Boxer and TV star Renee Gartner reveals her ‘toughest opponent’ is depression

EXCLUSIVE: TV star and boxer Renee Gartner reveals how she is bounching back from her ongoing fight with depression admitting that at her lowest point she tried to take her own life.

BOXER Renee Gartner has courageously revealed that she has battled her toughest opponent outside the ring - depression - and at her lowest point attempted to take her own life.

The gregarious media personality from the northern beaches says she was at her most vulnerable point in June this year when she attempted suicide.

While she has worked with suicide prevention programs, Gartner kept her own issues with depression to herself.

“I was probably guilty of not speaking about it for a long time,” she said.

“I knew I had it, I was probably using it more to help others and try to ignore where I was at personally.

“You put two faces on to a degree, it becomes a character that you play top make people not question where you are at.”

Renee Gartner is back in boxing training after suffering depression. Picture: Martin Lange.

In June things came to head when her illness led to spending a week in hospital getting treated after her own suicide attempt.

“I had some really bad lows and sometimes when you woke up in the morning it would feel like you had been told your whole family had died,” she said.

“Nothing had happened, nothing had rocked the boat that day but leaving your bedroom or leaving your house was almost impossible,”

Gartner admits it was hard coming out and admitting she had depression, but by having that conversation it started a thousand others.

“I’ve had a few people contact me since who have gone and asked for help or felt a bit more comfortable knowing that they are not alone - and if that has happened I am happy to speak about it a bit more,” she said.

Renee Gartner takes the fight to depression.

Former boxer Renee Gartner

“I’d say I am a lot better because I am more honest with where I am at. People around me are a bit more aware there are days when I am going to be low.

“It would definitely be my toughest opponent and sometimes you are backed up against the wall and you do have to fight through it.

“You also have to be comfortable knowing you are going to have a bad day and that is part and parcel of it.”

Gartner has resumed her successful media career and will the MC at a big fight night being held at Dee Why RSL club on Friday night.

She has also resumed her boxing training and hopes to have a fight by the end of the year.

“It took a long time for me to step in there and I have only just gone back in,” she said.

“For me boxing was my therapy and I used that as a huge way of dealing with it whenever I was down because when you get in there you don’t think about anything else.”