- An injury left him out of the Tokyo Olympics and he entered a downward spiral
- He is not free of injuries and ready to give a boost ahead of the Paris games
- If you or someone you know needs help, you can contact Lifeline on 131 114 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.
There is no pain barrier that Australian Olympic hopeful Clay Stephens can’t overcome. The gymnast has already gone to hell and is ahead of Paris again.
Stephens remembers waking up in the shower, covered in vomit and blood. Struggling with depression and anxiety, he often drank heavily and abused oxycodone during his darkest times.
Although he never attempted to take his own life, he admits to having participated in “risky activities.” Three years later, Stephens is happy, healthy and aspiring to compete in the Paris Olympics.
The 26-year-old will take part in the Oceania Championships in Auckland on Sunday, hoping to secure a place on the Australian Olympic artistic gymnastics team.
Clay Stephens is hoping to overcome a rough patch of injuries and prescription drug addiction to find a spot on the plane to the Paris Olympics.
The Australian gymnast will compete at the Oceania Championships in Auckland on Sunday for Olympic qualification.
Stephens had dreamed of competing in the Tokyo Olympics, but those hopes were crushed by a third ACL tear. Living alone on the University of Illinois campus during the COVID-19 pandemic, his life fell into a downward spiral.
“I was in a lot of emotional and mental pain,” he said. ‘You say, ‘What can fix this?’ and then you do it (take oxycodone while drinking alcohol) and you don’t have to worry about anything because your brain doesn’t think about anything. It is an escape route.
As of 2017, Stephens spent four years primarily on crutches and underwent six knee surgeries. “I would stop using crutches for two months and then I would tear my ACL again,” she said.
He returned just in time for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, where he came close to winning a medal. However, a few months later, tragedy struck when his close friend Josh took her own life.
He remembers 2020 and 2021 as the lowest point of his life. “I was isolated physically, socially and geographically from my family,” she said. “It was isolation in every sense of the word.”
Stephens embarked on reckless adventures without concern for his well-being at the height of his downward spiral. He still loves adventure, but now takes a more cautious approach.
Stephens is eager to make the Olympic team after missing Tokyo due to a torn ACL.
Stephens was prescribed oxycodone for knee pain, but barely used it. As a result, he had six bottles of the medicine on hand. “I was stuck in my own place. I would limp around, get someone to bring me a case of beer, and leave these painkillers with the beers.
‘He was not suicidal, but he was very active in pursuing risky activities. “It was a period of risking everything and seeing what happens.”
“It’s very difficult to leave a place you don’t want to leave,” he said. “I found a lot of comfort in being unhappy for a while.”
Stephens finally accepted the unpredictability of life and decided to take a chance on happiness. “Going through all these low moments forced me to reflect and I found a place where I enjoy and understand the importance of each day.”
Now, facing the Olympic Games, he strives to achieve them with the same intensity as always, but he tries to enjoy each day more than the last.