‘I’ve finally got my twins back!’

Clean and sober for seven months, Olympic great Grant Hackett couldn’t wait to show his kids he’s a changed man

Looking tanned, fit and healthy, Grant Hackett finally seemed to have the sunshine back in his life when he landed in Melbourne last month for a long-awaited reunion with his eight-yearold twins Charlize and Jagger.

“Grant was so happy when he finally got to see them,” reveals a close friend. “He was so excited that day.

“The people closest to Grant know how much the twins love and miss their dad – I believe he’s the missing link in their lives. Charlize is his little girl, Jagger a lovely little boy.

“The long-awaited reunion was very emotional for those close to him. And in a really nice way, Grant was – understandably – a little nervous, too.”

It’s been 10 months since Grant, 37, has seen the children he shares with his ex-wife, singer and actress Candice Alley, following a series of public embarrassments that forced him to leave the country in February and enter rehab in the US.

The triple gold-medal-winning Olympic hero was arrested at his parents’ Gold Coast home after an alcohol-fuelled argument, and, friends say, felt betrayed when his father Neville and brother Craig then went public with his mental health issues.

PUTTING HIS KIDS FIRST

“He has done absolutely no drugs or drinking since the stuff back in February,” confirms his close friend. “The last 12 months have been the worst 12 months of his life, and he missed his kids more than anything, but he knew he had to get sober. “He’s loving being clear-minded, and he’s incredibly fit, focused and healthy. It’s just wonderful to see him happy and totally and utterly focused on becoming the best dad he can be. “It’s overwhelming and hard for him to let go when he sees the kids. He just wants more and more of them! They’re constantly on his mind. “When he saw them for the first time after coming home, it was the first time he’d felt completely happy in a long, long time. It was also the first step in building a new relationship with them.”

To that end, Grant has rented a spacious t two-bedroomo bedroom apartment in East Eastmelbo Melbournerne to spend as much time as he can with the twins, who live with their mum. He’s spent the past month setting up their bedroom and shopping for everything they need.

“He hasn’t bought a place yet, because he wants to try before he buys,” his friend says. “But he almost certainly will buy a place to give the twins the security of knowing they also have a home with him in Melbourne.”

ROAD TO RECOVERY

Since arriving back in Australia, Grant has been splitting his time between Melbourne and the Gold Coast, where he owns an apartment overlooking Mermaid Beach – “which he’ll never sell, because the twins love it there so much”.

Friends say Grant is taking his recovery one day at a time, and credits US Olympic swim legend and close friend Michael Phelps – who reached out to him in February – with helping him finally overcome his demons.

Michael, who also has a history of drug and alcohol problems, counselled Grant, eventually driving him 700km from his Arizona home to a recovery centre in Malibu, California, to complete his rehabilitation.

Grant recently told The New York Times he and Michael compared notes on what they would tell their children about their dark moments, with Grant revealing he had already spoken with a child psychologist about how to explain his life to the twins.

“There will be conversations that need to be had and a certain strength you’ll have to find,” he says.