Olympic swimming medalist Adam Peaty says ‘God and church help me find peace beyond the pool’
“All these things actually do matter, it’s not about your job, it’s not just about performance.
“And to get that, the only place I found it was at church.”
Discussing his tattoo of a cross with the words “into the light,” Peaty revealed that he didn’t have “a community outside of sport” and found solace and fulfilment in God and attending church.
He added that everyday conversations with himself and prayers keep him inspired to use his God-given gift of swimming.
Peaty, who became the first British swimmer to defend his Olympic title in 2021, emphasised the mental toll of his struggles and his return to the pool with a renewed perspective.
“Being an athlete is 365, 24/7,” he said. “You will never have that normal aspect of life where you can do what you want.”
He acknowledged the emotional challenges of his sport, saying: “It had me in tears in the pool, I was like ‘this isn’t worth it any more, I don’t want to do this’.”
Reflecting on the balance between the love and struggle he has in swimming, Peaty stated: “You do enjoy it, but you also detest and loathe it sometimes because it takes away from the life you want to live.
“To be the best, and truly the best, you have to dedicate 110 per cent of yourself every single hour of every single day.”
Peaty concluded by highlighting the necessity of self-reflection and commitment in pursuing Olympic dreams.
“If you go to the Olympics, you have to write a contract with yourself and sign that contract and know if you are going to pay the cost, is that cost going to be worth it?”
“And will I be willing to pay that? I don’t want to live with the regret that I didn’t even try.”
• Peaty won bronze in the 100m event, but suffered a poor start in the 50m breastroke, recovering to finish fourth in the Qatari capital. The three-time Olympic gold medallist was visibly disappointed with his performance afterwards.
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