Broken Open

Description

The true story of how ABC broadcaster Craig Hamilton stared down his demons to survive a mental breakdown. Broken Open is the story of ABC sports broadcaster Craig Hamilton and how, on the eve of the biggest undertaking of his career, he suffered a complete mental breakdown. Instead of covering the Sydney Olympics Craig was confined to a padded cell in a mental institution and later diagnosed as suffering bipolar disorder. This catastrophe not only denied Craig his place at the Games, it almost ruined his career and turned his role as devoted husband and father into a living hell. From his initial shocking breakdown to his gradual and eventual recovery, Craig sifts through the evidence to identify the warning signs that might have told him he was in serious trouble. This trail identifies a family man who could be so typical of any of us. It illustrates that mental illness is not something that just happens to other people. It is an issue much closer to home and touches many more lives than we could ever imagine.

Craig Hamilton is a broadcaster with ABC Radio who has worked on National Rugby League games for the past eight seasons. In that time he has covered Grand Finals, State of Origin Games and Test matches involving Australia, working alongside league greats Warren Ryan and Wayne Bennett as well as ABC personailities Peter Wilkinson and Fatty Vautin. Craig also broadcasts first class cricket nationally on the ABC as a ball-by-ball commentator and worked as an interviewer on the ABC's national Test cricket coverage. He presents a popular Saturday Breakfast program on Newcastle's 1233 ABC. Before beginning a successful broadcasting career, Craig worked as an underground coalminer for 16 years.