ALL BLACKS HERO
THE ALL BLACK’S PERSONALLY INDEBTED TO THE FLYING DOCTORS SERVICE
Sam Whitelock’s crusade for kids
As his four-year-old son Fred and two-year-old daughter Iris fearlessly chase bumblebees in the backyard during a family bach getaway, All Black lock Sam Whitelock says he loves nothing more than watching his children grow. Milestone birthdays are particularly special, with Sam, who is an ambassador for NZ Flying Doctors, relishing celebrating Iris’ first birthday during lockdown.
“We couldn’t have the traditional first birthday party, but we put her under a feijoa tree and she sat there for three hours and ate probably 100 feijoas,” Sam, 32, tells. “It wasn’t too much fun when it all came through the other side! But it was cool to see her do what she wanted as a one-year-old.”
Such moments are part of the treasured memories the Crusaders star, his wife Hannah, their four-year-old son Fred and Iris created during the pause from rugby commitments brought on by Covid-19. And it couldn’t have been more fun for the children, who were handed control of daily activities.
“It was nice to wake up and ask them, ‘What do you want to do today?’ and do whatever they said, rather than living a busy life. There were different pressures going on, but it was so nice to have that family time.”
While Sam’s now back in action with rugby, he’s continuing to enjoy parenting milestones.
“They’ve got their own little personalities now and they know how to wind each other up – and push the right buttons
with their parents! It’s pretty cool when you see them smile for the first time or roll, crawl and walk.
“They’ve learned to say their names and ‘I love you’. Every stage has different challenges, but they always have this ability to make me laugh straightaway.”
While being an All Black comes with immense pressure, Sam says the beauty of fatherhood is that Fred and Iris couldn’t care less about how he’s performed on the field.
“Kids don’t care how your day’s been – they just want to see you and think the world of you regardless. It’s awesome knowing that whatever’s happened at work, they’re always happy to see me. They just want time and fun with me.”
“Bee!” Fred chimes in, interrupting the interview while attempting to pick up his prize.
“Leave the bee. Go see Mum!” Sam urges, before Hannah steps in.
It’s Hannah who Sam credits for holding down the fort while he’s away with the All Blacks. The couple met at Lincoln University in Christchurch in 2008 and have been married for five years.
“It’s challenging because before Covid, I was away up to 150 days a year, which is hard on any partner. I know my wife enjoys actually having adult conversations sometimes rather than baby talk about going down the slide! So it’s important to have a support network to keep Hannah’s mental side engaged.
“She’ll go see friends or have a playdate, which is more for the parents at times! But that’s the best thing for me being away – knowing Hannah’s getting that mental stimulation rather than feeling like she’s looking after the kids the whole time.”
Sam then “pulls my weight” with parenting duties as soon as he returns.
The gift of being a dad to two healthy kids, especially given how much time he typically spends travelling, Sam’s comforted knowing there’s a service like NZ Flying Doctors if an emergency ever arises while he’s touring.
It was only around two months after he became an ambassador for the service when he truly witnessed its value, thanks to a friend whose premature baby was born 10 weeks early.
“They were on holiday in a rural town, miles from support, so were flown from Nelson to Christchurch. The difference between mum and baby taking a one-hour flight versus dad driving five or six hours was a game-changer.”
Another pal welcomed a son who needed specialist care, so was flown from Palmerston North to Auckland. “He’s doing really good now because they got there quickly. Going via road would’ve taken six hours.
“Without the service there could have been major implications. And the doctors reassured my friends their babies were under the best care, which eased some stress. That’s important because when parents are under stress, it gets passed onto the kids.”
Sam points out that any
Kiwi could one day face a loved one needing the service, which operates 24/7, providing critical-care patient transfer services between hospitals.
That can include flying patients to medical appointments such as cancer treatments.
As for his friends’ babies,
Sam tells they’re thriving. “Every parent wants to be able to take their baby home after giving birth, so thanks to that support, they were able to get the care they needed. When people see a rescue helicopter, they don’t realise what’s going on in the sky. There are so many patients being moved around the country. It blew my mind!”
‘Kids don’t care how your day’s been – they just want time and fun with me’