At the Atlanta Olympic Games back in 1996, a 19-year-old Casey Legler was teetering on the brink of total self-destruction. After setting a world record time in her qualifying heat for the women’s 50-metre freestyle, she bombed out the following day and fell headfirst into a life of binge drinking, drug dealing and sexual abuse. The only thing was, these themes were not new – looking back on Casey’s intense and unusual childhood, these seemed like logical conclusions for a woman pushed to her absolute limit both personally and professionally. The difference is, Casey turned her life around – she fought her demons, got sober and came out a winner.

Casey Legler’s memoir Godspeed distils her early experiences as a child, from her natural talent through to harrowing abuse and extreme isolation that comes from living at the top of your field. Where Godspeed ends, this evening of conversation picks up – we get to hear about Casey’s personal triumph over adversity and how she found the light at her darkest point. Through her prose, Casey gives a language to loneliness and hope to the hopeless – a truly inspiring feat from someone who has lived through so much.

Ready to be inspired? You can grab tickets to Casey Legler: Godspeed right now through Brisbane Powerhouse. This is a one-night-only affair – so don’t sleep on it.