2 Years After Being Diagnosed From Rare Autoimmune Disease, Olympic Legend Shares a Positive Update

Disability, complete or partial, is a nightmare for anybody. This is even more true for someone who relies on their peak physical form to earn money, fame, and happiness, like a sportsperson. However, this nightmare had become a reality for an Olympic swimming legend, who got caught in the grasp of an autoimmune disease. 

Michael Klim is a 2x Olympic gold medalist who was rendered unable to walk without assistance. However, the Australian swimmer has now come up with some good news for his fans and the swimming community. After all, it was his supporters who helped him fight his crippling ailment.

Feeling normal after two harsh years

Michael Klim recently appeared in an interview with Today Extra, wherein he revealed that his health has significantly improved. The Olympic swimmer was down with Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP) and was helped by several generous plasma donors for his recovery.

Speaking about his present condition, Klim said, “I’m a much more mobile and functioning human being (now).” This statement comes from the Olympic swimmer who was mostly bedridden for two long years and struggled to get out of bed. The Australian said that he receives plasma treatment every six weeks to keep the inflammation and nerve damage at bay.

While the mighty Olympic swimmer had retired in 2012, he still enjoyed cruising in the water with his body. All his fans knew how much the 46-year-old wanted to get back in the pool. Especially since he had unretired himself after he hung his goggles the first time in 2007.

When he finally retired, Klim had said, “My body wasn’t really doing what I wanted it to do.” Little did he know that this statement would resurface in 2020 in an exaggerated form. While his swimming days were almost a decade behind, he couldn’t even care for his family because of his condition.

Olympic swimmer relieved for family and friends

During the interview, Michael Klim also mentioned, “I can hopefully be a good partner, a good dad, and, you know, (keep) doing what I love doing.” He also said, “Initially it was really hard on them because, I mean, I think, mentally, I wasn’t really sort of coping with the whole situation.”

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The Olympic swimmer joined hands with the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood and functions as its ambassador. Klim has also appealed to people to come forward to donate plasma for other patients as well. He said, “It can give someone their life back like it’s given me.” While there is still room for improvement in his condition, Klim is grateful for this moment.

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