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OUR LIFE Daley Manu: Making an impact on and off the field Daley Manu has achieved his dream. In fact, he’s achieved a number of them. So now he’s helping others reach theirs. The 34-year-old plays rugby league for Whutupōro Rīki Whaikaha o Aotearoa – Physical Disability Rugby League NZ (PDRLNZ). He’s also a graphic designer, owns a clothing label, runs a non-profit organisation, has worked as a mentor in youth justice, and he’s a loving husband and committed father. When the Tokoroa resident, who was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was an infant, stumbled across rugby league footage of a game between New Zealand and Australia, it prompted him to reach out to the New Zealand team, which was followed by an invitation to join them for training. Daley has gone on to represent New Zealand and the Cook Islands but says the highlight of his career so far was attending the inaugural Physical Disability Rugby League World Cup, in the UK in 2022. “We would come off second best with a silver medal. But we left our mark on the world, and I got to etch my name in the sporting history books by scoring the first try of the first tournament.” Daley says rugby league has opened many doors for him, Daley is smashing goals and dreams in numerous areas of life. “I like my sports, swimming, boxing and biking. I even do triathlon and swimming events.” Nikayla first got the “adventuring buzz” when her family started 4-wheel driving when she was around nine years old. “I still love anything like that, and every opportunity I get to do it, I take it.” Nikayla says she is very proud of everything that she has done – “from going to my first concert, to skydiving, and everything in between”. She is especially proud of being able to have a voice for people with disabilities and is encouraging Cerebral Palsy Society members to get out there and get into some adventuring. “Give it a chance, or a good try, because you never know until you give it a go. Feel the fear and do it anyway.” She says she is blessed with a group of friends, and her “very awesome caregiver”, who all have a “mindset like me”. “We always try to find something different to do.” The full version of this article was published in The Review Jan–Apr 2023 . “which I would never have had without taking that first step into the unknown”. Playing league helped him overcome anxieties and depression and he has a “massive amount of pride” for what the sport has helped him achieve. “But nothing will ever top coming off the field, or home from the World Cup, and hearing my son say ‘wow, that’s my daddy’.” The full version of this article was published in The Review May–Aug 2023 . 2022-2023 ANNUAL IMPACT REPORT | 17