Ariarne Titmus in sad family revelation amid decision to step away from swimming after Paris Olympics
Titmus says a health scare reminded her that starting a family is far more important to her than her swimming career.
Ariarne Titmus has revealed that a health scare last year prompted her to rethink her swimming career and changed her entire outlook on life. The Aussie swim star added four medals to her impressive collection at the Paris Olympics - two gold and two silver - but following the Games declared she would be taking an extended break from the sport.
Titmus almost didn't make Paris after scans discovered two benign tumours on her ovary last year. The 24-year-old underwent surgery just eight months out from the Paris Games to remove the two lumps, which were only discovered as a result of a scan to try and address a long-term hip complaint.
The health scare, however, opened the swimming sensation's eyes to what was most important to her and it wasn't success in the pool, it was becoming a mum. "It put a lot of things into perspective for me. My body isn’t just a vehicle to train, my body’s purpose, really, is to carry a child one day," Titmus told the Inherited podcast.
"And that really hit home to me, it made me realise how much I want to be a mum, and it made swimming almost seem a bit irrelevant at the time. But then it also made me think, 'You know what? I've got prime position going into these Games.
"I’ve got a red hot crack here at defending my titles and coming home with gold medals. Bad things can happen in life all the time and stump you, so make the most of this opportunity."
Ariarne Titmus would give up her gold medals to have children
Following another successful Olympics campaign Titmus revealed she would be stepping away from swimming. After winning the 'race of the century' against Katie Ledecky in the 400m freestyle in Paris the Aussie said she was both physically and emotionally drained and wasn't planning to get back into swimming for a long time to come.
"I'm definitely having a very extended break," she said. "I haven’t planned when I’m going back to swimming. I want to go back when I feel ready to go back. Could be up to 12 months."
And given more time to reflect on what matters in her life since her successful Olympic campaign, Titmus said starting a family is far more important to her than any of the four Olympic gold medals she has won in Tokyo and Paris. And while she still plans to return to the pool her ultimate life goal is to start a family.
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"It was really, really, really challenging (finding out about the tumours and having them removed), but I’m actually glad it happened because it made me have a different outlook on life," Titmus said. "I’ve always wanted to be a mum, but it (the health scare) probably made me realise how much I want it.
"I would give up every gold medal I’ve ever won to have a child. I just have such maternal instincts, and I think the fear of it potentially becoming harder by the prospect of losing the ovary was really tough. I’m so lucky that I’ve got the best mum in the world, and I just want to be that one day."
