Thomas Mikaele's eye condition nearly ended his career. Credit: Warrington Wolves

Auckland-born rugby league footballer of Samoan descent Thomas Mikaele was diagnosed with keratoconus at 21 years old. Speaking to NRL, the Warrington Wolves prop said at the end of his first year in the English Super League, parts of his game were affected by the condition, but he didn’t think he had eye problems beyond needing glasses or contact lenses. “I couldn't see about 15 metres in front of me, so a ball coming to me was hard to catch at times, or seeing something happening further up the field. It wasn't just in footy, but normal life too.”

After his first year in the top league, Mikaele’s club’s head of performance suggested he see a specialist, which was when he discovered he had keratoconus. “I’ve got some special contact lenses now to help me see 20/20 like the rest of you. I’ve had no issues seeing when I’ve had them in.”