NEW DELHI: Australian cricket great Damien Martyn has shared another encouraging update on his health after surviving a life-threatening bout of meningitis that left him in a coma late last year, saying he is grateful to be able to walk and swim again.The former Australia batter, who featured in 67 Tests and more than 200 one-day internationals, was rushed to a Gold Coast hospital on Boxing Day after falling suddenly ill. He was diagnosed with a severe form of meningitis — a potentially fatal infection affecting the brain — and placed in an induced coma for eight days as his condition deteriorated.
A month after the frightening episode, the 54-year-old says he is making steady progress. Martyn took to X to share an update, posting a photo from the beach and thanking everyone for the support he has received.“I can’t believe it’s been a month from yesterday that I was rushed to hospital. It’s certainly been an eventful January, but the love and support still pouring in has been overwhelming. To the people that have shared their stories of having this disease and how they coped during and after, it has helped me immensely, so I thank you.“I’m on the mend and looking forward to getting back to my normal self. To be honest, it makes you appreciate so many things. I’m so happy to just get back on the beach, have a walk and swim,” Martyn wrote on X.His recovery has struck a chord across the sporting world, drawing an outpouring of support from fellow cricketers and fans. In an earlier post — his first since returning home from hospital — Martyn revealed how close he came to losing his life.After emerging from the coma, he initially struggled to walk and speak, though his condition improved rapidly over the days that followed.“My life was taken out of my hands…when meningitis took over my brain, and unbeknownst to me I was placed into a paralysed coma for eight days to help me fight this awful disease. After being given a 50/50 chance of surviving, I came out of the induced coma 8 days later… not able to walk or talk. This experience has reminded me of how fragile life is, how quickly everything can change and how precious time is! Bring on 2026… I’m back!” he had posted on X.Born in Darwin, Martyn made his Test debut at just 21 during Australia’s 1992–93 home series against the West Indies, replacing Dean Jones. He went on to captain Western Australia at 23 and became a key figure in Australia’s formidable batting line-up through the late 1990s and early 2000s.He amassed 4,406 Test runs at an average of 46.37, including 13 centuries, with a highest score of 165 against New Zealand in 2005. In white-ball cricket, Martyn played 208 ODIs and was part of Australia’s 2003 World Cup-winning squad, famously scoring an unbeaten 88 in the final against India.Though his playing career is long over, Martyn is now focused on rebuilding his health — something he says this experience has taught him never to take for granted.
