Sport icon Dawn Fraser reveals the distressing amount of weight she's lost - and her chilling moment after horror fall: 'I didn't want to die that way'
Aussie sporting icon Dawn Fraser has revealed she lost 22kg following a fall on her driveway in December last year - and that she could have died following subsequent surgery.
Fraser, 87, is a national treasure after winning Olympic gold in the 100m freestyle at three successive Summer Games, between 1956 and 1964.
'The pain was excruciating,' she told News Corp when reflecting on the serious fall at her Noosa home on Queensland 's Sunshine Coast in December last year.
'I'd never felt pain like that before. I've never sort of fallen or broken anything in my life and it was a shock to me.'
And the cause of the fall? Fraser was trying to open a case of soft drink when she slipped on a small ledge and fell onto hard concrete.
Fraser's hospital X-rays were grim - they revealed a broken hip, four cracked ribs and potential internal bleeding.
Given her age, the anaesthetist then warned 'Dawny' she may not survive the operation.
'When the anaesthetist came in and said I could die, that was the frightening part,' Fraser recalled.
'I didn't want to die that way, so that put my will up to come through and come out of it.'
Thankfully, everything went according to plan - only for Fraser to then endure a heart scare weeks later.
Now fitted with a pacemaker, Fraser's heart is monitored 24 hours a day.
Acknowledging she has to slow down has been a battle.
She was on anti-depressants, but an old friend - swimming - has helped keep Fraser mentally strong.
Fraser also admitted the recent setbacks have resulted in one of the toughest periods of her life.
'This has been the biggest challenge, absolutely,' she said. 'It's not something I thought I'd (ever) have to face.
'But now it's there in front of me. Winning the gold medals was much easier. I feel so lucky I survived.'
In terms of attending the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane, it remains to be seen if Fraser will be poolside.
She will be 95 - but you never write off a champion.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
33 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
I'm a donor baby and wanted to find out if I had any siblings... nothing could have prepared me for the result
A donor-conceived woman has discovered she has at least 77 siblings after uncovering her biological father donated over 300 times. Lyndal Bubke, 33, from Brisbane, was told she had dozens of brothers and sisters across Queensland, NSW, Victoria and around the world after carrying out a DNA test through a genealogy company in 2022. The 33-year-old woman had been told by her parents that she and her brother had been conceived via a donor at Queensland Fertility Group when she began looking into her ancestry. Genealogy results revealed Ms Bubke also had 11 half-siblings, and this number has now risen to 77. Her biological father was able to donate sperm a total of 325 times. Ms Bubke has said she believes it's likely she has even more siblings and the figure is likely to be in the hundreds, if not thousands. Queensland Fertility Group told the 33-year-old woman's parents they were unable to provide any information on her donor conception or details about the donor. The clinic explained the records were lost in a flood. Ms Bubke had to contact the clinic herself to tell them she was the biological daughter of the donor. She revealed she suffers from anxiety and fears every day she will be told she has another sibling. 'I go around and I look at people on the street and I think, I wonder if you could be my sibling, you look like my sister, you look like my brother,' she told The Daily Telegraph. 'I can confirm my husband and I are not related … but in those (first) few weeks, there were the horrible thoughts of, what if my husband is donor-conceived and we didn't know? 'What if one of my ex-boyfriends is a sibling? I'll only be happy once I know all of my siblings, and I'll die unhappy then, because I'll never get that. There's just no way for me to ever find them all because the records were … destroyed.' Ms Bubke has understandably been left horrified over the practices of Queensland Fertility Group and clinics across the country. The Brisbane woman's parents felt betrayed by the fertility clinic, who were told each donation would only be used for a small number of families. Her parents were not told who the donor was or the number of times he donated. Ms Bubke has been campaigning for improved regulations for fertility clinics and the creation of a database for donor conceived people, donors and recipient parents. A Queensland Fertility Group spokesperson said they strongly support IVF reforms and stated that previously the law emphasised the importance of the donor's right to anonymity. 'Today's donor conception legislation prohibits anonymous donation, and newly introduced Queensland legislation now includes a 10-family limit for sperm donors,' they said.
Daily Mail
43 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Australian swimming legend Michael Klim opens up on devastating battle with rare autoimmune disorder and symptoms he wishes he hadn't ignored
Michael Klim has revealed details about his five-year battle with a rare autoimmune disorder which left him unable to walk - and the symptoms he wishes he took more seriously. The Aussie swimming legend, 47, was diagnosed with the neurological disorder chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) in 2020. The former triple Olympian has spoken openly about the challenging diagnosis, which saw him lose the ability to walk in just six months and left him bedridden. He says he didn't treat the condition with the gravity it deserved when he first got symptoms. 'I neglected a lot of my symptoms at the onset and I think in a very typical male fashion didn't act fast enough,' he told News Corp. 'So, if anything comes out of our chat, I hope it's going to see a doctor even if the symptoms are as simple as getting cold feet when you go to bed or having numbness in your toes or your feet. I neglected some of those. 'I had a great team around me but something that was instilled in me as an athlete was that we push through a lot of our discomforts and I continued to do that even in life after sport, which didn't really lend itself to longevity in life. 'Unfortunately, I had my very heart stop when I lost the ability to walk and I think it took me about two years to come to terms with accepting the fact - or almost, it was like there was a grieving period of two years of accepting the fact that my physical ability may never be the same, I may never be able to walk like a normal person, I will be compromised. 'But finding a new purpose in life - I was always very driven and active and very quantitative in that I was very opportunistic and attending many things and being involved in many projects. CIDP causes the body to attack its own tissue - the myelin sheaths which insulate and protect the nerves - causing weakness and lack of feeling in the arms and legs. Klim says batting the disorder has taught him a lot. 'There was a lot of time of darkness because there is no cure and you're living in a period of uncertainty - not just yourself as a patient, but your entire support network. 'That was the hardest thing. Previously, my injuries - if I had a rotator cuff injury or sprained ankle - I knew the protocol and knew exactly when I'd be back. 'But this has been something different and something new and it's definitely taught me a lot of lessons.' Klim says his rare condition has made him more aware of other people and what they might be going through. 'Let's say 30% of people with CIDP may make a full remission, 30% - where I seem to be fitting at the moment - remain stagnant for the rest of their life, and then 30% of people end up with paralysis, full paralysis or in a wheelchair. 'Even when I wear my braces and I've got my pants on, most people look at me and say, "Gee, you're so fit". 'I've got my upper body and am still trying to look after myself, but you just don't know what hardship people are going through underneath.'
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
MCoBeauty founder Shelley Sullivan reveals the truth behind $1billion beauty brand deal - and how much she profited from the sale
Shelley Sullivan, the woman behind Australia's fastest-growing beauty label MCoBeauty, has spoken candidly about what it meant to sell her business earlier this year. The entrepreneur, whose budget-friendly beauty empire has become a cult favourite among Aussie celebrities, confirmed that while the business was valued at $1billion, the real takeaway for her and her team was far from what the public might assume. 'I wish,' she told Stellar Magazine on Sunday when asked whether she personally pocketed that amount. 'The business could be valued at $1 billion but that's not necessarily a reflection on what the people that are exiting get.' Shelley explained that MCoBeauty's lofty valuation was based on its performance and earning potential rather than a direct windfall for herself. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. She emphasised that factors like the brand's rapid growth, earnings trajectory and overall market trends contributed to the billion-dollar figure, not a simple sale price. Despite stepping back from day-to-day operations, the beauty boss hasn't completely walked away. She remains an avid supporter, watching from the sidelines with pride as the brand continues to thrive under new leadership. 'I'm still very much a fan of the brand,' she said. 'Running a business that grew so quickly was a lot… exhilarating and exciting, but at times exhausting.' Shelley admitted that she's now enjoying a well-earned break after years of hustle. The journey to the top wasn't without sacrifices - long hours, relentless pressure and the weight of expectations were all part of the grind. Driven by a clear goal to dominate the beauty market with affordable on-trend products, Shelley and her team worked tirelessly to turn MCoBeauty into the powerhouse it is today. The business' explosive growth made it a major player on supermarket shelves and in the competitive beauty landscape, rivalling premium brands at a fraction of the cost. She credits the brand's success to a razor-sharp focus on innovation and consumer demand, paired with savvy partnerships and bold marketing. But even with the monumental valuation and market domination, Shelley remains grounded and spends time focusing on family and slowing down than big-dollar headlines. Reflecting on her business journey, she concluded: 'We had a vision to create Australia's fastest-growing beauty brand. 'But I don't think myself, the family and the team ever thought beyond our wildest dreams that that's what we would create.'
