Nick is extremely close to his family and made the ultimate sacrifice for his father, who was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer in 2013, and his brother and sister by moving to Japan to play for the Coca-Cola Sparks right as his career with the Wallabies was taking off.
"He's no mercenary. He treasures playing for the Wallabies and all he is giving up is because of his family," Nick's proud father Mark Cummins told the Courier Mail of his son in 2014 when he turned down the opportunity to continue playing for the Wallabies.
"He told me that in his heart he couldn't enjoy himself when he could be doing more for the kids."
"Money and Nick are not synonymous. If Nick was just going for cash, he would tell you I'm going for cash. Obviously, the money he can make over there in the shorter time, the better he feels he can assist the kids."
"Nick is a really good bloke. He is not your typical fella. He thinks deeply about things. He loves his family and he'll do whatever he can for them," his proud dad added.
Opening up about his sick siblings and dad, Nick - who is one of eight kids - told Sunday Night he didn't hesitate to make the ultimate career sacrifice to help them.
"Every day is a struggle, every breath is a struggle… constant medication, constant coughing, constant vomiting, just struggling just to keep afloat and if you want to talk about courage yeah, that's two examples of it there. I wanted to get a safety net in an account just ready for troubling times," he told the show in 2016.
Despite the family's heartache, their health hardships have brought them closer together.
"I remember the first time I gave Dad like a proper hug you know and that was big. It's sad that it takes something like this to happen but we wait so long until it's too late and then and they can be gone you know," Nick told Sunday Night.
"Family's number one, just that's flat out it and I think a lot of people when they're put in a certain position will come to that conclusion and you'll just do whatever."
Nick's bond with his father is particularly special.
"I can tell you it takes it takes a big set of cags to stand in front, like regardless of your environment who's watching around, and just flat out look at them and go, bang 'I love you mate you've been here for me in all these times you know.' Give them a big hug, he's your old man, why is it so hard?"
Yep, this man has a pure heart of gold.
As Nick features in Aussie reality show SAS Australia it's clear his family are top of mind.
Nick has been put through his paces as he is subjected to the vicious tasks usually put to real life SAS trainees.
But if not for himself, he is tackling the challenges for his less-abled siblings - it's no wonder he was nicknamed the Honey Badger for his resilience and strength.
This story was originally published on our sister site Now To Love.
