Ariarne Titmus reveals ‘perfect timing’ of surgery will allow Paris Olympic title defence

Ariarne Titmus is back in the pool after surgery to remove benign tumours on her ovary, and the Aussie says she was willing to be open about her battle with fans, no matter what the cost.

As someone whose sporting success depends on moments that occur in fractions of seconds, Ariarne Titmus knows timing is everything.

So rather than being bitter about the benign tumours that were discovered on her ovary in September which required surgery, the two-time Olympic champion and world record-holder is grateful they were picked up when they were.

Had the tumours, which were discovered during a routine MRI on her hip, been discovered in the Olympic year, the 23-year-old would have been left with an unenviable decision between her health and the defence of her Olympic titles.

Titmus said she gained valuable perspective from the health scare.

It was a reminder that her overall health and wellbeing, and the opportunity to become a mother after her sporting career, were of paramount importance.

Once those were assured, Titmus took a glass-half-full view of what the scare meant for her Olympic defence.

Ariarne Titmus after completing the heats of the 200m freestyle at the Queensland State titles – her first race since surgery to remove tumours from her ovary in September.

“I’m so grateful that we picked it up when we did,” Titmus said.

“It was almost the perfect time to get it out.

“I imagine if I had had the scan in February or March, it would have completely derailed my Olympics.

“There’s no chance if I had the surgery (then) that I’d be able to perform at the Olympics like I would want to.

“I guess I’m must really grateful that I had the scan and I had the opportunity to say, ‘right, I’m going to get it out right now’.

“If I had picked it up next year, I would have been in that mental battle of ‘do I leave it and run the risk of risking my health, or do I get it out and ruin my Olympic campaign’.”

Happily that wasn’t a decision she had to face.

One she did, though, was whether to reveal her condition before news of the procedure leaked out.

Having had hospital staff ask for selfies and autographs while in care was somewhat confronting for someone about to have surgery for the first time in their life and led to the decision to tell all on social media.

On the inside, she was freaking out.

“I’ve never had an operation before and this wasn’t something where I was going under to get a shoulder op and get my tendon repaired,” she said.

“I was actually having my reproductive organ worked on to remove something that could have put me at risk of not having children.

“So to have people around you asking for photos in the hospital, it is quite confronting, but you really have to put on that front.

“I have a presence in society for my swimming and I feel like I just try to be as real as I can and accommodate those people that are fans, I guess.

“But you never think that when you go into hospital to have an operation in your surgical gown that people are going to ask you for a photo.

“I think that’s what pushed me to say something because I wanted to speak to it on my terms and not have it come out through someone else.”

Ariarne Titmus is back in the water after surgery. Photograph: David Kelly

Titmus raced for the first time since the operation at the Queensland state titles on Sunday.

She moved comfortably through to the final of the 200m freestyle, in which she will face teammate and world record-holder Mollie O’Callaghan.

She has racing tired, without the benefit of what would usually be a slight ease in her training load heading into such a meet.

However, she and coach Dean Boxall have time to make up.

“I’m probably racing the tiredest I’ve ever been in my life,” Titmus said.

“I’m really playing catch-up at the moment and trying to get as much work in as I can, so I’m pretty buggered racing here.

“I definitely have time but I don’t have time to waste.

“I think I’m actually in a better position now that I thought I would be. Post-op we were quite conservative with my recovery, we just didn’t want anything to go wrong.”

Cutting through the abdominal wall meant there was a “massive risk of hernia” after the operation.

It gave the woman who earnt the nickname “The Terminator” for her attitude to training and racing the challenge of pacing herself at a time when she would usually be getting plenty of work under her belt.

Titmus will be aiming for more glory in Paris. Photo: Getty Images

“It was really challenging because one part of me was, like, I want to get back into it and I want to rush to get back,’’ she said.

“But another part of me was, no, my health is the most important thing.

“Recovering just as a human being is more important than pushing my body to be the athlete that I am, so there was a fine line.”

For now, though, Titmus is grateful to have not only recovered but to have been able to raise awareness about an issue that affects thousands of women.

“I think it’s put a lot of things into perspective for me, what’s important in life,” she said.

“Swimming is not everything, it’s this tiny chunk of my life and there’s so much more that I want to do after swimming.

“But it also makes you realise what a small portion of my life being an athlete is and how much I want to make the most of this opportunity, so I think it’s been a good thing for me.”