He would likely have placed higher than sixth at the 2004 Olympic Games if not for an ankle injury sustained before traveling to Athens.
However, at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki, A. Varnikas stood on the highest podium, winning gold with a result of 87 m 17 cm.
But soon after his titles, the life of the Estonian athlete took a downturn.
In the 2005-2006 season, he experienced panic attacks, and the rising tension led the athlete to start numbing it with alcohol. Thus began a vicious cycle.
“He drank for ten years,” said former A. Varnikas coach Aivaras Karotamamas to “Iltapelhti.”
In the documentary “Andrus” released last year, A. Varnikas admitted that in 2009 there was a period of several months when he drank a liter of vodka every day.
“It was brutal: I drank 30 liters of vodka per month,” the former world champion openly said in the film by Madis Reimund.
Alcohol sank him even deeper. “Then I was overwhelmed by depression, sadness, and other things. It was terrible because I was drunk all the time and always wanted to drink more,” A. Varnikas admitted.
Having won medals at world championships, he was awarded substantial state prizes, but the reward of hundreds of thousands disappeared.
A. Varnikas had to sell his luxury apartment in Tallinn.
In 2010, he was caught drunk driving in Tallinn and lost his driving license for several months.
He had gone to work in construction in Finland, but even there he had to leave the country due to alcohol consumption during working hours.
The turning point came in 2014 when the former Estonian sports hero received a two-year suspended sentence for assaults on his former girlfriend.
As part of the sentence, there were therapy sessions – compulsory treatment for alcoholism. A. Varnikas was ordered to live soberly, or the sentence would be changed to real imprisonment.
Therapy and treatment helped. Now A. Varnikas lives soberly.
“In a way, every day is a battle,” he said in the documentary. “But I no longer fight nervously. I am prepared and positive. Even if I am sad, the sadness passes. It is very important to enjoy every moment and every day.”
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The former javelin thrower moved to live with his mother in his childhood home in Antsla, southern Estonia.
In recent years, he has been working as an athletics coach.
“Some say Andrus is not a normal person. I say the best athlete in an individual sport cannot be completely normal,” laughed A. Karotamamas.
The longtime coach confirmed that his protégé is doing well now:
“He has been sober for ten years.”
Where to report and seek help
If you need urgent help
Call emergency number 112
If you are in a suicide crisis, or seeking help for someone else
www.tuesi.lt
If you have experienced violence
www.epolicija.lt
If you need emotional (psychological) help by phone or online
www.klausau.lt
If you are a child and need help
www.pagalbavaikams.lt/
If you need help with child rights issues
Call helpline 8 800 10 800 or send a message to the State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service at the Ministry of Social Security and Labour in the chat box “Let’s Talk.” You can report violations at child rights protection departments, by filling out a form on the Service’s website, or by calling 112.
