A chronic disease having gained international fame. Australian swimming legend Michael Klim has opened up about living. Today we will discuss about Michael Klim: Health| Gold medals| Disease| Age
Michael Klim: Health| Gold medals| Disease| Age
Michael George Klim, OAM (born 13 August 1977) is a Polish-born Australian swimmer, Olympic gold medalist, world champion and former world record holder of the 1990s and 2000s. He is best known as the creator of the straight arm freestyle.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Michael George Klim |
| National team |  Australia |
| Born | 13 August 1977 Gdynia, Poland |
| Height | 191 cm (6 ft 3 in) |
| Weight | 81 kg (179 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Swimming |
| Strokes | Freestyle |
| Club | Melbourne Vicentre, Australian Institute of Sport |
Health
Australian swimming superstar Michael Klim has shared a glimpse of his daily struggle as he learns to live with a rare neurological disorder.
Mr Klim was diagnosed with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy in 2020.
Auto-immune disease causes the body to attack the nerve covering, or myelin, which insulates and protects nerves. CIDP increases sensory impairment and weakness associated with loss of reflexes.
The triple Olympian revealed that he was diagnosed with a terminal illness in July 2022 after his health declined sharply.
Michael Klim says he is grateful he can swim despite living with a chronic illness.
Michael Klim says he is grateful he can swim despite living with a chronic illness.
“I had an ankle fusion operation in Sydney in 2019 and started IVIG treatment (intravenous immunoglobulin) to reduce the effects of an inflammatory condition that attacks the immune system,” Mr Klim said on his blog in July wrote.
“My health started getting very bad. I was experiencing problems with my (degenerative) back and CIDP joint.
“I started to fall, I couldn’t walk up stairs, I needed to rely on my partner Michelle and the kids, and I could lay in bed all day as the back pain became unbearable.”
The disease can affect people differently, but Mr. Klim said it is their feet and legs that seem to be the main source of pain.
He said he had significant muscle wasting in his legs and sensory loss in his feet, making it difficult to walk and play with his children.
Gold medals
Michael Klim, a triple Australian Olympian, became a six-time Olympic medalist at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, winning gold medals with Australian swimming teammates in the 4x200m and 4x100m freestyle events. Michael also won two silver medals at the Sydney 2000 Olympics, in the 4×200 m freestyle relay in Athens and another silver medal at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics. Michael and his teammates won the bronze medal in the 4X 100m medley relay.
In addition to all this Olympic success, Michael also set world records, a 100m butterfly, a 100m freestyle, and was named Men’s Swimmer of the Year by Swimming World magazine in 1997.
Throughout this episode you’ll hear Michael explain the importance of innovation, innovating his stroke with the famous windmill swimming action for which he became so famous. Michael shares the 3R that underpins his swimming approach. Pillars of wisdom shone through his years of success in the pool that was applied to life. The importance of clarity of mind for racing and training, the love affair with bananas and muffins.
Disease
In 2020, Klim was diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder called chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, or CIDP. The autoimmune disease causes the body to attack the myelin sheath and protect the nerves, and there is no cure.
With debilitating effects including muscle wasting in his legs, sensory loss in his feet and struggle to perform everyday tasks such as walking and even standing for long periods of time, Klim’s life in his home in Bali Now centered around a daily routine of treatment and rehab. He struggles to play with his kids, has turned away from business interests and – walking with a cane and leg braces – even a trip to the shops is a marathon endeavor.
Age
The 45-year-old, who lives in most Australian minds as a muscle-bound swimmer playing air guitar after that famous relay gold at the Sydney Olympics, may end up in a wheelchair.
“My mentor and I have come up with a strategy where I give myself an hour a day to feel sorry for myself,” Klim said.
“I can scream and feel as much as I want, but after that, there are still so many things I can do and be functional and still have responsibilities as a parent and a coach and a partner. There are, and I still can do them effectively. I’m trying not to let it completely consume me. But it’s hard.”
The first signs of something wrong came in 2019 when Klim had an ankle surgery that had been problematic for nearly 20 years. This gave rise to an oblique gait and associated back problems, but Klim assumed he could return the mechanics to normal and relieve himself of aches and pains.
Australian swimming legend Michael Klim has opened up about living with a chronic illness after achieving international fame. https://t.co/zc3c9DPyjH pic.twitter.com/6JQIkkC30y
— The West Australian (@westaustralian) October 30, 2022
