(Getty)
Australian swimming legend Dawn Fraser suffered a serious fall at her Queensland home on 4 December last year, and was rushed to hospital and admitted to intensive care after breaking four ribs and a hip.
The 87-year-old has since revealed she suffered a cardiac episode just weeks after her fall.
“Unfortunately, I started to feel very faint and I fainted,” Dawn told 10News presenter Sharyn Ghidella. “They said that my heart had stopped for five seconds and I had a very low heart rate.”
She was then fitted with a pacemaker, but her recover has been extremely difficult. Dawn lost 22kg and suffered a brief bout of depression.
“It’s been a nightmare, she’s been a nightmare,” her daughter Dawn-Lorraine told Ten.
Meanwhile, Dawn’s grandson Jackson said “I always saw her as invincible.”
Dawn Fraser had some nasty injuries when she suffered her fall in December, and her family confirmed she underwent a hip replacement.
According to 9News, her health scare had her family extremely worried that they were going to lose her.
Reflecting on her fall, Dawn said, “It was a shock for me. Thank goodness my neighbours were home and came over and looked after me.”
She added, “I wasn’t going to give in. When I die I want to be with my family.”
Following the incident, Swimming Australia CEO Rob Woodhouse revealed that Dawn was stable in hospital.
“Dawn is an Australian living treasure – an icon of our sport – and we wish her a speedy, healthy and full recovery,” he said in a statement.
Family friend Ian Hanson also said he spoke to Dawn shortly after her emergency surgery and she was back up walking again.
“She greeted family and friends today with a smile, determined to get out of bed by herself and walk through the hospital with all of her grit and determination that made her one of the all-time greats of Olympic sport,” he said a few days after her surgery.
Dawn remains one of Australia’s most decorated Olympians, having won eight Olympic medals, and is highly regarded as one of the greatest swimmers of all time.
Over the course of her career, she set 23 individual world records and 12 as part of a team.
Despite being 87, Dawn still plays a pivotal role in mentoring up-and-coming Australian swimmers, and was spotted poolside cheering on the Olympic squad ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
