Olympic gold medallist Matthew Mitcham has revealed a devastating battle with drug addiction on the lead up to the London Olympics this year. The young gay diver has come out about his struggles in his recent autobiography Twists and Turns, where he admits depression and anxiety led to substance abuse.
The young diver explains how physical injury and crippling low self-esteem contributed to the reliance on methamphetamines – ‘Taking it was something I did… to take my mind off things that were upsetting me — to make me feel better about myself’, he told the Sydney Morning Herald.
The Olympian quit diving in 2006, only to return six months later with a new trainer – who assisted him in taking home the Gold for the 2012 London Olympics.
Although the revelation has been met with shock by the Australian Olympic Committee, it has been found that the drug usage didn’t fall under the ‘performance enhancing’ category that would put Mitcham’s Olympic accomplishments in jeopardy.
Mitcham’s book also reveals problems with self harm through his teen years as well as a diagnosis of clinical depression aged just 14.
Having also won four silver medals at the 2010 New Delhi Commonwealth, the young diver is now training for the Commonwealth games in Glasgow.
Mitcham has sought help with Narcotics Anonymous.
