Father’s suicide haunts Ironman Hurst

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Ironman champion Ky Hurst has revealed how he’s been haunted by the suicide of his father.

Hurst’s father Tim Peach - a former top grade rugby league player and Sunshine Coast-based surfer - died of a drug overdose in January, 1999, just as his then 18-year-son was emerging as one of Australia’s greatest surf life saving stars.

Peach’s family say he was receiving treatment for chronic depression and acute pain from a broken wrist at the time of his suicide.

Brought up by his mother Kerrie with younger brother Dane on the NSW central coast, Hurst said he had little contact with Peach during his childhood.

He said he tried to build a relationship with his father in his mid-teens and regrets not making more of an effort.

“I was 18 when it happened, and I was shocked and numb when Mum told me he was dead,” Hurst said in an interview in this week’s New Idea magazine.

“What happened hit us hard as a family. I often think about him - there were so many unanswered questions. Even if I wanted to, I could never erase him and what happened from my mind because he was my Dad.”

Hurst’s parents never married - he takes his mother’s surname - and contact with Peach was usually limited to birthdays and occasional meetings.

He remembers Peach as “fit, strong and good-looking - a big, solid, sporty guy”.

“Once I grew old enough to make my own decisions I thought I ought to try to make it happen - build the relationship everyone should have with both of their parents,” he said.

“It’s the biggest regret of my life that I didn’t keep in contact when I had the chance.

“If I’d gone to see him and reached out to him it may have changed something, but I’ll never know.”

Gold Coast-based Hurst, a four-time national ironman champion whose grandfather, uncle and mother have all excelled in surf life saving, is now focussing on swimming.

The 24-year-old is set to take on training partner and multiple Olympic and world champion Grant Hackett in the 1500m freestyle at next year’s Commonwealth Games trials.

Hurst, recently a competitor on Channel Seven’s Dancing With The Stars, also aims to contest the 10km open water swim event which has been added to the 2008 Beijing Olympic program.