Lewis King was “proud and shocked” to be the inaugural winner of wheelchair rugby league’s Wheels of Metal award.
The London Roosters winger was a World Cup winner with England final yr.
“Once they known as out my identify and performed the spotlight reel, it made me suppose again to once I first acquired into the game,” the 38-year-old advised BBC Sport.
“It makes me fairly emotional generally as a result of I acquired into this sport as a part of my rehabilitation going by means of a traumatic life-changing harm.”
King picked up his trophy on the Rugby League Awards Night time in Manchester on Tuesday, alongside the 2023 Steve Prescott MBE Man of Metal, Wigan Warriors again Bevan French, and York Valkyrie hooker Sinead Peach, the 2023 Lady of Metal.
“If you go into one thing for a little bit of enjoyable after which it seems you’re choosing up awards like this alongside folks that I watch on tv means absolutely the world to me, to obtain this alongside folks and athletes like that,” he added.
King, who’s from Dartford, beat London Roosters team-mate Joe Coyd, Halifax Panthers man Sebastian Bechara and Leeds Rhinos participant Josh Butler to the award.
“To be nominated was completely superb alongside my England team-mates and gamers I compete in opposition to in Tremendous League,” King added.
“I satisfied myself that it was in all probability going to be one of many different gamers since you all the time see their performances and the way nice they’ve performed reasonably than how effectively you might have performed your self.
“To really seize the award and be the primary individual to get the official Wheels of Metal trophy. I’m over the moon and so proud.”
Tom Coyd, King’s coach for each London Roosters and England, was named the Wheelchair Coach of the Yr.
Nonetheless, the Roosters’ season got here to an finish on the weekend after they have been overwhelmed 43-34 by Wigan Warriors of their Wheelchair Tremendous League semi-final on the the College of East London.
The Warriors will face Leeds Rhinos for the title on the Nationwide Basketball Efficiency Centre in Manchester on Sunday.
‘We are able to promote out Previous Trafford’
King, who was paralysed in 2009 after struggling a blood clot on his backbone, says is is “grateful” to be taking part in wheelchair rugby league at a time when the game is rising.
A world file crowd of 4,526 watched England win the world title by beating France 28-24 in November final yr in Manchester.
“I bear in mind once I first began taking part in eight or 9 years in the past we would play a recreation and there could be 9 or 10 folks there – somebody’s mum and pa, brother or sister and that was it,” King stated.
“To get to the purpose the place we’re taking part in a World Cup last in entrance of 5,000 folks at a sold-out Manchester Central – and I believe it was roughly 1.3 million folks watching it on the telly – and to be on that journey with the game that it’s on now, I’m so grateful to be part of that.
“However that’s what helps develop the game and why folks love the Wheelchair Rugby World Cup – it was a nail-biting recreation that everybody acquired gripped to.
“Lots of people I spoke to, rugby league followers, completely fell in love with the wheelchair recreation.”
In the meantime, King expects Manufactured from Metal, a brand new BBC Storyville documentary on the rivalry between the England and France wheelchair sides to spice up curiosity within the recreation.
He additionally met HRH the Princess of Wales earlier this month when she visited Hull to participate in a apply session as a part of her position as patron of the Rugby Soccer League.
“I hope gamers that observe on, the younger youngsters rising up now, watch us profitable these awards, Manufactured from Metal and the video games we’re taking part in and get into it,” King stated.
“I look ahead to the place the sport goes sooner or later. I really feel we are able to promote out Previous Trafford in 10 years’ time, if we put a wheelchair rugby league pitch within the center.
“That is what I might wish to see – though perhaps I might be retired by then.”
