Michael Klim returns to MSAC as part of autobiography promotion

Champion swimmer Michael Klim has recently returned to the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre (MSAC) as part of promotions for his just released autobiography.

Klim, an Olympic swimming gold medallist and former world record-holder became known across Australia for playing an air guitar on the pool deck at the Sydney 2000 Olympics after winning the 4x100m freestyle relay.

More recently he has become one of the country's most high-profile sufferers of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, an auto-immune disease that has affected his legs, and ability to walk unassisted.

Since his diagnosis, he has campaigned for more research into the condition, while continuing to undergo plasma donation treatment every six weeks.

Klim, who now lives on the Indonesian island of Bali, often returns to MSAC as part of coaching clinics, was recently at the facility for a photo shoot for his autobiography.

During this visit he recalled his gold medal winning moment 24 years on, commenting “a lot of people come up to me and say they can recall exactly where they were during that moment.

“It had everything; it had the drama, it had a lot of theatre, it was a really special moment.”

He also recalled coming back from injury for the 2006 Commonwealth Games, noting “swimming here at the Commonwealth Games with literally my entire family and my friends to win gold in Melbourne in the last event on the program was pretty special.”

As for his current condition, he states “when I first came out publicly about my condition, the whole swimming community has been checking up on me to make sure mentally I was doing ok. The thanks I have, I can’t even put into words.”

Watching the next generation of swimmers he added “I realise how important swimming is in our culture and that we do bring a lot of joy and happiness to Australians, so hopefully some of the new Aussies can do the same.”

His autobiography, Klim by Klim, charts his journey in life which started in communist-era Poland. His family made a bid for freedom in the 1980s and immigrated to Australia, where swimming became his passport into a new culture and eventually led him to become one of his adopted country's great sporting heroes.

Beyond his sporting achievements, the book charts his personal challenges, through transitions in the business world (including his KliSwim venture), family life and major health trials.

Publishers Hachette advise “from the heights of Olympic glory to the depths of personal adversity, Klim is a testament to the power of passion, perseverance and the unsinkable human spirit.”

Click here for details of Klim by Klim. 

Main image credit Josh Robenstone.