MORE than any other man in the Wallabies squad, Nathan Charles has walked the toughest road.

He still remains the only person in the world who suffers cystic fibrosis yet has a professional career in a contact sport.

He still has to manage a strict regime of 28 pills and vitamins every day.

The 25-year-old still has to live with the knowledge that the average Australian with cystic fibrosis won’t live past 37, despite his refusal to allow that stark statistic to weigh him down.

But Charles is now beginning to see how his journey is motivating others, not just in Australia but thousands of miles away.

Just last weekend, Charles was introduced to the young cousin of Springbok superstar Schalk Burger after Western Force played the Stormers in Cape Town.

Richard Burger, 15, is also a cystic fibrosis sufferer.

“He lives halfway across the world, but the way his parents spoke to me about how much inspiration he gets from me, it was truly humbling,” Charles said.

“If having a profile can create wider awareness of what cystic fibrosis is and how it affects people, and if I can be an inspiration to others affected by it, I feel honoured.

“I am fortunate to be in a position to do that.

“To inspire people and have them believe they can achieve their goals is fantastic.

“I will continue to try to achieve my goals and it’s wonderful if others take inspiration from that.”

media_camera Schalk Burger’s cousin Richard (L) met up with Charles in Cape Town.

Charles has taken a major step towards his biggest goal, playing a Test for the Wallabies, after national coach Ewen McKenzie chose him as one of the three hookers in his squad for the three-Test series against France. alongside Stephen Moore and Tatafu Polota-Nau.

“I am finally relieved to know where I stand,” Charles said.

“It’s not only a chance to develop myself, but mix it with the best in my position.”

Far from playing back-up to Test regulars Moore and Polota-Nau, Charles is seen as a genuine contender for a place in the match-day 23 by McKenzie.

“We can’t be set in our ways about that, there are players there with more experience but ultimately it comes down to form,” McKenzie said, adding that Charles has been on the radar for some time.

“He’s been a pretty good performer but he’s had some injuries.

media_camera Charles has taken a major step towards his biggest goal, playing a Test for the Wallabies.

“He was pretty much ruled out last year so he was never an option because he was injured.

“I think he’s had a very good season, and he’s a very consistent lineout thrower.

“Again, if you’re going to the success of the set-piece, you can have all the best jumpers in the world but you’ve got to throw the ball in and be on the money, so we think he’s a good operator in that space.

“And the Force’s scrum has been going well, and he’s a good contributor in general play.

“His performances have been good this year and we’ve rewarded that. Now the challenge for him is to step up and be influential at the next level.”

Had Charles not suffered an ACL knee injury last year, he may well have featured in the Test arena in 2013.

But the injury, and some issues away from the field, led him to make some defining choices.

“That was the hardest time of my life as a professional rugby player, having something ripped away that you love to do,” Charles said.

“I had to start from scratch, learn how to walk again.

“I wasn’t happy with my life, I was in a bad relationship.

“I had to get a better balance in my life, become more mature and a better man and understand how the decisions I made affected those around me.

“I had to re-evaluate where I was as a person and as a player, and I think I’ve come back better as a player and a person.

“I am a lot stronger mentally.

“I want to set high standards for myself and make myself number one, not have to worry about other people, not in a rude way, but making rugby my priority.

“It’s great for my confidence to have been chosen in the squad, now I’ve got to give it everything I’ve got.”

Charles feels eternally grateful to all of his coaches along the way; from those at the Wahroonga Tigers when he started in under-7s, to Michael Foley at the Force.

media_camera Charles with Bulls star Victor Matfield earlier this year.

Soon, he will receive the guidance of McKenzie, who believes that Charles and the other three uncapped players in his squad are up to the task.

“The guys coming in are not young guys. Sam Carter’s been around for a while, Nathan Charles has been around for a while, Will Skelton is probably the newest, Luke Jones has been playing for a while,” McKenzie said.

“But fundamentally they’ve been around, so sometimes they feel like their time is right now, they deserve a crack.

“You can tell when you talk to them, they’re not complacent and they certainly don’t think they’re owed, but they’re quite excited about the possibility of testing themselves at the next level.

“They’ve been plugging away in Super Rugby and making a difference, and in the back of their minds they thinking ‘How can I go at the next level?’.

“Some guys do it pretty well, others don’t, but I’m pretty confident these guys will make a difference.”