He was overcome with glandular fever (which bordered on chronic fatigue syndrome) and his times had gone nowhere for months. He knew that his Olympic dreams were disappearing, he felt so ill that he questioned whether or not it was worth continuing to swim at all.
He would train all week and then spend all Friday night vomiting, even being rushed to hospital on the last night of a State Championship. He'd lost lots of weight, and yet no-one knew what was wrong with him - even his blood cells were of a strange and unusual shape, and he was becoming more and more depressed with each day. He was absolutely desperate to make the Olympics - it was his only goal in life at that time, yet he knew that with every kilo he lost, that his chances of making the team were growing slimmer. He was even questioning whether his life was worth living, he was reaching the lowest point a human being could reach physically and mentally.
Then by chance someone put him in touch with a naturopath who was just the right person for him at that time - and his physical improvement was almost instantaneous, as he began growing stronger within weeks. Unfortunately, his recovery was not quick enough - he missed out on the 1996 Olympic team by 0.3 seconds and by one position. Anyone else would have given it away at this time, but this is not what champions do. Because he was beginning to feel healthy again, he decided to hang in there another four years for the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.
He retreated to a caravan to a remote place in Western Australia, where he spent many lonely weeks on his own, surfing unbelievable waves during the middle of winter - this was his therapy. During this time he sorted his thoughts out, and came back stronger than before - yet he still missed the team for the 1998 World Championships. Still he decided to keep on trying. But deep down he must have known he was on the rise - he took out silver in the 200m at the Commonwealth Games. Finally, he had achieved some results for all the work he had put in, and this was much-needed fuel for his Olympic ambitions.
He consolidated this performance at the 1999 Pan Pacs in Sydney to secure fourth place behind Thorpe, Kilm and Hackett in the world record 4x200m freestyle relay. This paved the way for Kirby to secure his dream of making the Olympics.
He is now the sixth fastest swimmer in the world over 200m, and fourth fastest in Australia after the big three of Thorpe, Klim and Hackett. He is on the 2000 Australian Olympic Team in the 4x200m freestyle relay, yet it's a miracle he's there at all. So if you're doing it tough, hang in there - miracles do happen.
