Luke, a former professional rugby league player, has a very compelling maximization to share. Along with his athletic achievements, he leverages a deep passion for fantasy literature. He played for the Canberra Raiders in the National Rugby League (NRL) from 2015 to 2019. In doing so, he reached meteoric heights of fame and success and self-medicated through difficulties with addiction, depression and personal relationships, finding reprieve in the world’s greatest novels.
As the son of a former National Party politician, growing up on a pastoral station in western Queensland, Luke grew up steeped in the mythic bush masculinity. Surrounded by hard country men, many of whom were raised by similar figures, he learned early on the values of resilience and strength. It was something other than physical power that he was looking for in the pages of the stories that he read. Luke’s earliest recollection of purchasing a book comes from when he was just six years old—when he went to his elementary school’s book fair. That first purchase was the start of a decades-long love affair with all things literary, but especially the world of fantasy.
During his time as a professional athlete, Luke found himself retreating into the world of fantasy novels during away games. It started with him hiding out in the bathroom for 30 minutes at a time. There, he completely immersed himself in tales that whisked him miles away from the stressors of his job. This secret reading habit grew into something greater than a hobby. It quickly evolved into an essential outlet to deal with his tough experiences within the NRL.
Luke took home hundreds of thousands of dollars annually, drove a new car off the lot every two months, and resided in a mansion to boot. All of this external success, he fought terrible internal demons. For three years during that period, from 2018 to 2021, he was afflicted by a deep depression compounded by a self-destructive gambling addiction. Expectations and an emerging fame took a toll. He floundered and chaffed in the dark, but the soul of his man was determined to find the light.
In 2021, after finally coming to terms with his circumstances, Luke decided to check himself into an addiction rehabilitation clinic. This life-altering choice was the beginning of a key inflection point in his life. As he coped with these new challenges, the fantasy worlds that he had always loved provided him with solace and inspiration. The characters inside those stories stuck with him and inspired him, giving him role models that taught him the lessons necessary to recover with hope and artistic passion.
As Luke started to piece together his life again, he found himself diving deep into the BookTok community, particularly on social media platforms like TikTok. This platform opened him up to find and share with others who love dragons, magic and making up stories as much as he does. Connecting with other readers gave him a greater feeling of connection and motivation which he said made all the difference in his healing journey.
Luke would much rather look back at the bygone days of his youth. He carries a picture on his cell phone of himself in a cowboy suit to remind him where he came from and the monsters he’s slayed. This piece captures his origins perfectly. It reflects the wonder and happiness he found in storytelling as a little boy.
