Holly Parkes, partner of late rugby standout Shane Christie, has detailed the profound toll chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) took on him in his final years, culminating in his suspected suicide in November 2025 after a nine-year struggle.
Christie, who played over 100 first-grade games including for the Māori All Blacks, became almost unrecognizable due to repeated severe concussions. Despite the mounting challenges, he pushed to remain active in rugby by transitioning to coaching alongside Parkes.
Escalating Concussion Effects
The most severe incidents escalated in 2016. Parkes described one episode: “These were very, very big hits. After one of his last ones in 2016, his eyes were rolling to the back of his head, and he was having difficulty breathing.”
Long-term symptoms reshaped every facet of his life. He endured constant overwhelming pain, personality shifts, and heightened stress sensitivity. Daily routines grew unmanageable; he required frequent sleep breaks or retreated to a darkened office with noise-canceling earmuffs.
Desperate Search for Relief
Christie pursued aggressive treatments, even selling his house to fund care in America. Parkes noted: “He took so many trips looking for ‘the best’ overseas, but I think it was just a bit too late or not comprehensive enough.”
Privacy, once a core value, eroded as confusion led him to seek help from strangers in public. His mental health declined sharply, mirroring the suspected suicide of close friend and teammate Billy Guyton two years earlier.
Post-Mortem Confirmation
A pathologist at the University of Auckland’s brain bank recently confirmed CTE as the underlying condition, validating long-held suspicions.
If you or someone you know needs support, contact Lifeline at 131 114 or Beyond Blue at 1300 224 636.
