Daniel offers healthy advice
Conn uses experience to help others in life
WHEN Daniel Conn suffered a career-ending injury, the importance of defining himself with a new journey wasn’t lost on him.
The forward’s NRL time was cut short in 2011 when he was just 25 years of age.
“I had to get my neck fused and it just wasn’t worth coming back with the risk, so I let that one go and went and found a different pathway,” he recalled.
“I just went into a tackle the wrong way and got a bad knock, a burner. I played for a couple of weeks and the side effects got too bad.
“Then I finally got an MRI and it turns out the disc had actually toothpasted down the spinal column a bit so I was in ICU (the intensive care unit) pretty quick and got the news the following week that the risk was far greater than the reward.”
So from being a professional rugby league player with 59 first grade games to his name, Conn turned to focusing on physical and mental wellbeing.
He was well known as the Australian face of fitness franchise F45; now among his roles are being an ambassador for Body Science.
“It’s just practising and preaching a healthy lifestyle,” Conn said.
“It’s not just about taking supplements; it’s more about the lifestyle that comes with it. You don’t have to be an athlete but you can always think like an athlete.”
Conn also is associated with Adidas and Samsung, has worked with the Collective Wellness Group and has an online business with his partner Ellice Whichello.
The 33-year-old said the wellness field had always been a passion of his.
“Mental health has been a massive part of my upbringing and my family so it’s something that I enjoy talking about and sharing with people and hearing their stories and that is sort of integrated into health and fitness and a healthy lifestyle,” Conn said.