Word for Word

26 Nov 2012

Matthew Mitcham – Twists and Turns

Arts, Health, News & Politics, Society & Culture

In 2008 Mathew Mitcham captured the heart of a nation with his Gold Medal winning performance at the Beijing Olympics. His dive from the 10m Platform gained the highest score ever achieved in diving history. He was Australia’s first ‘out-n-proud’ gay athlete to compete at an Olympic Games yet none of that seemed to matter to the Australian public. What followed was a series of accolades, awards, sponsorships and severe, prolonged depression. This was something he had experienced as a child during which time his suppressed anger manifested as self-harm, the scars of which remain on his forearms today. Matthew turned to Crystal Methamphetamine to help lift his mood and alleviate the pain of a major muscular injury. His story and his road to recovery, is detailed with characteristic honesty in his new memoir “Twists and Turns”, published by Harper Collins.

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