Michael Klim, an Australian swimming great, is unable to walk alone after suffering from an incurable disease that has left him with no sensation in his feet for the past two years.
Since being diagnosed with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy in 2020, the Olympic gold medalist has been forced to utilize walking sticks and braces for help after struggling to maintain balance and experiencing numbness.
Unfortunately, the crippling ailment has caused him to collapse in front of his children, and he now has little use of his left leg.
The two-time gold medalist had been experiencing symptoms for years before seeing a medical specialist, who was able to provide some clarification and diagnose him with the unusual condition.
Klim stated that he had been suffering from symptoms for three years.
“In 2019, I started to get symptoms that I didn’t realise were connected to my diagnosis,” he told The Sunday Telegraph.
I have been dealing with chronic ankle problems and degenerative back issues for quite some time, and over the past few years, I have noticed severe muscle wastage in my legs, difficulty with balance, some loss of function from the knees down, and numbness in my thighs and feet, to the extent I was unable to stand.
Klim admitted that he was initially hesitant to announce his diagnosis publicly, noting that the disease has led him to feel unhappy and upset on occasion.
He soon realized that he was better off being upfront about his illness since he feels he now has a chance to raise greater awareness of the issue.
“Only recently I have started to share my story as it was getting harder to discuss my symptoms,” he said.
“We then came to find more people suffering from this condition. It made me realise that this rare condition might not be as rare as I thought, so I wanted to share my story in the hope that more research can be directed towards CIDP.
“It’s hard to accept that my identity will no longer be reliant on my athletic ability.” I now need to find a new mindset and mental toughness to allow me to overcome and accept this new challenge.
“Sharing my journey is another part of this healing process and I would hope that it brings awareness to CIDP and resonates with people who may be going through similar challenges.”
The disorder’s symptoms result in progressively increasing weakening and loss of sensation in the legs and limbs,’ according to the Australian charity Brain Foundation. It is caused by the body’s immune system overreacting to and destroying myelin. ‘
Klim has been participating in a specialized rehab program to treat the disorder’s symptoms, as well as making significant modifications to his nutrition, with the swimmer’s maintaining a largely carnivorous diet.
Rehab involves IVIG (intravenous Immunoglobulin) therapy, which aids in the reduction of illnesses that damage the body’s immune system.
Klim was photographed with a cane while out with his mother, Ewa, in June of this year.
In 2019, Michael Klim looked stylish while attending Everest race day at Randwick.
“Amid the pandemic, I needed to return to Australia from my home in Bali for an immediate back operation to decompress the nerves in my spine and resume IVIG treatment,” Klim said.
“Massages, cupping, and acupuncture help, as well as using a tens machine regularly to activate my muscles.” I’ve had special orthotics and braces fitted to support my drop foot and weak legs. Without them, I can’t walk and need a walking stick. ‘
Klim’s long-term companion is Michelle Owen, and he has three children with ex-wife Lindy Rama-Ellis: Stella (16), Rocco (13), and Frankie (11).
Former teammate Ian Thorpe, with whom Klim won two relay gold medals, jokingly refers to Owen as Klim’s “human walking stick,” and his children take turns offering leaning assistance while they are out and about.
He stated that it is “difficult to accept that my identity will no longer be dependant on my athletic skills” and that he has gone through some dark times while dealing with the disease.
Former teammate Ian Thorpe, with whom Klim won two relay gold medals, jokingly refers to Owen as Klim’s “human walking stick,” and his children take turns offering leaning assistance while they are out and about.
He stated that it is “difficult to accept that my identity will no longer be dependant on my athletic skills” and that he has gone through some dark times while dealing with the disease.
In a soon-to-air interview, he told Channel 10 show The Project, “I’ve gone through phases where I even drank too much and tried to numb the pain.”
I give myself about an hour a day to feel sorry, angry, frustrated, and whatever else or what other emotion comes into my mind, and then move on with the rest of life. ‘
Michael Klim has 21 world records and has two Olympic gold medals.
He is eager to raise awareness for the ailment and hopes that his celebrity will lead to more study and funding for the rare sickness.
In 2021, the former Olympic champion went to a cancer treatment center in Sydney to get a cyst out of his throat. He went through a number of treatments there.
He was previously seen in Bali in 2020 wearing a cast on his leg.
Since his retirement in 2007, the three-time Olympian, triple world champion, and 21-time world record holder has been actively connected with the Australian Dolphins swim team.
After winning Olympic gold with Ashley Callus, Chris Fydler, and Ian Thorpe, after Gary Hall Jr. predicted that the Americans would “smash them like guitars.”
One of the most famous moments in Australian sport is the Australian team’s gold medal-winning 100m relay effort in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Klim, Thorpe, Ashley Callus, and Chris Fydler defeated an aggressive American team that had promised to shatter the Aussie team like guitars before the race.
Thorpe’s incredible recovery in the anchor leg led them to win, and the team celebrated by playing air guitars on the pool deck, much to the pleasure of the whole country.