From family tragedy to business triumph: Jack Gosiewski shares his journey of resilience

Opening a Chargrill Charlie’s chicken shop in the bustling Brisbane suburb of New Farm was five years in the making.

But it took just a few months for Gosiewski’s world to be turned upside down.

The NRL journeyman moved south from Townsville at the end of 2023 to join the Broncos and be closer to his ill mother, Sue Billinghurst, in the northern NSW town of Crabbes Creek.

Gosiewski was devastated when she died late last year, but little did he know there was more pain to come.

His father Paul Gosiewski was diagnosed with terminal cancer a few months later and was gone within weeks in April after opting for voluntary assisted dying.

At the same time, Jack was juggling three-year-old son Goldie, recovering from surgery for a broken arm and navigating the launch of his first business with Avalon, who was working 15-hour days in the shop.

He doesn’t know how he found the strength to keep going and fight his way back into Brisbane’s top team, but says he had no other option.

“You just have to keep going, you know what I mean?” Gosiewski said.

“The world stops for no one, it really doesn’t.

“I’ve got work, I’m a parent, partner, business owner. You can’t stop.

“I don’t have an option apart from to keep going. It’s been a gruelling and hard process and something that I’m just working through day by day.

“I just have to look forward. I can’t look backwards. It’s quite hard so I just keep looking forward and try to stay present as best as I can.”

The launch of Queensland’s first Chargrill Charlie’s – the scene of Jack and Avalon’s first date in Sydney many moons ago – was a huge moment for the aspirational couple.

But the death of his father was particularly difficult for Gosiewski to cope with given the influence he had on them taking a leap of faith.

“The whole reason we moved to the Broncos was to be close to my mum,” he said.

“I grew up in northern New South Wales and she was at a hospital in Kingscliff that was only about a two-hour drive away.

“We moved back here last year to be closer to her and then she obviously ended up passing away.

“On the back of that dad had a bit of illness at the start of the year that we were working through with the doctors. We got some blood tests and he ended up having cancer, so that happened extremely fast.

“It was within three or four weeks from finding out to him going down the path of voluntary assisted (dying), which was an experience in its own.

“He was so involved in the process of getting the store. Dad played a huge part in opening the store.

“I wish both my parents were here to experience it.”

Gosiewski, 31, is no stranger to adversity.

He has had to fight for every one of his 87 NRL games across five clubs since 2016 heading into Saturday’s Battle of Brisbane derby against the Dolphins at Suncorp Stadium.

Yet he keeps turning up.

It’s a trait that won over new Broncos coach Michael Maguire when he arrived at Red Hill late last year and saw Gosiewski earn a starting spot in Brisbane’s round 1 team.

A broken arm at training sidelined him for 10 rounds, around the time of his father’s death, but Gosiewski fought his way back into the top 13.

He now wants to stay there and hopes to secure a contract extension for 2026 and beyond to remain in Brisbane.

“I’m really happy with where I’m at now,” he said.

“It has been a journey, a lot of moving and great support from Avalon. It’s been impressive to watch her go through all of that and support me the whole time.

“I’m 31 now and feel I have a few more years of footy left in me.

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“I’ve had a lot going on this year. It’s been a crazy year but football’s been good and I’m stringing some games together.

“We’re in the process of working through (contract extension) now and we love Brisbane.

“I can definitely squeeze out a few more years. Adam Reynolds (Broncos captain) is 46 or something so I’ll get a few more years out for sure.”

Originally published as From family tragedy to business triumph: Jack Gosiewski shares his journey of resilience