- Michael Diamond has opened up about his seven-year hell
- The Olympic legend saw his life fall apart in 2016
- He says he has recovered from the lows
Michael Diamond talks about his difficult road back to the Olympics after his life fell apart.
The 58-year-old two-time Olympic gold medalist Diamond was charged with drunk driving and having a firearm and bullets in his car after a family dispute ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympics.
The three weapons charges against him were dropped, but Diamond felt the effects of the high-profile incident.
He was granted an injunction restricting his contract with his ex-wife Cathy and his brother John.
Diamond had a long-standing feud with John and it was not resolved before he died.
Since the fateful night eight years ago, the 58-year-old man has lost 15 kilos and has cut down on his drinking considerably. He occasionally drinks just one glass of wine.
“I live my life in moderation these days,” Diamond told the Herald Sun.
‘I don’t feel like drinking alcohol anymore. I’ve learned from my mistakes and I’ll never make those mistakes again.
Michael Diamond has revealed how he changed his life
Olympic legend says he lost more than $1 million after 2016 incident
“There’s no greater motivation than hitting rock bottom. I can tell you that firsthand. You have to have tenacity and get back up off the ground and drive to a better day. I think I had to get to that place to understand where I was going.”
Diamond is not eligible for a gun license for Australia, but he will be in Paris this month as coach for the Qatar team.
Looking back on the 2016 incident, Diamond said, “I think the moment that changed me was when my brother called the police.
“It was my birthday and it (incident) was my mistake. If I hadn’t been drunk I would have handled the situation differently.
“I had no control over myself and my emotions. When I was competing, I always had control. But that day I lost control.”
Diamond revealed that he never touched alcohol until he was 28, when he bought his first fishing boat. Court documents following the 2016 episode revealed that he lost approximately $1 million in potential income as a result of his actions, although he estimates the actual figure to be higher.
This month he returns to the Olympic Games in Paris as coach of the Qatari team
“Life was very difficult. I lost everything. The only way I could earn a living was taken away from me. You try to survive and that makes it difficult, but I had to evolve and I did. I’m doing much better now than ever.
‘I had sponsorships at the time. I was a possible flag bearer (at the Olympic Games in Rio) and speaking engagements followed from that and I would have extended my contracts.
“My lifestyle has changed because of my children. I have the best children in the world. For years I had my hands tied because I couldn’t make any money.
“My kids changed my mindset. I had to take care of them. When I was competing, I was fine. But for a while, it was really hard to make ends meet.
“I didn’t do my part as a father. They suffered and I couldn’t take it anymore. It was seven years of hardship where I couldn’t make enough money. It was a very hard journey but I survived and the saying goes, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger and I am definitely much stronger.”
