Lewis King 'shocked' to win first Wheels of Steel award
- Published
Lewis King (left) received rugby league's Wheels of Steel award from former Great Britain legend Ellery Hanley
Lewis King was "proud and shocked" to be the inaugural winner of wheelchair rugby league's Wheels of Steel award.
The London Roosters winger was a World Cup winner with England last year.
"When they called out my name and played the highlight reel, it made me think back to when I first got into the sport," the 38-year-old told BBC Sport.
"It makes me quite emotional sometimes because I got into this sport as part of my rehabilitation going through a traumatic life-changing injury."
King picked up his trophy at the Rugby League Awards Night in Manchester on Tuesday, alongside the 2023 Steve Prescott MBE Man of Steel, Wigan Warriors back Bevan French, and York Valkyrie hooker Sinead Peach, the 2023 Woman of Steel.
"When you go into something for a bit of fun and then it turns out you are picking up awards like this alongside people that I watch on television means the absolute world to me, to receive this alongside people and athletes like that," he added.
King, who is from Dartford, beat London Roosters team-mate Joe Coyd, Halifax Panthers man Sebastian Bechara and Leeds Rhinos player Josh Butler to the award.
"To be nominated was absolutely amazing alongside my England team-mates and players I compete against in Super League," King added.
"I convinced myself that it was probably going to be one of the other players because you always see their performances and how great they have played rather than how well you have played yourself.
"To actually grab the award and be the first person to get the official Wheels of Steel trophy. I am over the moon and so proud."
Tom Coyd, King's coach for both London Roosters and England, was named the Wheelchair Coach of the Year.
However, the Roosters' season came to an end at the weekend when they were beaten 43-34 by Wigan Warriors in their Wheelchair Super League semi-final at the the University of East London.
The Warriors will face Leeds Rhinos for the title at the National Basketball Performance Centre in Manchester on Sunday.
'We can sell out Old Trafford'
King says finding wheelchair rugby league in 2016 gave him a new lease of life, and he made his England debut in 2019
King, who was paralysed in 2009 after suffering a blood clot on his spine, says is is "grateful" to be playing wheelchair rugby league at a time when the sport is growing.
A world record crowd of 4,526 watched England win the world title by beating France 28-24 in November last year in Manchester.
"I remember when I first started playing eight or nine years ago we'd play a game and there would be nine or 10 people there - someone's mum and dad, brother or sister and that was it," King said.
"To get to the point where we are playing a World Cup final in front of 5,000 people at a sold-out Manchester Central - and I think it was roughly 1.3 million people watching it on the telly - and to be on that journey with the sport that it is on now, I am so grateful to be a part of that.
"But that is what helps grow the sport and why people love the Wheelchair Rugby World Cup - it was a nail-biting game that everyone got gripped to.
"A lot of people I spoke to, rugby league fans, absolutely fell in love with the wheelchair game."
Meanwhile, King expects Made of Steel, a new BBC Storyville documentary on the rivalry between the England and France wheelchair sides to boost interest in the game.
He also met HRH the Princess of Wales earlier this month when she visited Hull to take part in a practice session as part of her role as patron of the Rugby Football League.
"I hope players that follow on, the young kids growing up now, watch us winning these awards, Made of Steel and the games we are playing and get into it," King said.
"I look forward to where the game is going in the future. I feel we can sell out Old Trafford in 10 years' time, if we put a wheelchair rugby league pitch in the middle.
"That's what I'd like to see - although maybe I'd be retired by then."
King and fellow England international Tom Halliwell (centre) presented the Princess of Wales with rugby league shirts for her children George, Charlotte and Louis during her visit to an RFL event in Hull on 5 October