Ignoring adversity for sport | Taranaki Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Taranaki

After years of actively playing sport through severe abdominal pain, local man Neil Bosson (31) has overcome difficult odds and is once again competing in this year's Taranaki Masters Games.

Neil's troubles started more than 10 years ago and his GP put his pain down to a floating rib.

Eight years after his initial diagnosis, Neil was competing in a volleyball tournament when he dropped to the ground and was rushed to hospital.

He was found to have a ruptured kidney, which had to be removed, an inevitable fate after years of having his kidney trouble undiagnosed.

For a man who had played everything, from cricket and basketball, to soccer and rugby, through pain, it seemed an unfair punishment but he was determined not to let one missing organ keep him down.

"I knew I would be OK if I took it easy. I wanted to be back into everything within six months...which seemed achievable," said Neil.

Neil was only completely out of action for 10 days and found it excruciating to walk, but not long after was back into light activity.

By early 2006, Neil was more than prepared to test how far his body had come and decided to try his hand at the Taranaki Masters Games.

"Some mates and I decided it would be fun to enter a team in the volleyball. We have been playing together for years and had become quite competitive so we thought 'Why not give it a go?'"

After successfully competing in the 2006 event, Neil is back in form for the 2007 games which start on Friday, March 16.

He has also entered in the indoor rowing, an event he has never tried before!

"I am really looking forward to the games. It is a good opportunity to test yourself against some good competition. I'm not sure how the rowing will go, I've never even sat on one of the machines before but it will be good for a bit of entertainment!" he said.