Olympic swimming champion Michael Klim will share his journey through a life-altering medical diagnosis in the season 30 premiere of Australian Story, airing Monday 2 February at 8pm on ABC TV and ABC iview.
The episode, titled Sink or Swim, sees Klim speak candidly from his home in Bali about being diagnosed with Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP), a progressive autoimmune disease that causes muscle wastage and sensory loss.
“Six years ago, my identity was taken away and I couldn’t see a future,” Klim tells Australian Story.
For an athlete who dominated the pool across three Olympic Games, smashing world records and claiming multiple medals, the diagnosis proved particularly confronting.
“The physical degradation is one thing, but the mental issue was probably the biggest hurdle to overcome,” he says.
Klim met his fiancée Michelle Owen shortly before receiving his diagnosis, and she has remained by his side throughout his darkest moments.
“I said to her that you’ve got the dud version of Michael Klim. I don’t want you to have to live with this burden,” he recalls.
The episode chronicles how Klim has navigated the most difficult period of his life and his outlook for the future.
“I feel like now I’m no less of a person or even, to be honest, probably a fuller person because of what I’ve been through,” says Klim. “I never thought I’d say that.”
Joining Klim in the episode are his partner Michelle, former Olympians Ian Thorpe and Daniel Kowalski, US Olympic champion Gary Hall Jr, and Klim’s parents, sister and children.
The premiere marks a significant milestone for Australian Story, which celebrates 30 years on air this season. Since launching three decades ago with a mission to tell the stories of prominent and everyday Australians, the program has profiled more than a thousand people and won numerous awards. A live event to celebrate the anniversary is planned for later in the year.
