Stapleton; originally from Deepwater, scored 17 tries in his NRL career spanning over 63 games, including a four try game vs the New Zealand Warriors.
Former Cronulla Sharks player Nathan Stapleton recently shared a profound and deeply personal account of the spinal cord injury that changed his life, the battle for survival, and his ongoing journey as a quadriplegic father and farm manager.
Appearing on the ‘Chats from the Chair’ podcast, Stapleton spoke with host Nick Dempsey about their shared experience of being athletes before accidents left them both with quads, offering an intimate look at the immense physical and emotional shifts in his world.
An Early NRL Career and a Fateful Final Game
Stapleton began his story by tracing his path from the Gold Coast’s The Southport School to joining the Cronulla Sharks at age 17. He described the whirl-wind of moving to Sydney to play under then-Australian coach Ricky Stuart, seizing the opportunity with both hands.
“I didn’t want to go down and not take the opportunity that arose,” he shared, acknowledging the privilege of starting his journey at such a young age.
After a 15-year professional career that ended due to prior injuries, including knee reconstructions, Stapleton found himself on a farm working with his brother-in-law. It was a seemingly ordinary day that led to the extraordinary change. Following years of talk, he agreed to play just “one game” for the Boorowa Goldies vs West Wyalong.
“I remember throwing a cut-out ball… he dropped it and I just sort of dived on the loose ball,” Stapleton recalled. In the ensuing ruck, his head got stuck in the wrong position. The next thing he knew, he woke up in the hospital after being “pronounced dead for 16 minutes.”
The injury was high-level, between C2 and C4, leaving him permanently reliant on a ventilator to breathe and speak.
A Life Saved by a Forgotten Uniform
Stapleton’s survival hinged on a moment of sheer coincidence and the quick thinking of a nurse named Louise. She was at the game, but her only reason for coming out of the change rooms was because her husband had just dropped off her forgotten nursing uniform.
“Luckily, she was there on the day; otherwise, it would have been a very different story,” Stapleton stated. He remembers her confusion because he was “on all fours,” not lying down, which is typical of spinal injuries. It wasn’t until he uttered, “I can’t breathe,” that she realised the severity of the situation.
Louise and others performed CPR for over an hour while waiting for the ambulance and a rescue chopper, a testament to the community’s efforts that day.
Stapleton confirmed that he holds no ill will towards the players involved in the tackle, stating, “Sometimes stuff happens, you can’t control it, I don’t blame them at all.” He maintains a close, grateful relationship with Louise today.
A Confusing Reality and Family Motivation
Emerging from surgery, Stapleton described the period as a “misty fog.” He could hear his wife at the times voice—”Nath, Nath, I’m here, I’m here”—but couldn’t make sense of his surroundings. Doctors asking him to move his arm led to profound confusion. “I honestly thought I was moving it. I was that confused,” he admitted. “Trying to connect the dots was in-sane.”
At the time of the injury, his wife was seven months pregnant with their second son. This reality served as a powerful source of motivation.
“It was more around this is a crap situation, it’s not just happened to me, it’s happened to us, it’s happened to us as a family, and I used that as motivation that I needed to get through this for our boys.”
The hospitals worked together to ensure he was stable enough to be present for the birth of his second son, Angus. Recalling the moment Angus lay on his chest, he said, “It makes it all worthwhile because at the end of the day, dad is still dad isn’t he?”
Finding Purpose in Work and Manhood
Stapleton’s greatest frustration lies in the loss of his physical capabilities, having built his life as a professional athlete, a carpenter, and a hands-on farm worker.
“To have your whole world taken off you… It feels like your whole life has been stripped away from you,” he confessed. However, he has found a new sense of purpose by returning to work on the farm in a managerial capacity.
Relying on a roster of five male support workers who have become “new mates,” Stapleton coordinates the work and continues to enjoy the land. He does the “managing side of things,” and while watching others do the physical work he once loved is difficult, the support network keeps things moving.
He also addressed the stigma men often face in asking for help. “It’s a masculine thing, everyone thinks it’s not being masculine though… It takes a bigger man to ask, like, hey listen, I’m struggling, I need help with this,” he wisely noted.
His two young sons have adapted remarkably to their father’s chair, knowing no different. “They’ve been incredible… That’s Dad. It’s all pretty normal to them,” he said. They see him as their intellectual guide, with Stapleton cherishing the ability to still read them bedtime stories and “teach them things” through his mind. “I still get to be a dad,” he concluded.
For anyone newly coming to terms with a similar injury, Stapleton’s advice is to abandon the self pity and focus on simple steps.
“One day at a time. Just take it one day at a time.” He stresses the importance of controlling your “own thermostat,” focusing on the positives, and enjoying every single moment, because “you might not get another one.”
– Tully Potts
The South West Slopes Times covers an area approximately the size of Fiji in country NSW. We look after a population of more than 50,000 people with our staff servicing 7 major towns and dozens of villages with our story telling footprint.
We offer weekly print editions at $3 a copy and we also offer digital subscriptions across 3 months $30, 6 months $60 and 12 months $120.
We are one of the last truly local independent family run newspaper businesses in the state.
Contact us today to find out how we can promote your business or organisation across our huge network by emailing ads@thetimes.net.au or by calling 0413 763 216.
If you have a news tip, lead or scoop for us please make contact as we love celebrating our communities. You can contribute articles via our South West Slopes Times website.