- The swimming star says the health problem has changed his way of thinking
- He says he really wants to make the most of this moment.
- Titmus underwent surgery to remove a benign tumor on an ovary
Australian golden girl Ariarne Titmus has opened up about the health scare she suffered after winning two gold medals at the world swimming championships and revealed it was the best thing that could have happened to her.
The 23-year-old women’s 400m freestyle world record holder discovered the tumors by chance when she underwent an MRI on hip pain last year.
Titmus underwent surgery to remove benign tumors from her ovary in August and says it has changed her way of thinking.
“My health problem… I’m completely over it,” Titmus said Sunday.
Ariarne Titmus (pictured) says her health problem changed her perspective on life
Titmus, 23, underwent surgery last August to remove benign tumors from an ovary.
‘That was probably the best thing that could have happened to me, to be honest… I’m only young once and I really want to make the most of this time in my life.
“The opportunity that I have to compete in the Olympic Games, not only being an Olympian but fighting for medals and gold medals, is very rare, so I just want to take advantage of every opportunity I can and enjoy the moment.
“I think when I was younger I was always looking at the next thing, the next thing, the next thing, but as I get older, I try to immerse myself in the moment and enjoy it more.”
Titmus says she is more relaxed now than before when she was competing on the big stage.
“When I was younger I was always looking at the next thing, the next thing, the next thing,” Titmus said.
“But as I get older, I’ll try to take in the moment and enjoy it more.”
“The Olympic trials are like nothing else and of course a lot of people get nervous – you have the only chance to make the team.”
Titmus prepares to swim his first races in the selection tests for the Paris Games
“But I’m excited to go out for a run and have some fun and really think about why I started swimming: It’s because I love the water and I love swimming.”
“You have to remember that when you’re competing.”
Titmus will begin his first final of the 400m freestyle trials on Monday night.