But instead of putting his life on hold while he waits for treatment Nick is pounding the streets in a bid to raise awareness about kidney disease.
Nick was diagnosed with serious kidney problems in his final year at university.
Three years after graduating the kidneys failed completely, and for the past five years he has had to have hours of dialysis at Wythenshawe Hospital three times a week while he waits for a transplant.
Nick, who used to play hockey for Cheshire and the North West of England, has the same ailment that put All Blacks rugby star Jonah Lomu out of action for two years - a rare and serious disorder called Nephrotic Syndrome.
The hero of the 1999 World Cup was fortunate in being able to have a transplant, but as well as being just one of thousands on the transplant register, Nick has a rare blood type, which makes it even more difficult to get an acceptable match.
But the 29-year old town planner refuses to let his condition get him down and is now in training to take part in a challenging 20km run to raise awareness of kidney disease.
He successfully ran the Manchester 10km run in May, when he raised more than £300 for the Manchester Institute of Nephrology and Transplantation.
This time he hopes to complete the Great North Run in Newcastle next month on behalf of the National Kidney Research Fund.
Nick, who lives in Peel Hall, Wythenshawe, says he is only too well aware of the difference a transplant can make.
"Life with a new kidney would be like being promoted from the Conference to the Premiership. If anything gets me down it's the waiting and the hoping. I've been waiting five years now and I'm still optimistic, but this year it has been tougher emotionally," he said.
"Unfortunately, the number of people needing an organ donation increases each year while the supply of kidneys continues to shrink in comparison.
"It is so vital, therefore, that people take the time to think carefully about signing up to the organ donor register today."
Nick, who runs and cycles, said: "Discovering I had kidney disease at the age of 20 was a real shock.
"But although it made studying for my exams harder, I tried not to let it affect me, and graduated with a degree in geography."
He went on to complete a post-graduate diploma in planning and set himself a series of goals, which included getting into full-time work.
"It does get me down occasionally when I wonder how much longer I might have to wait for a transplant, but it's a matter of trying to smile through it all," he said.
Information on signing up to the organ donor register is on the UK transplant website www.uktransplant.co.uk
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