{"id":477492,"date":"2026-06-05T10:00:12","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T10:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/477492\/"},"modified":"2026-06-05T10:00:12","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T10:00:12","slug":"its-a-phobia-how-ariarne-titmus-faced-her-greatest-fear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/477492\/","title":{"rendered":"“It’s a phobia”: How Ariarne Titmus faced her greatest fear"},"content":{"rendered":"

For Australians, Ariarne Titmus is most associated with water. The Olympian has spent her life in it. We watched her glide through pools around the world, bringing home Olympic gold. Yet for years, there was one body of water she avoided whenever she could: the ocean.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a massive fear of sharks,\u201d Ariarne Titmus<\/a> tells The Weekly. \u201cI\u2019d 100 per cent say it\u2019s a phobia.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rather than letting that fear control her, Ariarne decided to face it head-on in Nine\u2019s new reality series SHARK!. In the series, six celebrities travel to the Bahamas, aka the shark capital of the world, to confront their fears underwater.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Joining Ariarne were legendary TV WEEK Gold Logie winner Lynne McGranger<\/a>, actor Matt Nable<\/a>, sportsman Sam Thaiday<\/a>, influencer Tammy Hembrow<\/a>, and The Block<\/a>\u2019s Scotty Cam.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"The cast of SHARK! .Credit : Nine<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we first got to the Bahamas, the bull sharks were swimming off the pier at the hotel!\u201d she remembers. \u201cIt was probably the most terrifying few weeks of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite the laughs and camaraderie, Ariarne\u2019s fear was real from the moment she arrived in the Bahamas. And, Ariarne, who knows the power of a team, shares that she \u201cdidn\u2019t want to let the team down.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Australians know Ariarne as the athlete who stands behind the starting blocks looking unshakeable. SHARK! reveals a different side of her.<\/p>\n

\"\"Ariarne Titmus on SHARK!. \u00a0Credit: Nine.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the responses when I am scared is crying,\u201d Ariarne admits. \u201cI do shed a lot of tears on this show, without even realising it. It was incredibly stressful for me. I did everything I could to try and get through the challenges and stay calm and prove to myself that I could do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

In fact, she shares that she relied on the mental fortitude she honed as an athlete.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI had to get myself into almost a performance mindset,\u201d she says. \u201cI had to stay present, think rationally and trust the people around us that were there to keep us safe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Until now, we have only really seen Ariarne as the performance athlete, winning gold medals for Australia at the Olympics; this was different.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"NANTERRE, FRANCE \u2013 AUGUST 01: Mollie O\u2019Callaghan, Lani Pallister, Brianna Throssell and Ariarne Titmus of Team Australia celebrate after winning gold in the Women\u2019s 4x200m Freestyle Relay Final on day six of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Paris La Defense Arena on August 01, 2024 in Nanterre, France. (Photo by Maddie Meyer\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was competing, I was always so confident in my ability, and I was never afraid that I wasn\u2019t going to be able to perform. But this was the polar opposite. I\u2019m petrified and totally out of my comfort zone.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, her team rallied around her, and one in particular was a soothing balm in the tense situation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOh my gosh, Lynne is one-of-a-kind,\u201d Ariarne says of her co-star.<\/a> \u201cWhen I first found out she was a part of the show, I was so excited because I watched Home and Away growing up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe is one of the best people I\u2019ve ever met in my life,\u201d she continued. \u201cShe was like the glue of the cast, and she\u2019s one of the funniest people you\u2019ll ever meet. Some of her one-liners are just hilarious. It got us through, you know, a really terrifying time.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of those is a memorable moment when Ariarne shows Lynne and Tammy two lucky charms on her bikini.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoobs,\u201d Lynne jokes in response.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Ariarne and Sam Thaiday on SHARK! Credit: Nine.<\/p>\n

So, if she didn\u2019t know how incredible the cast was going to be, why did she even put herself in that situation?<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was my partner, Mac, who said to me, \u2018I know what\u2019s going to happen. This show is going to air, and you\u2019re going to regret not having the opportunity to confront sharks\u2019,\u201d Ariarne admits.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Until filming began, Ariarne had never actually seen a shark in the wild.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d never witnessed a shark in person,\u201d she says. \u201cAll of my fear was based on negativity and fearmongering. I\u2019d never actually seen it for myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yet perhaps the biggest surprise was how much the experience changed her perspective.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m actually really excited for Australia to see what we did,\u201d Ariarne tells me. \u201cI learned so much about sharks and their role in the ocean, and, if they do attack, why they attack and what circumstances to avoid those situations. And if you do get bitten, how to react to save your life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA \u2013 AUGUST 14: Ariarne Titmus hugs father Steve during the Australian Olympic Games athletes charter flight arrival at Sydney International Airport on August 14, 2024 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Jason McCawley\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

But she still appreciates the magnitude of the animal:<\/p>\n

\u201cI know now more than ever how strong these animals are, how powerful they are and why they are apex predators. And so, yes, my fear hasn\u2019t vanished.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before this show, Ariarne admits that she would only go into the ocean knee-deep. Has that changed?\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve gone for a little ocean swim since the show, which I\u2019ve never really done before, but I\u2019m still apprehensive because I know they\u2019re out there. Having seen them firsthand, though, I know they don\u2019t want to bite you.\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019s one lesson that really stuck with Ariarne that has helped her with her fears: \u201cThey don\u2019t want to bite you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA \u2013 JANUARY 18: Ariarne Titmus and partner Mac Powell attend the Australian Open Set in Style Dinner at Melbourne Park on January 18, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by James D. Morgan\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\u201cLike when they know what you are and they can see you, they don\u2019t want to bite you,\u201d she shares. However, she also advises that the onus is on us as beings that live on the land to respect their home.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re in the wrong place at the wrong time and sharks mistake you and they\u2019re scared and they\u2019re protecting themselves, they don\u2019t have hands to see what we are. The only tool they have is their mouth. And that\u2019s where, unfortunately, tragic events like shark attacks can happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

What kinds of situations can be dangerous?\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t swim at dawn and dusk, don\u2019t swim at unpatrolled beaches, don\u2019t swim after it\u2019s rained heavily and the water\u2019s murky because that\u2019s where you put yourself most at risk.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m still very scared, but I don\u2019t look at sharks as the monsters I thought them to be anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

For a woman who once refused to venture beyond knee-deep water, that\u2019s a victory every bit as meaningful as a medal.<\/p>\n

SHARK! premieres Sunday, May 31, at 7.00 pm on Channel 9 and\u00a09Now.<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Profile\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDigital Editor – The Australian Women’s Weekly
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tOrlaith Costello\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tDigital Editor – The Australian Women’s Weekly\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Orlaith Costello is the Digital Editor for The Australian Women’s Weekly. She is the official Australian Survivor, Alone Australia, and MasterChef Australia correspondent and has the false belief that she could succeed in all three shows. Additionally, she covers everything from travel guides to lifestyle content, news coverage and everything in between. Orlaith (pronounced Or-lah) is from Ireland originally (recently became a dual citizen!). Yes, she does love\u00a0Derry Girls, Jessie Buckley, and hearty stews. She has been working in Australian digital media spaces since 2016 for Concrete Playground, The Plus Ones, WithWine.com, Cellarmasters, Smarthouse and ChannelNews. When she’s not editing or writing for The Weekly, you will find her flexing her green thumb with her ever-growing plant collection, sipping on whisk(e)y, and planning her next road trip or camping adventure.<\/p>\n

Sign up for our newsletter<\/p>\n

Sign up for the latest news from Australian Women\u2019s Weekly including offers and discounts we choose to share with you.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer: By joining, you agree to our Privacy Policy<\/a> & Terms of Use<\/a><\/p>\n

About your privacy Are Media Pty Limited collects your personal information through this site to process registrations, send out newsletters, communicate offers, discounts, competitions, or surveys, and to provide you with targeted advertising based on your online activities. Our Privacy Policy<\/a> contains information on how you can access or correct your personal information, which entities we may disclose your personal information to (including overseas recipients), how to opt out of targeted advertising, and how to lodge a complaint.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For Australians, Ariarne Titmus is most associated with water. The Olympian has spent her life in it. We…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":477493,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[221545,163,85,46,522,523],"class_list":["post-477492","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mental-health","tag-ariarne-titmus","tag-health","tag-il","tag-israel","tag-mental-health","tag-mentalhealth"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/477492","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=477492"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/477492\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/477493"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=477492"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=477492"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=477492"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}