"Hitting rock bottom": Mick Fanning reveals life after punching shark
<p>Despite fighting off a Great White shark live on television in South Africa five years ago, Mick Fanning says that fatherhood has been the greatest challenge yet.</p>
<p>The shocking footage was watched by thousands of shocked onlookers, with Fanning suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and nightmares of the accident for years afterwards.</p>
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<p>It hasn't stopped Fanning from living his life, as he and fiance Breeana Randal welcomed their son Zander Dean Fanning just three weeks ago.</p>
<p>Fatherhood has been 'mind-bending' for the Penrith-born surfer, and is the pinnacle of a tough few years since the shark attack. </p>
<p>"For me, 2015 was such a down year," Fanning shared on <em>60 Minutes</em> on Sunday night. </p>
<p>"I went through a divorce, had the shark incident and then at the end of it all I lost my brother. I was just totally empty at the end of it. I was done."</p>
<p>Fanning was also unprepared for the publicity storm after the attack.</p>
<p>"That was the one that just floored me. I was like 'what else? What else can be taken in a year?' At the end of 2015, I just hit rock bottom," he said.</p>
<p>Fanning opened up about the "emptiness" he felt for the 18 months afterwards.</p>
<p>"I felt like I had nothing to give, nothing to give myself, or to the people around me, or to family or friends. I just didn't see a way of coming back," he said. </p>
<p>"I've never felt that empty before, I just lay in bed, did nothing, wouldn't leave the house."</p>
<p>Five years on from the experience, he is now living with his wife-to-be and wants to grow his family.</p>
<p>"It's incredible,' he said of fatherhood. "Just the love and care that you can give to a human, it's wild. So mind-bending."</p>
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<p>As part of his much-needed healing process, Fanning travelled to the Bahamas to confront his fears by swimming with sharks.</p>
<p>"I never hated sharks, I respected them and was scared of them, but never hated them... they're a very powerful creature," he said.</p>
<p>"I'm definitely still scared of them."</p>
<p>Fanning admitted he still isn't comfortable back in the water and has accepted his limits.</p>
<p>'In the past, I would've pushed my instincts to the side and said ''no I'm just being soft'', where now if I feel those instincts come up, I just go. I don't have to prove myself to anyone,' he said. </p>
<p>Fanning previously told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/weekend-australian-magazine/after-the-year-from-hell-mick-fanning-confronts-his-traumas/news-story/409bbc16ae919318f99c528dab4d5d86" target="_blank" class="_e75a791d-denali-editor-page-rtflink">The Australian</a> he had post-traumatic stress disorder and "freaks" out whenever somebody splashes behind him in the water as it was a reminder of the six-metre beast that attacked him back in 2015. </p>
<p>"I mean, it's like I'm in the actual position I was in, it's a reality dream," he said.</p>
<p>"You sort of learn your body can do so many things to make things real and not real and I just had to learn, 'OK, that moment's been done. It's not real. These dreams are just coming back'."</p>
<p>He says sharing with his friends and family for support helped him get through the experience.</p>
<p>"I thought I was going to die. I guess everyone watching on from the beach that day, and on the live broadcast all over the world, thought the exact same thing," Fanning said.</p>
<p>"That's what helps, talking about it," he said.</p>
<p>"Not being shy to ask for help. There were times throughout the year where I was trying to hide stuff and my friends would be like 'what's up'. It wasn't just for the one, two weeks. It was six months, 12 months, 18 months."</p>
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