Gladiators star Fury has revealed she's had to make the "most difficult decision of her life" as she shares a career update.
Jodie Ounsley, aka Gladiator Fury, became a fan favourite with BBC viewers on the reboot of the iconic 90s show. The professional rugby player, 23, grew up obsessed with the show all thanks to a family connection. She joined new hosts Bradley and Barney Walsh on the latest series but has now shared an update on her career.
The TV star is stepping away from rugby as she wants to pursue other opportunities. Jodie has been able to secure an early release from her contact at Exeter. She has played for England sevens and the Chiefs, as well as spells at Loughborough Lightning and Sale Sharks.
“Stepping away from the rugby field has been one of the most difficult decisions of my life,” Jodie said. “This sport has given me opportunities, friendships and memories that I could only have dreamt of, and I will forever be grateful to the wonderful community at Exeter for making this feel like home.
“Whilst I am excited for opportunities around the corner, this is certainly not goodbye and I will continue to be a fervent supporter of women’s rugby. With the Rugby World Cup on the horizon, I can’t wait to see what the future holds for our sport.” Jodie is also a jiu-jitsu champion but suffered a shoulder injury at the start of the current rugby season. She was sidelined for seven months before making her comeback for Exeter in the Allianz Cup last Saturday.
Jodie was born prematurely, which meant she needed medication that impacted her hearing. She became deaf and had a cochlear implant as a toddler, becoming the youngest person in the UK to have the operation. She describes being deaf as her "superpower". As a teen, she suffered from a painful knee condition called Osgood Schlatter Disease but went on to excel at rugby, turning out for the Yorkshire under-15s.
The star studied sports coaching at Loughborough College. She was named in the GB Women's rugby sevens provisional squad for the 2020 Summer Olympics. Jodie leaned on her rugby skills as she appeared on Gladiators. "It plays to my strengths as you get to tackle the contenders," she said. "I'm used to people using footwork to literally step and try and get past me but going up against the contenders, they were just going directly at me and as a tackler that’s easy.”
She also had a personal reason for wanting to appear on the BBC show. “The biggest reason is because my dad was a contender in a previous series, so Gladiators has been a big part of our family since I was little," she said. "I loved watching my dad go through the process."
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