- Star and ex-wife were caught with the drug in 2014
- The scandal that resulted caused him to reach rock bottom
- Huegill recently revealed a diagnosis that changed his life
Geoff Huegill’s shocking cocaine bust with then-wife Sara Hills sent him to rock bottom in 2014. However, the swimming champion has revealed there was one “very positive” aspect to the scandal – he was diagnosed with ADHD.
The 45-year-old man and his ex-wife shot to fame when they were caught with a small amount of the drug in a disabled toilet at Sydney’s Randwick Racecourse, sparking a media frenzy.
Both pleaded guilty to drug possession and were given six-month suspended sentences.
Although they avoided conviction, the scandal was the beginning of the end for the couple, who have two daughters, Gigi and Mila. They announced their separation in 2018.
Earlier this week, Huegill admitted that the incident caused him to hit rock bottom, before he decided to quit drinking, which led to him being diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
But on Friday he revealed that the drug bomb also had a silver lining.
Sunrise presenter Natalie Barr asked him about the fallout from the scandal and told him it was ‘front page news all over Australia’.
“Yes, and actually all over the world. That was really good in some ways, because I now have a better understanding of my reach,” Huegill replied with a smile, before he began to talk about how his condition has affected him.
Huegill and his ex-wife Sara Hills are pictured on the day they were caught with cocaine at a horse race in Sydney in 2014
The swimming legend revealed the positive side of the drug scandal that rocked him during a TV appearance (pictured) on Friday, saying the media storm that followed at least proved how famous he was.
“One of the things I’ve learned on this journey, especially with this diagnosis, is the science and the symptoms of having this disease. [ADHD].
“The ADHD brain works in a lot of different ways. One of the big things is impulsiveness, spontaneity is probably a big thing too.”
The Olympic medallist and Commonwealth Games champion said forgiving himself has been an important part of his life, but also said having the condition has been a huge advantage when he competes.
“ADHD is like a superpower, it was amazing for me because I was a professional athlete,” he said.
“It really helped me focus on the things I needed to focus on and cut out the noise of things that weren’t relevant to what was happening in the sport.
‘It was clear that the transition to the next phase of life, where I could no longer concentrate on anything and where I no longer felt the same passion, that was where I noticed the real challenges.’
The 45-year-old (pictured after winning bronze at the Sydney Olympics) said his ADHD was like a “superpower” when he was swimming, as it allowed him to focus on the sport
During his previous appearance on SBS’s Insight In his program, Huegill revealed the impact of the cocaine bust.
“I lost sponsors. I lost job opportunities. I was building businesses — I had to close all those businesses,” he said.
“Even though I wasn’t convicted of a crime, it was still ‘death by media.’”
Of his relationship with Sara, Huegill added: “Unfortunately, I lost that marriage. There were a lot of other factors why that marriage didn’t work.
‘It’s only when your life is in the spotlight that people deal with pressure in a certain way. That’s the hard part.’