Former Springbok rugby player, Ashwin Willemse, launched his autobiography at Montecasino on 28 September. The book, entitled, Rugby Changed my World: The Ashwin Willemse Story, recounts Willemse’s journey from a troubled childhood to the popular TV personality he is today.
In the novel the former winger delves into the details of his life from his earliest memories, including when his father abandoned him when he was only two years old. Willemse revealed how this had destructive consequences. “I became associated with gangsters and with drugs. As a teenager, I tried to commit suicide. I wanted to stop living. My father’s actions had a lot to do with how lost I felt,” he said.
The novel includes a tense moment of confrontation as Willemse is finally able to meet his father. “I think it was a moment of self discovery – I was confronted by my reality and not the reality I had created in my imagination. I finally had closure,” revealed Willemse.
Willemse is currently a rugby analyst, an international motivational speaker and an entrepreneur. He attributes his success largely to rugby.
The novel will be on the shelves from 2 October.
