Damien Martyn Recovers from Meningitis, Grateful for Beach Walks

The former Test cricketer, who played for Australia in 67 Tests and over 200 one-day internationals, was taken to a Gold Coast hospital on Boxing Day after suddenly falling ill. Doctors diagnosed Martyn with a severe form of meningitis, a potentially deadly infection that affects the brain, leading to him being placed in an induced coma for eight days as his condition worsened.

Now, one month on from the ordeal, the 54-year-old says he is steadily recovering. Martyn shared his progress on X, posting a photo of himself at the beach and expressing his gratitude 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.

Martyn's recovery has deeply resonated throughout the sporting community, prompting numerous messages of support from cricket figures and fans alike. In a previous post, also his first since returning home from the hospital, Martyn shared how narrowly he escaped losing his life.

After waking from the coma, he was initially unable to walk or speak, but his condition quickly improved in the following days.

"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, stepping into the side in place of Dean Jones. He later captained Western Australia at the age of 23 and became a mainstay of Australia's dominant batting line-up through the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Across his Test career, Martyn scored 4,406 runs at an average of 46.37, including 13 centuries. His highest score, 165, came against New Zealand in 2005. In limited-overs cricket, he played 208 one-day internationals and was part of Australia's 2003 World Cup-winning team, contributing an unbeaten 88 in the final victory over India.

While his playing days are long behind him, Martyn's focus now is firmly on regaining his health, something he says the experience has taught him never to take for granted.

- IANS