Former All Black inspires kids to find voice

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In the midst of the Rugby World Cup finals, former All Black Royce Willis was surprisingly unfazed about who would win the cup. Instead, he focussed his attention on a group of youngsters who suffer from the same thing he does – a stutter.
Willis, who made five appearances in the 1999 Rugby World Cup, met with a group of boys aged seven to nine currently receiving speech language therapy from the Stuttering Treatment and Research Trust (START), the country’s only centre that specialises in treating stuttering.
Willis hopes talking to the boys helps them realise having a stutter is not “the end of the world”. “I know having a stutter can really rock your confidence, especially when you are so young. But I also know that having a stutter does not have to hold you back from achieving your dreams,” he says.
“Having a stutter can be extremely embarrassing, so I just want these kids to know that they are in good hands with START and that they shouldn’t let their difficulties with speaking stop them from doing the things they love,” says Willis who is one of four high profile ambassadors supporting START.
Others are Principal Youth Court Judge Andrew Becroft, parenting expert and founder of Parents Inc Ian Grant, and union secretary Matt McCarten.
The boys’ meeting with the former All Black over an ice cream at Auckland’s Wynyard Quarter was part of the annual international campaign to raise awareness of the benefits of early intervention for stuttering.
More than 68 million people worldwide stutter, making about one per cent of the population. In NZ, over 40,000 Kiwis are affected.
START chairman Nigel Whiteman says Willis’ support “makes a significant difference in raising awareness about the stuttering”. “It’s great he has been able to connect with these young people as his story is so inspiring. He didn’t let having a stutter hold him back from pursuing his passion for rugby,” he says.
Whiteman says it is vital for families of stuttering kids to seek help sooner than later. “We know early treatment makes a difference as to whether a stutter persists into adulthood. Many parents are confused about what to do when their child starts stuttering, and getting good information early is a vital part of dealing with the issue effectively,” he says.
As for one of the boys who met Willis, it seems a little dream came true. All he talked about the next day, his mum told START, was his chat with the former All Black.

PHOTO CAPTION: Former All Black Royce Willis taught the boys (from left) Mitchell Orchard, Alexander Godward, Ben  Taylor, Ryan James and William Missen that they are not alone with their stutter.