Former Olympian Lisa Curry has fought back tears during an emotional interview while discussing her mental health after the death of her daughter, who lived with an eating disorder and alcohol addiction.
Curry was discussing her new autobiography and Australian Story episode on ABC News Breakfast.
Host Lisa Millar asked about Curry's recent losses, with the death of her first-born daughter Jaimi in 2020 and mother Pat earlier this year.
"I am reluctant to even touch on them because I know it is so raw for you … but the reason I want to talk about it is because mental health in this country and what you want to see come in the future is so important to you," Millar said.
"Why are people falling through the gaps?"
Curry said she struggles to comprehend why mental health remains a challenge to treat and manage.
"I just don't understand how we can be so brilliant at so many things in the world but we can't work this one out," she said.
"Obviously, there is different causes for different people at different times in their lives, and it is complex and it is difficult and it is this toxic beast — that is what I call it in the book — that takes over somebody's mind.
"If I had the answer, I would shout it to the world, but we don't have the answers yet and I struggle with that."
Millar then asked if there was "happiness for Lisa Curry right now?".
"Yes, there are days when I am good and there are days when I am not and there are days when I am a complete mess," Curry said.
"If my husband is not around me, I fall into a hole.
"If I have got something around me and something to do and stay busy, it is OK."
A visibly emotional Curry then struggled to speak as she described the difficulty of being out in public.
"But I am just doing what I can do, you know," she said through tears.
Her husband, Mark Tabone, then came into frame to comfort her through her tears as she described the hardship of her recent losses.
Curry said she has "been really honest about Jaimi" in her new book Lisa: 60 Years of Life, Love and Loss.
"I haven't told all the stories because the book would be double the size, but I want — like all my lessons, all my hardships, all my losses and all my fear — I want it to matter," Curry said.
"She said 'I just want you to know that it has really helped my daughter to survive'."
The mother's story was something Curry said "Jaimi would really love" and "some consolation".
"Another reason why I have been so open is because Jaimi wanted to write her own book herself to help other people," Curry said.
"I hope I am doing her proud and I want what I have done and I want what has happened to us to matter and I want Jaimi's life to have mattered."
She said doing PR for the book launch was "usually the fun part" but she was already sick in the stomach and fighting back tears with the thought of the questions she would face.
"Now more than ever I need my hubby by my side, but when he can't be, I just have to stay strong," she said in an Instagram post accompanying snaps of her with Tabone.
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