By Dayne Hudson
His name is Clint Eastwood, and just like the heroic characters played on screen by the actor of the same name, he's every bit as invincible.
The 37-year-old from Illawarra is the kid they couldn't kill, who has set his sights on becoming Australia's first triathlete on dialysis despite a lifetime of bad health.
By the age of 21, Clint had 3 kidney transplants, resulting from a series of illnesses including tonsilitis, croup and strep, with doctors amazed at how he kept pulling through.
"I've been dead on the table before, and bounced back every time" Eastwood tells FIT'N'FLEXED.
"I must be here for a reason. That's what I keep saying to myself everyday, but I just don't know that that is yet."
Clint spends almost 20 hours a week on dialysis, yet continues to remain optimistic.
Spending so long on dialysis brings upon it numerous other health issues.
Clint has renal bone disease, Renal amyloidosis (joint problems from continual toxin "deposits"), Irritable Bowel Syndrome (due to long term medication effects & 100's of operations), suffers an increased cancer/stroke risk, and lowered immunity - all a complication of long term dialysis.
It doesn't get easier, but Clint also doesn't give up.
"A lot of people ask me about my name, and the name sake, and one of the things I say to myself is, 'do you feel lucky, punk?', and I can answer: yes, I do."
His second kidney transplant when he was 9, came from his father, who tragically shot himself dead for reasons Clint doesn't know.
"There's my father on life support in one hospital, and I'm in another getting his kidney. It still affects me now, even though it's about 28 years later.
"I suppose as they say, sh*t happens. A lot happens to people in life, and why it does, no one knows." Eastwood said.
"It's been tough, but there's a lot of other people in the world who are much worse off. I still have my sight, I still have my legs, I can speak, I'm relatively healthy and fit, I'm fortunate.
"Life goes on, if that's what you choose.
"You have to make the best of what you've got" he said.
Facing his fourth kidney transplant 3 years ago, Eastwood had what he describes as the "big meeting" with doctors, to decide his fate.
"I was told if I had the rare fourth transplant, it's a 200% chance it would kill me. So I just asked if I could stay on dialysis, to which they replied: 'well you probably won't make 40!'"
Clint says the news came with mixed emotions.
"In my head there was a list of things I still wanted to do, jump out of planes, dive in the ocean with sharks, visit places I've never been, I wasn't ready to call it quits. I wanted to become Australia's first dialysis patient to complete a triathlon - that's at the top of my list" he said.
"I want to go out with a bang...If you're told you have something terminal, what do you do? Do you sit home and watch TV? Do you just get upset and call it quits, or do you get out and make life worth living?"
"Some say I have to live up to the hype of the name! Everyone in some way can make their life mean something."
But just before January 2014, Clint Eastwood wasn't so optimistic.
"A few months back I'd had enough, things had got pretty bad."
"I drove to Melbourne from Jervis Bay to tell my mum I was stopping dialysis, ending my life, and told her to plan my funeral, because I'd be gone in a week" he said.
"But within a couple of days something happened, something in my mind changed, maybe I saw the light. I wanted to prove to myself that even in my darkest times, there's always a light that will keep you going, and that you can do anything you set your mind too. It just takes a belief in yourself and a little bit of hard work, and you can do it."
Clint then fled back home from his mum's place, with a fresh outlook on life.
"I raced back from Melbourne, to literally sign up and start at the gym, before I had even been home to unpack my bags!"
"Having put on some weight, hitting the 'tonne' (100kg) it was an alarm bell in my head" he said.
Clint also credits Shad Ireland, a triathlete in America, for one of the other inspirations behind his change of heart.
"Shad Ireland was someone I was reading about on the internet, I don't even know how I came across it, but his story inspired me. He's the first person in the world on dialysis, who has not only competed in triathlon, but finished an iron man event. So I want to make Australian history and do the same."
So far, Clint has lost 20kg from his vigorous training in preparation for his triathlete event in March 2015.
"The loss of 20 kilos has completely changed my life - I'm eating better, living better, enjoying life and living everyday to the max. I'm a different person than I was before new years. There's a long road ahead still - but I'm planning on being awesome!"
Clint got another reality check in July of 2014, when doctors informed him his recent training is adding further stress to his body, and that he only has 2 years left to live.
Clint chokes back tears when he talks about the day he got this news.
"I can't help geting upset about it, but I know it doesn't fix anything. But you just feel like you're running out of time with so much to do and so much to achieve."
Clint knows training to make history will shorten his life, but isn't fazed.
"Why not just live for the moment?" he says.
And that's exactly what this incredible and inspiring man from the Illawarra is going to do.
CLINT EASTWOOD'S TIMELINE OF EVENTS:
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AGE 2 - Gets Croup (similar to whooping cough) and stops breathing a few times
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AGE 4: Gets a tonsilitis infection which ends up taking both his kidneys
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Begins dialysis.
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AGE 7 - Has his first kidney transplant
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AGE 9 - Goes through a second Kidney transplant - getting the kidney from his father who shot himself dead for reasons Clint doesn't know.
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AGE 21 - has a THIRD transplant which nearly kills him. Spends 12-14 months in hospital with critical pneumonia on a respirator.
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AGE 33 - Has the "big meeting" with doctors about the next step. They said if he had a rare 4th transplant, it's a 200% chance he'd die. Clint takes the option of remaining on dialysis, but is told he won't make 40.
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AGE 36 - Just before New Years Eve 2014 - Clint decides he's had enough. He drives to Melbourne from Jervis Bay, to tell his mum he's stopping dialysis, ending his life, and to plan his funeral. He'd tells his family he'll be gone in a week.
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Clint gets inspired. He hears about a guy in America called Shad Ireland, the only dialysis patient in the world to have acomplished triathlon and then become an Iron Man!
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Clint decides he wants to make history and do the same, but in Australia! He rushes home from his mum's house to join the gym, begins training, losing 20 kilos. Begins loving life again.
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JULY 2014 - Clint is told by doctors he has 2 years left to live due to the added stress his excessive training is placing on his body.
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NOW: Is every day working towards his goal of making history and becoming Australia's FIRST ever dialysis patient to complete a triathlon.
HOW TO HELP CLINT EASTWOOD
You can donate to help Clint Eastwood acheive his incredible dream via the bank account I've set up below.
A big thanks to the Commonwealth Bank of Australia who have assisted me in setting this fundraising account up free of charge, for a very good cause.
Your donated money will go towards the gear required for Clint to complete the triathlon, along with helping out with his travel/adventure dreams.
Simply label your donation description as "Clint's Journey".
Thanks a lot for your support!
Account name: DAYNE HUDSON TRADING AS FITNFLEXED
BSB: 062-347
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 1066 1657
You can follow Clint Eastwood on INSTAGRAM: Via @clinteastwoodaustralia.
And a big thanks to 2XU and SCODY for their support of CLINT EASTWOOD during his journey!
