Inside West Coast star Jake Waterman’s ulcerative colitis comeback

AFL star Jake Waterman was diagnosed with a lifelong gut disease. The next year, he made the All-Australian team. This is how.

Jake Waterman has opened up about his gut health.

AFL star Jake Waterman’s focus on gut health helped him mount a remarkable comeback from being stuck on the couch due to a lifelong illness.

Before a match in 2023, the West Coast Eagles forward was suffering from severe symptoms such as nausea, cramping and diarrhoea.

“I had to fly home and get myself into hospital because I couldn’t do anything, I was too ill,” the 27-year-old said.

After spending weeks in hospital, he was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis (UC).

Waterman described this period of his life as “a blur.”

“I woke up every day in pain, stuck on the couch trying to sleep again,” he said.

“It was an ongoing cycle, with not much hope.”

Waterman, who has been open about his struggles surrounding UC, said he was depressed for months, with little hope to return back to footy.

“I was down in the dumps, feeling horrible,” he said.

“I just wanted to feel normal again.”

However, after patience and persistence, he was able to get back to doing what he loves.

By cutting out processed foods and focusing on nutrition, he said improving gut health and diet was a key factor in his return to the field.

“As much as I’m an elite athlete, nutrition wasn’t previously my forte, but it now has to be,” he said.

“I had to limit processed foods as much as possible.”

Jake Waterman, pictured this year. Picture: Daniel Carson/AFL Photos

Last year, he was named in the All-Australian team and was West Coast’s leading goal kicker.

As an ambassador with Crohn’s and Colitis Australia, Waterman said he truly felt for those struggling with an inflammatory bowel disease — a term that covers both Crohn’s disease and UC.

“I recently went to a Crohn’s and colitis day, and I was able to speak to some young kids and parents about their struggles and hardships,” he said.

“My situation doesn’t hold a candle to what they’re going through … my heart breaks for them.”

Jake Waterman attending a Crohn’s and Colitis Australia event.

Out for the season due to a shoulder injury, Waterman said he would continue to share his story if it meant helping others.

“I feel like I’ve got an obligation to speak up and shine a light on these conditions,” he said.

Gregory Moore, head of inflammatory bowel disease at Monash Medical Centre and board member of Crohn’s and Colitis Australia – the national body supporting people with an inflammatory bowel disease – said UC caused ulcers on the surface of the bowel or colon.

“It can cause symptoms like diarrhoea, bleeding from the bottom and severe fatigue,” he said.

Like Crohn’s disease, UC has become increasingly common in Australia.

“We’re expecting that around 200,000 people will develop inflammatory bowel diseases and UC will affect half,” he said.

Associate Professor Moore said a healthy, balanced diet could lessen symptoms and decrease the likelihood of developing such diseases.

“We generally recommend a plant-based or Mediterranean-style diet,” he said.

Originally published as Inside West Coast star Jake Waterman’s ulcerative colitis comeback