Twists and Turns

by Matthew Mitcham

People kept remarking on how they were surprised that a gold medal and fame hadn't changed me. I always responded, 'Why would I change? Being me is the easiest person to be.' I was lying. It wasn't. At the Beijing Olympic Games, he made history with an unforgettable dive, the first to ever score perfect tens from all four judges, and won gold for Australia. Grinning with pride from front pages around the world, there was no hint of the personal demons that had led this supremely talented young dynamo to quit diving less than two years before. Joyously out and proud, Matthew was a role model for his courage both in and out of the pool. Yet the crippling self-doubt and shadow of depression that had plagued him all his life forced him into premature retirement, at one point reduced to circus diving to earn money. Even after Beijing and being ranked No 1 in the world, those closest to Matthew could not guess that beneath that cheeky, fun-loving exterior he was painfully aware of how easily it could unravel. In the lead-up to the London Olympics, when injury threatened his hopes, he will have to find the strength again to balance his striving for perfectionism with the fear of his self-doubt taking hold again. Told with the honesty and courage he is admired for, Twists and Turns is an inspiring story of a true champion, in and out of the pool.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Australia, LGBT, Autobiography, Sports, Gay

345 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2012

About the author

At 11, champion trampoline gymnast Matthew Mitcham was discovered by the Australian Institute of Sport Diving Program. He became a national junior champion, represented Australia at the 2006 Commonwealth Games and the 2008 Beijing Olympics, achieving the highest single dive in Games history and becoming the first Australian male to win a gold medal in diving since 1924. His many awards include the 2010 World Cup, 2010 and 2011 Canadian Cup competitions, along with four silver medals at the Commonwealth Games and he is ranked No.1 in the world in 10m platform. He is also one of Australia's most prominent 'out and proud' athletes.

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Oh my God. That was a good dive. Could it win me bronze? Could it win me silver? No, Matthew, that is just too much to ask for.”

Wow, I have never believed that a biography could capture me from the very first pages, let alone the entire book. After all, why would I be interested in a person who I don’t know anything about (asides from the fact that he is a diver) and have only seen a few times on television? I am so glad I was recommended this read from a friend because Mitcham takes us, as mere readers, on such an epic journey. He writes in a stream of consciousness and the fact that he is so open, honest and humble about his greatest mistakes and successes are what make this book so captivating. I felt everything he felt, and was taken on a journey through all his highs and lows.

When he was self-harming, I cringed. When he hoped that he would recover from his injuries, so did I. When Mitcham won gold at Beijing, it was as if we were right there on the sidelines cheering him on, peeking into his thoughts before the final dive and standing on the podium with him – ultimately, appreciating what he achieved. That is how well he tells his story. Even the little things resonated to me. His affection for his partner Lachlan when he won gold, and even the fact that he dedicated this book to Marcus, Mia and Ky. It shows that he is a role model to all, particularly to young Australians who need the encouragement to overcome their demons.

Yet, the reason we become so enthralled by his experiences is because he leaves no questions unanswered. He dives into the deep end and exposes his history of self harm, depression, anxiety, drug addiction. He bares his fears, doubts and darkest moments and it is left up to us to learn and be inspired by this.

Some may choose to not read biographies because “they are boring”, “who would want to read about another person’s life” or “I’m just not into that inspirational stuff.” But at the end of the day, those are simply excuses. Let Mitcham show you what dreams are made of, what defines hard work and determination, and what difference a healthy mental attitude can make “for something incredible (to) happen”.

[Adrian · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not the most brilliantly written book, and it's structure is extremely loose. It's more in the confessional rather than memoir mode.

I still liked it, though: there's something about Mitcham's stream-of-consciousness honesty that makes this work interesting and at times heartrending. Plus, it's nice to hear someone talk about their depression without a touch of pathos associated with it.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

An extraordinarily open and honest memoir, which offers incredible insights into Mitcham's life and battles faced.

The book provides a chronological account of Matthew Mitcham's sporting journey from being raised by a single-mother in trying circumstances in Brisbane, competing in trampolining competitions in home-made leotards, to becoming an Olympic gold medalist. But there is much more to it than just sport. Mitcham offers an honest and raw account of battles he faced with anxiety, depression and drug dependency, how he overcame them and, more importantly, how he almost didn't. The story is also one of belonging and acceptance, with Mitcham being the first openly gay male Olympian, and becoming a leader for the LGTBI community.

The writing itself is simple (and could be better), but the story is incredible, brave and honest and I definitely recommend.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not one for reading a good deal of non-fiction, any more than I am normally interested in reading about the lifestories of athletes. I first became familiar with Matthew Mitcham when I saw the YouTube clip of him playing "Roam/Rome" on his ukelele, and I have been impressed with him ever since. Reading about his life (which he reviews in an emotional and upfront manner) has been amazing. To see where he has come from, how he looks at problems, and even to read about how easily someone can find alternative ways to deal with how their life goes, was all very rewarding. His vocabulary in the text was incredible, and I felt like he was just sitting down and chatting with me for the entirety. He looks at many of his experiences - both good and bad - and reviews them in a frank and mature manner. I found myself empathising with so much of his mindset, especially through reading about his struggle with depression. He comes across as a young man who is proud of who he is, and what he has managed to do. Through reading this book, I feel a fresh wave of confidence about tackling problems head on, and forcing yourself to take risks in order to achieve the things you want in life. An incredible story about the incredible journey of an incredible man. It was refreshing to read that his sexuality is incidental to who he is; how he doesn't see himself as an ambassador for the gay community, but rather a gay ambassador for humanity. I feel rewarded for having read this autobiography.

[Sean Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Matthew Mitcham comes across as charming on the page as he does on the screen whenever he is performing or diving. He also speaks candidly about his depression and drug use, both flaring up again after his gold medal win when he should have been on top of the world. The book is really good at showing what happens after the Olympics, and the stresses an athlete can put on themselves emotionally and physically - especially when coupled with being the only gay male Olympian in the village, at least, the only open one and becoming a global gay icon.

However I still must protest his defence of Stephanie Rice - I'm sorry, but if the first word that comes to mind when you want to insult someone is the word 'faggot', then you shouldn't be so easily forgiven or have it passed off as a brain fart.

[Robert Dart · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well written autobiography of an awesome Australian battler who against the odds managed to turn life and circumstance around and become one of the greatest divers in Olympic history.
Twist and Turns delves deep into his depression and will test readers ability to continue but to truly understand the desperation of depression you really need to read on, which in turn highlights the magnitude of his successes both emotionally and from 10 metre platform.
An inspirational read.

[Jason Kivela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Insightful to the life of celebrity I like. Very honest. Great to see his life seems to be getting better.

[yasmin · Rating 5 out of 5]

i've been a fan of matthew mitcham for a few years, mostly on the basis of his attractiveness and personality. quite shallow, but i did enjoy his talent.
i received this book on christmas after weeks of being excited for its release (watching matthew retweet little reviews and photos made me kind of jealous, to be honest)

i sat down and started reading, concluding to myself that i definitely needed to sit down and absorb this book as much as possible, one day in january and never got around to continue reading it, due to homework and assignments and just not wanting to finish it.

from beginning to end, i loved it.
reading matthew's struggles and self-realisation, resonated with me. even though i never went as far as he did, his mindset is one that i currently possess.
it just shows how much someone could hide their true feelings.

nevertheless, mitcham's book was extremely well written and his courage to write such is amazing.

through the olympics, i began to class him as one of my role models and inspirations.
this book only reinforced his position.

definitely worth the read - no matter if you're a fan or not.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of Sports, The Olympics and Auto-Biographies. So this was a book I was dying to read for months on end. When I got it I was so thrilled but my boyfriend couldn't figure out why.

Matt Mitcham is such an idol to many. He writes so well and he is such a character. He bought me to tears, because I realised that... We went through the same thing because of the same situation. The way he progresses inspired me and I just admire him so much.

I know a lot of people hate auto-biographies, especially about athletes. But this is one courageous and inspiring story that you will NOT regret reading. I think about that story all the time and just get inspired every single time.

I can tell you right now, he is more than a gold-medal Olympic diver who happens to be gay. He is more than what you see.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

An inspiring read, covering Matthew Mitcham's first 24 years shares his highs and lows. Without being navel-gazing or apologetic, Mitcham's descriptions of what drove him to dive, to hate the sport, and to abuse drugs and alcohol as a result of depression can be tough going, but through it all he keeps perspective and an Aussie sense of humour. What he has had to contend with, psychologically and physically makes his recent trio of medal wins at the Commonwealth Games even more heartening. I also came away with a greater appreciation of the difficult of diving. And I liked how although keeping his sexuality no secret, he doesn't act as a spokesman for gay rights. On the contrary, rather than being a gay role model he's simply a role model.

[Boris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Matthew Mitcham comes of the written page as charming as he seems to be in his interactions with fans and the general public, but there is so much more hidden behind the funny exterior of this young man.

It takes a great amount of courage to admit issues with bipolar disorder, self-harming and drug use. Reading this book was an emotional roller coaster, laughing from how fun e can often be, crying for the turmoil and the pain in his life and thinking about the set of talents, the drive and the sacrifices needed to be an Olimpic competitor.

A must read for fans of Matthew, but a very good read for everyone.

[Lachlan · Rating 3 out of 5]

On friday, while at forster, i bought matthew mitcham's autobiography 'twists and turns' at kmart, which talks about his journey to diving, while battling depression, drug addiction and anxiety problems. i have just finished it, and i very much enjoyed it and learnt so much about facing problems head-on. here's one quote that just clicked with me:
"Winning doesn't necessarily mean happiness, and failure can mean growth. When things don't work out in life, it can actually build the strength of your character. And if you celebrate all of your achievements, big and small, you'll always be a winner." :D

[James Spurgeon]

I decided to take a break from history for one book (though I was reading a history book at the same time). I've been a fan of Matthew Mitcham even before his gold-winning dive in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. I don't have really much to say about the struggles he has gone through and the ones he still faces except that he is still amazing and that I will always be a fan.

"Actually, the older I get, the more I realize how much I still have to learn and experience and do. This is only the first chapter of my life, but if the first 24 years are anything to go by, I'm really looking forward to seeing how the rest of the story goes..." (pg. 301)

[jhube · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very brave Matthew Mitcham has written about his own life without sparing any details. He opens up about many things that will definitely shock you when you read what he has overcome: drugs, depression, rebellion - things you wouldn't normally expect from an Olympian. The book will also teach you some lessons on life and handy diving lessons.

This is a great and easy read. 'Twists and Turns' is a book I do recommend. I look forward to more written works by Mitcham, be it autobiographical or fiction.

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an rare insight into the life of an elite athlete. Matthew is brutally honest about the challenges he faced , both personally and professionally. Matthew won gold for Australia at the 2008 Beijing Olympics by performing the single greatest dive in Olympic history. As a swimmer myself, I found his story particularly interesting. He is now openly gay and a fabulous role model for young people. He suffered from several challenges, including depression. His honesty in discussing these issues is to be admired and hopefully, will help others with similar issues.

[Trevor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read. Matthew writes a very personal and open account of his life and the struggles that he has to overcome to get where he is today.
I would have preferred that the construction of his writing to be a little more complex but for a first book it is great.
I'd love to see him write more books as his style will improve as he practises more. Maybe his life after diving can be as an author.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit loosely structured as these kind of books goes but I appreciated that. It feels like the book just flowed out of him. He was telling you the story of his life how he would sit down and tell you himself.
It was a very honest look at his life so far. It was moving and candid. I zoomed through the book. I admire Matthew even more after reading this.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

This book was what I expected and hoped for - a good and simple read. What I hadn't anticipated was honesty of Matt who describes his struggles, particularly throughout his teenage years, with drugs, depression and his coach Hui. While the writing wasn't anything spectacular, the book is definitely worth reading.

[Matt Cheetham · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible read. Matthew speaks openly and honestly about the trouble he has faced in life. He really tells it how it is and isn't afraid to be honest about his mistakes and troubles.

Definitely worth a read.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book worth buying. He doesn't hold back on anything. I can still remember where I was when I saw him win gold for Australia back in 2008. He's an inspiration to all LGBT youth proving that we can overcome anything they throw in our way.

[Richard Dedor · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a simple, and fun read. You definitely get an insight into who Matthew is, even if the writing is pretty elementary. I do recommend this for any sports fan, LGBT person, and anyone who needs inspiration through tough times. Or, anyone who just wants a good read!

[Tegan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the greatest written book in the world, but reasonably short (my Kindle app tells me it takes roughly 4 hours) and I devoured it. I feel like the recently-out, depressed and anxious me of a few years ago would have liked it more than current me. Still, 3 stars.

[Partha Nandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its easy to become popular, but a person becomes an inspiration when he is bold enough to share not only his ups but his downs,too, with the people that exists around him, known or unknown. Thank you Mat for the inspiration you have become..

[Hanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

bored

[Mike Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

a great read - full review here

http://0651frombrighton.blogspot.co.u...

[Mark Hines · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story of his personal struggles with depression & drug addiction. Could relate. Interesting read. Well done to a local hero.

[marta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Matthew Mitcham is one of my favourite people in the world. That's all I have to say about this book I guess.

[Lucas · Rating 1 out of 5]

Revealing

This booked helped me more than any therapist ever gas to face and understand my inner demons. Thank you Matt.