Michael Klim: KLIM

KLIM is an inspirational memoir of Australia’s nicest hero, a world champion who continues to endure life’s tumble turns, keeping his head above water no matter what comes his way. Join Michael as he shares his fascinating life story, in conversation with sport journalist and Olympic expert Nicole Jeffery.

Michael Klim's journey to greatness began behind the Iron Curtain, in communist-era Poland. His family made a bid for freedom in the 1980s and immigrated to Australia, where swimming became his passport into a new culture and eventually led him to become one of his adopted country's great sporting heroes.

His crowning moment came at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, where he captured the hearts of millions with his gold medal performances and world record-breaking swims.

But being a champion athlete does not come without personal challenges. Beyond his achievements in the pool, Klim's life has been equally compelling. Through transitions in the business world, family life and major health trials, his natural buoyancy kept him afloat – until he faced a crisis that forced him to reassess his life and fight for his future.

Michael Klim OAM is a world champion Australian swimmer, Olympic gold medallist and successful entrepreneur and philanthropist. He competed in three Olympic Games and won six medals, including two gold. He has won 11 Commonwealth Games medals and 26 World Championship medals, and has held 20 aquatic world records. Since 2020, Michael has lived with a rare autoimmune disorder, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). He has established the Klim Foundation to provide support to sufferers and champion the search for new treatments. 

Nicole Jeffery is an Olympic expert who was The Australian’s chief Olympic writer from 1993 to 2018. More recently, she served as Head of Communications at World Athletics in Monaco, before returning to Australia last year. She has worked at 14 Olympic Games (summer and winter), 6 Commonwealth Games and multiple world championships. She is a Kennedy Award winner for sports journalism (2013) and a published author (Klim and Beyond the Limits: The Alyson Annan Story).