Olympic Swimmer Tears up Discussing Daughter’s Death

A former Olympic swimmer fought back tears while talking about the death of her daughter. Lisa Curry was recently interviewed by ABC News Breakfast about her autobiography and her episode of Australian Story. She was asked about her recent losses, including her daughter Jaimi and mother Pat. 

“I am reluctant to even touch on them because I know it is so raw for you … but the reason I want to talk about it is because mental health in this country and what you want to see come in the future is so important to you,” Millar said, per ABC (Australia). “Why are people falling through the gaps?”

'I want Jaimi's life to have mattered': An emotional Lisa Curry discusses her grief over daughter's death https://t.co/T7BScqSA5y

— ABC News (@abcnews) May 2, 2022

Jaimi, who died in 2020, lived with an eating disorder and alcohol addiction. Curry also talked about the issues of mental health not being treated and managed properly. “I just don’t understand how we can be so brilliant at so many things in the world but we can’t work this one out,” she said. “Obviously, there is different causes for different people at different times in their lives, and it is complex and it is difficult and it is this toxic beast — that is what I call it in the book — that takes over somebody’s mind. “If I had the answer, I would shout it to the world, but we don’t have the answers yet and I struggle with that.”

In Curry’s new book, Lisa: 60 Years of Live, Love and Loss, she get’s “really honest about Jami,” because she wants to help other people. “I haven’t told all the stories because the book would be double the size, but I want — like all my lessons, all my hardships, all my losses and all my fear — I want it to matter,” Curry said.”I want Jaimi’s life to matter and it wasn’t in vain, and I have already had a message yesterday from a lady who, because of Jaimi and her struggles and what happened, she has talked to her daughter who is struggling as well and they are on the road to recovery.”

Curry, who will turn 60 on Sunday, competed in the Olympic Games in Moscow (1980), Los Angeles (1984) and Barcelona (1992). In her career, Curry won 15 gold, seven silver and eight bronze international medals. In 1985, Curry was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.