- Swimming star says health scare has changed her way of thinking
- Says she really wants to make the most of this moment
- Titmus had surgery to remove a benign tumor on an ovary
Australian golden girl Ariarne Titmus has spoken about her health problems after winning two gold medals at the world swimming championships, revealing it was the best thing that could have happened to her.
The 23-year-old world record holder in the women’s 400 meter freestyle discovered the tumors by chance when she underwent an MRI scan of a painful hip last year.
Titmus underwent surgery in August to remove the benign tumors from her ovary, and says it has changed her way of thinking.
“My health scare…I’m completely over that,” Titmus said Sunday.
Ariarne Titmus (pictured) says her health scare has changed her outlook on life
Titmus, 23, had surgery last August to remove benign tumors from an ovary
‘That was probably the best thing that could have happened to me, honestly… I’m only young once and I really want to make the most of this moment in my life.
“The opportunity that I have to race in the Olympics, not only as an Olympian, but for medals and gold medals, is very rare, so I just want to take every opportunity I can and enjoy the moment.
“I think when I was younger I was always just looking at the next thing, the next thing, the next thing, but as I get older I try to get lost in the moment and enjoy it more.”
Titmus says she is more relaxed now than she used to be when she was on the big stage.
“When I was younger, I was always just looking at the next thing, the next thing, the next thing,” Titmus said.
“But as I get older, I’m really going to try to get lost in the moment and really enjoy it more.
‘Olympic trials are unique and many people naturally get nervous about them; you have your only chance to make the team.
Titmus is preparing to swim her first competitions during the selection trials for the Paris Games
“But I’m excited to get out there and race and have fun and really think about why I started swimming – it’s because I just love the water and I love swimming.
“You have to remind yourself of that when you’re racing.”
Titmus will start her first final of the 400 meter freestyle trials on Monday evening.