Heartbroken Olympic swimmer Geoff Huegill coke confession SAS Australia - WSTPost

Geoff Huegill has discussed how his marriage fell apart after he and his former wife, Sara Hills, were charged with cocaine possession in 2014. 

In a searing episode of SAS Australia, which aired on Monday night, the former Olympic swimmer broke down as he revealed the awful impact that fateful night had on his family.   

‘We got pulled aside by the police and I was searched. And basically in the blink of an eye, our life turned upside down,’ he said during an interrogation with the show’s Directing Staff. 

Difficult truths: Geoff Huegill (pictured) has discussed how his marriage fell apart after he and his former wife, Sara Hills, were charged with cocaine possession in 2014

‘I was carrying a lot of shame and a lot of guilt that I’d put my family through that process. And it led me to a point where I had to make the call to leave my family.’

Huegill, 42, and his former wife, Sara, married in 2011, and split in 2018. The couple share two daughters, Mila, nine, and Gigi, seven.  

Following their divorce, Sara, 37, reverted to her maiden name Hills and relocated to Tasmania.  

Loss: In a searing episode of SAS Australia on Monday night, the former Olympic swimmer broke down as he discussed the impact that fateful night had on his family. Huegill, 42, and his former wife, Sara, married in 2011, and split in 2018. The couple share two daughters, Mila, nine, and Gigi, seven (both pictured) 

‘I definitely have regret. My biggest one would be not being in my kids lives on a daily basis, because of our marriage separation,’ he went on.  

‘That’s been a big eye opener because as you guys know life gets taken away from you in a blink of an eye,’ Huegill added, as he broke down. 

‘When I retired from sport for the second time, the only thing I ever cared for was family. The only thing I ever lived for after swimming was just to be a dad,’ he continued, swatting away tears. 

Shame: ‘I was carrying a lot of shame and a lot of guilt that I’d put my family through that process. And it led me to a point where I had to make the call to leave my family,’ he said while breaking down in tears 

‘I definitely have regret. My biggest one would be not being in my kids lives on a daily basis, because of our marriage separation,’ he continued

‘It’s something that I loved and wanted to be. It hurts me to be in a position where I don’t get to live with my girls on a day to day to day basis. The last time I got to hold them was 18 months ago.

‘I lost my family basically and everything changed in a blink of an eye.’

The athlete admitted that he had periods of depression since the marriage breakdown, but now hoped to redeem himself. 

Exit: Following their divorce, Sara reverted to her maiden name Hills and relocated to Tasmania. Pictured with Sara in 2010

‘I’ve had times where I sat there and thought there would be an easier way out. But I’m very proud of the fact that I’ve been able to pull myself out of some pretty dark times,’ he said.  

‘If there’s ever a message I want to share with my kids, it’s to get them to understand and recognise that life isn’t going to be easy. The most important thing is how we pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off. ‘  

Huegill was at Royal Randwick racecourse on April 26, 2014 with his wife when they were caught on CCTV cameras entering a disabled toilet together. 

‘It hurts me to be in a position where I don’t get to live with my girls on a day to day to day basis. The last time I got to hold them was 18 months ago. I lost my family basically and everything changed in a blink of an eye,’ he said

‘When I retired from sport for the second time, the only thing I ever cared for was family. The only thing I ever lived for after swimming was just to be a dad,’ he said while shedding tears 

The Huegills were guests at the running of the Australian Turf Club’s $400,000 race, the Champagne Stakes, which is sponsored by Moet & Chandon.

Police noticed the couple stayed in the toilets for some time. When the Huegills re-emerged and returned to the Moet & Chandon private box, police interviewed and around 5.45pm allegedly took possession of a small bag of cocaine.

A group of police then made a detailed search of the area with a sniffer dog.

Charge: Huegill was at Royal Randwick racecourse on April 26, 2014 (pictured) with his wife when they were caught on CCTV cameras entering a disabled toilet together. The Huegills were guests at the running of the Australian Turf Club’s $400,000 race, the Champagne Stakes, which is sponsored by Moet & Chandon

Caught: Police noticed the couple stayed in the toilets for some time. When the Huegills re-emerged and returned to the Moet & Chandon private box, police interviewed and around 5.45pm allegedly took possession of a small bag of cocaine. Pictured at court in 2014

‘Police were patrolling Randwick Racecourse as part of their normal duties,’ a NSW police spokesman told the MailOnline.

‘They were directed to a suite in the grandstand by security guards where a 35-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman were allegedly found with a small quantity of white powder, believed to be cocaine.’   

The Daily Telegraph reported Huegill was seen being escorted from the Moet & Chandon lounge by police. 

Bond: The pair were both handed six-month good behaviour bonds without convictions at Waverley Local Court in May 2014 (pictured), after they were caught with the drug at Sydney’s Randwick Racecourse 

Huegill broke his silence and issued a brief statement to reporters outside his Darlinghurst home in the wake of being charged, alongside Sara, in April 2014.

‘I realise that this has caused some commotion,’ he told reporters.

‘Some people feel that they have been let down and I deeply apologise for that. But I would ask everyone to understand that a this matter is before the courts I won’t be making anymore other statements until the matter has been resolved. 

‘Thank you very much and we will speak to you again soon.’

Apology: Huegill and Hills apologised to their two daughters after pleading guilty to cocaine possession. ‘The two most important people that we want to apologise to our two beautiful daughters,’ Huegill said

Following the drug charges, Huegill was dropped as a national ambassador for AustSwim – Australia’s peak water safety and training body. 

AustSwim CEO Gordon Mallet told MailOnline the move came after 10 years’ service from Huegill and described the situation as ‘regrettable’.  

‘At the moment we’ve suspended his activities for us, pending the outcome of further legal outcomes,’ Mr Mallet said.

Dropped: Following the drug charges, Huegill was dropped as a national ambassador for AustSwim – Australia’s peak water safety and training body. Pictured with Sara in 2012

‘The alleged incident is out of character but Austswim has zero tolerance and we’ve suspended the relationship to let natural justice take its course’

Mr Mallet said he has shared written correspondence with Huegill since the drug charge became public and that ‘he’s extremely upset and remorseful’. 

Huegill and Hills apologised to their two daughters after pleading guilty to cocaine possession.

Sorry: Huegill and his wife also offered apologies to the people they had let down saying they understood their would be consequences for their actions

The pair were both handed six-month good behaviour bonds without convictions at Waverley Local Court in May 2014, after they were caught with the drug at Sydney’s Randwick Racecourse.

The swimmer said at the time they were relieved the incident had been dealt with and offered up apologies outside court to his daughters. 

‘The two most important people that we want to apologise to our two beautiful daughters,’ Huegill said.

New lease: In October last year, Huegill ‘quietly’ welcomed a baby boy with a woman known only by the name Roxy, according to reports 

‘We realise that whilst they are quite young at the moment, at some stage in the future we are going to have to have this conversation with our girls.’

Huegill and his wife also offered apologies to the people they had let down saying they understood their would be consequences for their actions.

Magistrate Claire Fornan did not record a conviction saying that the consequences in their lives would be greater than anything a court would impose.

Record: Huegill was the world record holder in the 50m butterfly between 2000 and 2003. Pictured: Bronze Medalist Huegill, Gold Medalist Lars Froelander of Sweden and Silver Medalist Michael Klim of Australia after the Men’s 100m Butterfly Final at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games

She told Huegill that his actions were disturbing behaviour for a role model, according to Nine News.

‘It’s disturbing that someone who is looked up to by members of the community, particularly young members of the community, chose to behave in this way,’ Magistrate Farnan said. 

Huegill has in the past credited his wife, a former publicist, with turning his life around after a battled with obesity, drugs and depression. 

Battles: Huegill has in the past credited his wife, a former publicist, with turning his life around after a battled with obesity, drugs and depression. Pictured together in 2015

He revealed then that he had taken drugs and suffered from depression when he retired from swimming after the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Free of the discipline of 4am starts, Huegill engaged in binge drinking and became so hooked on fatty food that he put on 50kg. He also said he had suicidal thoughts.

‘My life from about 2005 to 2007, I experimented with many different things. I guess that’s a story that’s in my past,’ he told the Nine Network. 

Huegill was the world record holder in the 50m butterfly between 2000 and 2003.

Return: He made a successful comeback and won gold medals at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games, and a bronze at the 2011 World Championships in Shanghai. Pictured in 2011

He made a successful comeback and won gold medals at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games, and a bronze at the 2011 World Championships in Shanghai.

The Olympian retired from swimming after the 2004 Athens Olympics but made a comeback when he won two gold medals at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

He retired again from competitive swimming in 2012.  

In October last year, Huegill  ‘quietly’ welcomed a baby boy with a woman known only by the name Roxy, according to The Daily Telegraph.  

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Career end: He retired again from competitive swimming in 2012