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'
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
The Independent
29 minutes ago
- The Independent
The two exercises that give Moses Itauma ‘the edge' over most opponents
Picture a boxer in the gym and there is a high chance a montage of Sylvester Stallone's Rocky Balboa pops into your head – stair sprints, single-arm press-ups and pull-ups, sit-ups and a whole lot of skipping. Many of these moves still have their place. However, strength and conditioning is an evolving art, and while some trainers stick with the old ways, many are now implementing new and varied training methods to improve their fighter's performance inside the ring. Jordan Vine, S&C coach to rising star Moses Itauma, is one of those looking to progress the sport's approach to lifting weights. 'I think a lot of strength and conditioning coaches in boxing typically train their fighters as ' boxers',' he says. 'They think there's only one way to do it, rather than training the individual [ they're working with ]. We all have strengths and we all have weaknesses. No one is the same, no fighter is the same, so we all need to train differently.' Itauma's 12-0 professional record suggests Vine's individualised approach is working, with the 20-year-old blending athleticism and technical skill with extraordinary power to deliver 10 knockouts in that time – many of them within the opening rounds of the fight. He and Vine have a secret weapon for developing the latter attribute: Olympic weightlifting. This is how they are using it to prepare for the Dillian Whyte fight on 16 August. What is Olympic weightlifting? Olympic weightlifting comprises just two moves: the snatch, and the clean and jerk. The snatch involves lifting a barbell in one fluid motion from the ground to overhead. The clean and jerk sees athletes lift a barbell from the ground to their shoulders (the clean), then send it overhead in a separate motion (the jerk). These are the two exercises that Olympic weightlifting athletes must perform during competition – they have three attempts at each, and their score is the combined total weight of their heaviest successful snatch and heaviest successful clean and jerk. To train for this sport, athletes use many derivatives of the two exercises such as clean pulls, power cleans and snatch balances – these are often partial repetitions, focussing on a specific portion of the lift and developing the requisite attributes. Athletes from other sports can also use these variant exercises to develop the desired physical skills. Why is Olympic weightlifting beneficial for boxers? 'Olympic weightlifting is my background, so we do a lot of Olympic lifts,' Vine says. 'For me, they are the best exercises for developing explosive power, and I use them in most of my sessions.' It shows. Moses Itauma can power clean more than most people can deadlift: 140kg. However, Vine says many coaches shy away from these technical lifts because they do not know how to coach them. As such, they miss out on the potential benefits. While strength is needed to execute Olympic weightlifting moves, power – force times velocity – is the linchpin. If the bar is lifted slowly from the floor to the hip, it will lack the momentum needed to carry it to the shoulders or above, so force has to be generated incredibly quickly. Most of this force comes from the hips through a process called 'triple extension' – the simultaneous extension of the hip, knee and ankle joints. It is the rapid extension at the hip, twinned with the movements of the joints below it, that generates force explosively to send the bar skywards. A powerful triple extension can also be seen when throwing a punch, with the boxer winding up then unleashing a shot in the blink of an eye. The Olympic lifts are a lesson in power transfer too. Full-body tension is required as force is generated through the ground, then transferred through the legs and core to the shoulders and arms. In boxing, the force transfer for a punch follows a similar journey, so developing this ability through weightlifting is likely to transfer. Athletic benefits of Olympic weightlifting A 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis published in the Sports Medicine journal set out to compare the training effects of weightlifting, traditional resistance training and plyometrics on strength, power and speed. It found that weightlifting training added bonus benefits beyond standard strength training, offering greater improvements in sprint speed and jumping performance – both closely aligned with power production. Researchers concluded: 'These findings support the notion that if the training goal is to improve strength, power and speed, the inclusion of weightlifting exercises within phases of the training cycle may be advantageous to target goal-specific adaptations while also promoting the development of a well-rounded athlete.' The report found that plyometric exercises offered similar improvements in strength, jump performance and speed, suggesting that all three training methodologies have a place in a professional athlete's training programme. Moses Itauma's wider programme Itauma's wider training plan reflects the lessons above, containing a blend of exercises to develop maximal strength, power and agility – supporting his efforts in the boxing ring. He also completes long, slow cycles to build his aerobic base. It is these exercise that he – and his coaches – believe will carry him to victory on Saturday night. Watch the very best boxing with a DAZN subscription DAZN is the home of combat sports, broadcasting over 185 fights a year from the world's best promoters, including Matchroom, Queensberry, Golden Boy, Misfits, PFL, BKFC, GLORY and more. An Annual Saver subscription is a one-off cost of £119.99 / $224.99 (for 12 months access), that's just 64p / $1.21 per fight. There is also a Monthly Flex Pass option (cancel any time) at £24.99 / $29.99 per month. A subscription includes weekly magazine shows, comprehensive fight library, exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes documentaries, and podcasts and vodcasts.
Daily Mail
29 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
European football giants set to play Serie A game in Australia NEXT year - but not everyone is happy about it
In what would be a historic first, AC Milan have the permission of the Italian Football Federation to host a domestic league match against Serie A rivals Como in Perth next year - but the move hasn't impressed some football fans. As it stands, the game would clash with the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics, to be staged at the club's famous San Siro home on February 6. So the European football giants have looked outside the square - and if the fixture goes ahead, it would mark the first time a competitive Serie A match has been played outside of Italy. A number of supporters have slammed the idea, with one labelling the bold suggestion 'pathetic.' 'How much will it cost? You are making people laugh, pathetic,' the fan said. 'Who the hell in Australia would want to watch (AC) Milan versus Como?, another asked. 'Why don't we play Inter Milan and Juventus on the Gaza Strip,' suggested a third, tongue firmly in cheek. AC Milan were recently in Western Australia, taking on A-League side Perth Glory in a pre-season clash at HBF Park on July 31. The gulf in class was quickly apparent, with the Rossoneri winning 9-0. 'The ease of the way they were able to score, we are disappointed by that, but it shows the quality they have,' Perth Glory coach David Zdrilic said. 'They are able to just kill you in any moment. There's so much power and speed in every aspect of their game and we knew that. To see it live was unbelievable. 'For us to see what the level is overseas is a great learning experience.' Meanwhile, La Liga - Spain's premier football division - were keen to see Barcelona tackle Atletico Madrid in Miami last year. The idea was eventually dropped due to time constraints. And in 2019, Barcelona also planned to stage a match against Girona in Miami, but the idea was scrapped following vocal opposition from Spain's football association and the players' union.
BBC News
29 minutes ago
- BBC News
Former Australia captain Simpson dies aged 89
Former Australia Test captain and coach Bob Simpson has died aged played 62 Tests for Australia between 1957 and 1978, scoring 4,869 runs - including 10 centuries - at an average of also took 71 wickets with his leg spin and was renowned as one of the best slip fielders in the initially retiring from playing in 1968, Simpson made an extraordinary comeback as Test captain in 1978 at the age of 41, after several Australian players joined the breakaway World Series Cricket competition."Bob Simpson was one of the greats of Australian cricket, and this is a sad day for anyone fortunate to have watched him play or who benefited from his wisdom," said Cricket Australia chair Mike Baird."As a brilliant opening batter, incredible slip fielder and handy spin bowler, Bob was a mainstay of a very strong Australian team in the 1960s, and he became a leader across the game as Australian and New South Wales captain and as a coach."Bob's decision to come out of retirement to successfully lead the Australian team during the advent of World Series Cricket in 1977 was a wonderful service to the game, and his coaching set the foundation for a golden generation of Australian cricket."When Simpson took over as Australia coach in 1986, the side had not won a Test series for three years, but he oversaw a dramatic revival that saw them become one of the best teams of all time.A new-look team captained by Allan Border and featuring the likes of Steve Waugh and David Boon won the 1987 World Cup and secured Test series victories over England and the West the early 1990s, Simpson oversaw the introduction of players such as Mark Waugh, Shane Warne, Justin Langer, Matthew Hayden, Glenn McGrath and Ricky Ponting - setting the platform for an era of Australian stepping down in 1996, he had short spells coaching Leicestershire, Lancashire and the Netherlands, as well as a consultancy role with India."Bob Simpson's extraordinary service to Australian cricket spanned generations," Australia's prime minister Anthony Albanese wrote on social media."As a player, captain and then era-defining coach, he set the highest of standards for himself and the champions he led. He will be long remembered by the game he loved."
