Sport personality
Wayne Godwin

Profession
Hooker - Bradford Bulls - Rugby League, Super League

Date of Birth
13 Mar 1982

Personal best:
"Champions aren’t made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them- a desire, a dream, a vision." Muhammad Ali

Read more about Muhammad Ali in his autobiography, The Soul of a Butterfly.

Background:
Muhammad Ali is a retired boxer and former three-time World Heavyweight Champion. Ali also won Gold at the 1960 Rome Olympics in the light-heavyweight category. He was famously known for his “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” style of boxing.

Wayne Godwin says:
“I first came across this quote when I was a junior player on the scholarship scheme with my first professional club at about 15 years old. I remember seeing the quote on a poster which hung above the mirrors where we did our weights; a black and white photograph of Muhammad Ali holding up one of his belts with his words underneath. I felt like I identified with it, it made me think about myself and my aspirations, and I believed I had those things that Ali had commented on. I suppose in a way looking back on it, it did inspire me, and I have carried it through my career, with it having an affect on my outlook on life, the decisions I took etc, and helping me maintain my focus about what I wanted to achieve, even when times where testing.

And as for my reading career, well it sparked that off too! I’m not going to pretend to be a book-worm, but when I do grab a moment, I tend to pick up a sports magazine or book. The great thing about reading is that it teaches you things, even if it’s reading autobiographies, non-fiction books, magazines etc. Whether it’s something as simple as providing you with information, giving you an insight into other people’s experiences or just presenting a new way of thinking it’s all important, and as a sportsperson it’s beneficial in helping me to stay one step in front of the competition.”