Rugby from a young age was the biggest part of my life. From around the age of 10 I found a passion for the sport. Week in week out I developed my skills with an old ball, a pair of boots and some friends. As I aged, my ability started to develop, and I was getting noticed. At 16 I was asked to play for college, where I lifted 2 trophies. I entered my senior year with Cardiff and started to edge my career into the U20 development squad. You’d think that playing rugby for 10 years I’d be confident, resilient, and full of belief. However, these were constant struggles within my career. Always holding me back. The final nail to my career was a spine injury which abruptly ended my career and left 10 years of hard work completely over.
I dropped out of university and spent a whole year spinning my thumbs. This time showed me how complex emotions are and how vulnerable I was at the time,
After this time, of ups and downs I found myself applying for a job as a HCSW in an operating department. Nervous was an understatement. I wasn’t confident at all, I never thought I’d even make it passed the interview stage. Fortunately, I was accepted, and my NHS career started.
“Rhys, I think you’d be a brilliant ODP, hurry up and do your training”
Looking back at my insecurities for years, these were words I’d never thought would be told to me in such an environment. The compliments to my determination to learn, my work ethic, my compassion to patients, my energy for the role, my ability to remain calm and collected in stressful situations. After 4 years in the operating department, I decided to move down a different path. I used the skills I’d learned, and the confidence I’d gained to step into the entrepreneurial world.
It didn’t get off to the best start, leaving a stable job to fall into a lockdown due to covid wasn’t my idea of trying to financially support a relocation with no income and no business experience, but I did manage to sustain this for around 6 months. As business picked up and I invested heavily into a business mentorship. Little did I know it was time for my second life 360. I was diagnosed with Bowel Disease. After unknowingly suffering for months, the truth finally hit after a colonoscopy. I felt like all I’d worked to get over, to move forward with my career and fill the void of my rugby career. This diagnosis regressed my person to my previous self and more. Thousands of pounds down the drain, no business, no health. I moved back home to my parents and entered this cycle again.
(Crohn’s & Colitis UK, n.d.)
After another long period trying to manage my condition, after years of fighting to sustain a business and manage my disease. I made the decision to step away from personal training and revisit my career into healthcare. After another year in theatre, I decided to apply for Operating Department Practice to be a student here in Swansea which, thankfully I was successful.
Life has a way of putting the right opportunities in front of us when we’re ready to receive them. For me, that opportunity was the Student Leadership Academy. It was there that I was introduced to the concept of Emotional Intelligence (EI) — and it changed everything. The Penny dropped that throughout the years of struggle, setbacks and very large hurdles. I was unknowingly working on a lot of the traits of EI. Learning about emotional intelligence opened a new world for me. I realised that true strength wasn’t about bottling up emotions or pushing through pain silently. True strength was about self-awareness, empathy, resilience, and managing emotions. What I had been building in the background for what felt like years had finally made sense. The lessons in leadership and emotional intelligence didn’t just help me personally — they transformed my business, my relationships, and my outlook on life.
Following this into my 2nd year as an ODP student, I had the privilege to present the EI workshop alongside a colleague of mine within the Student Leadership Academy at Swansea. Which was something I’d never had thought of I’d be capable of doing prior to the experience gained from this conference. Not only did the opportunities previously help me manage my emotions, but it also solidified my beliefs that despite all the setbacks, deep down I had the potential within me to truly feel success.
IBD is still a part of my life, but it no longer defines me. Anxiety still shows up from time to time, but now I have the tools to manage it. Confidence isn’t about the absence of fear; it’s about moving forward even when fear is present.
Today, I’m proud to say I live with more authenticity and courage than I ever thought possible. My journey — from rugby player to ODP, business owner, emotional intelligence advocate and EI Leadership taught me that every chapter, even the painful ones, builds the foundation for the next.
Rhys Evans – 2nd Year ODP Student
References
Crohn’s & Colitis UK. (n.d.). Www.crohnsandcolitis.org.uk. https://crohnsandcolitis.org.uk
Swansea University Student Leadership Academy 