Former swim sensation Ian Thorpe has been announced as an eye health ambassador for Specsavers.
Australia’s greatest Olympian has discovered he needs glasses and is encouraging all Australians to have an eye test every two years.
New research from Specsavers found 9 out of 10 Australians aged 35 years and older rated sight as the most important sense, but 6 million of them were failing to book a regular eye test.
Thorpe said: ‘We under appreciate our eyes until we start having issues. Of all the things I have done in the past, and everything I want to do in the future, it has made me realise what a big part good eyesight plays. I’ve used my eyes throughout my career – I actually couldn’t have done it without them.
‘I decided to have an eye test about two years ago after I noticed I was straining to read and missing words, but I should have had one before they reached that stage.’
Specsavers now has 324 stores in Australia.