologist and had surgery to get a good look,” he said.
‘I was sitting in the waiting room to be discharged when my surgeon entered the room and took me to a more private room. ‘He told me that they had found a 2 cm tumor, removed it and sent it for examination.
‘Three stressful weeks later, I was sitting with my partner Courtney and heard the words ‘Todd, you have cancer.’
Life would soon change for the Darwin resident, who subsequently moved back home after being diagnosed with cancer.
“Hearing that was another shock to the system, but something I had to deal with,” he said. “That was this trip, it was just forever bad news.”
He was 23 years old when he started his treatment, with the rugby player undergoing abdominal surgery a month after his diagnosis.
It was later discovered that he had stage 3 cancer that had spread to his lymph nodes.
“Hearing that was another shock to the system, but something I had to deal with,” he said.
“That was this trip, it was just forever bad news.”
But at the age of 23, his life was turned upside down after he was diagnosed with colon cancer
Looking back on undergoing his first round of chemotherapy, McManus claimed he felt like he had “woken out of a coma.”
The now 24-year-old recounted the horrific side effects, saying he couldn’t even drink a sip of water without feeling like there were ‘razor blades’ in his throat. He added that the feeling made him cry, which he said felt like having “razor blades in my eyes.”
“The medication also left me with constipation and diarrhea, which was just a cruel twist after numerous major stomach surgeries,” he said.
But McManus also revealed to the newspaper the effect it had on his mental health, claiming he was ‘too scared to leave the house’ and didn’t recognize himself.
“I had gone from being quite a confident young man who played football and was always in the gym, and people often complimented me on my figure,” he said.
“Going from that to being too afraid to go to the store, too anxious to go anywhere, was so hard personally.”
In December 2023, he took to Instagram to thank everyone who had supported him during his treatment, posting a photo of himself ringing the doorbell.
“WE CELEBRATE VICTORY,” he wrote on the social media platform. “Completed six rounds of IV chemotherapy. I still have to get through this and then 2 more rounds of chemo tablets, but this is certainly a milestone worth celebrating.
‘It’s been almost six months since I heard the words ‘you have cancer’. Since then there has been nothing but bad news and setbacks. I’m finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel and today it just got a little brighter.
McManus spoke out about the side effects of chemotherapy, claiming that drinking water felt like a razor blade was cutting his throat
“Thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way,” he added, with a “heart emoji.”
His mother and partner supported him through his treatment, while Courtney, his partner, moved to Darwin to support him.
“Family was really important to me in getting through it, and I know how hard it is to have someone in your life go through this,” he said. “They mean more to me than they will ever understand.”
After six months and six rounds of intravenous chemotherapy, McManus posted a photo online that rang a bell on Instagram in December 2023
He captioned the image, thanking everyone who supported him along the way
McManus said he couldn’t have made it through without the support of his family, posting a photo of his girlfriend and mother
Having beaten the disease, McManus now has a new outlook on life and has raised almost $20,000 for colon cancer research.
Cancer Australia estimates that 9.3 percent of all new cancer diagnoses are related to colon cancer.
They add that more than 15,000 people were diagnosed with the disease in 2023.
“I am proud of the man who put me through this ordeal,” he said.
However, McManus says he is determined to get back on the rugby field.
‘There’s nothing like playing sports, competing and giving your best on the field in front of your friends. I can’t wait until I’m fit enough to go out again.’
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