Who is Adam Peaty, and what has the British Olympic swimmer won?
ADAM Peaty was the first British swimmer to retain an Olympic title.
After taking a break from the sport he qualified for Paris 2024 on April 2 — here’s everything you need to know about the breaststroke specialist.
Adam Peaty won the 50m Breaststroke bronze with a British record on the opening night of the 2017 European Short Course Championships in CopenhagenGetty – Contributor
Who is Adam Peaty?
Peaty was born in 1994 in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire to parents Mark and Caroline Peaty.
He is the youngest of four children and attended Painsley Catholic College and Derby College.
The swimmer trains at the Derby Swimming Club and is mentored by Melanie Marshall, who won six medals at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.
His childhood dream was to be a fighter pilot, but he was too big and tall for the job.
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Now measuring 6ft 3in and weighing 13st 5lb, the Olympian is entirely focused on his future in swimming.
In 2016, Peaty said: “I’ve always been interested in speed.
“There’s a lot of education and hard work that goes into being a pilot but I’ve transferred that into swimming and being the best I can be.
“I’m obsessed by self-improvement.”
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He added: Your life can change in milliseconds.
“There’s probably another half a second I can take off in my swim. Hopefully we can achieve that.”
What medals has British olympian Adam Peaty won?
At the Rio Olympics in 2016, Peaty romped home in the 100m breaststroke in a brilliant 57.13 seconds with one of the most impressive swimming displays ever seen.
In the finals he smashed the world record he set in the semis to be crowned Olympic champion.
Peaty also scooped silver in the 4x100m medley relay with Chris Walker-Hebborn, James Guy and Duncan Scott.
Peaty kept hold of his 100 metre breaststroke title at the 2017 World Aquatics Championships, winning the race with a championship record of 57.47 seconds.
Swimming was once a second choice career for aspiring pilot PeatyPA:Press Association
He also broke his own world record twice in the 50 metres breaststroke.
Peaty recorded 26.10 seconds in the heats, and in the semi-final, he became to first man to break 26 seconds and won in 25.95 seconds.
He successfully defended his 50m breaststroke title with another sub-26 time of 25.99 seconds, completing another double at the World Championship.
Peaty won a further silver in the 4x100m medley relay, setting a new British record with same Olympic line-up of Walker-Hebborn, Guy and Scott.
After being recognised in the 2017 New Years Honours, he received an MBE from Prince William at Buckingham Palace.
At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, held in 2021 due to Covid-19, the swimmer became the first British athlete to defend an Olympic title when he won the 100m breaststroke.
He also took cold in the mixed 4x400m relay medley along with Kathleen Dawson, James Guy and Anna Hopkin.
Adam Peaty took a break from swimming in 2021 to concentrate on his mental healthGetty Images – Getty
What happened to Adam Peaty?
Over the last few years, Peaty has bravely opened up about his battles with with alcohol and depression.
In 2020 the Brit revealed that he turned to alcohol after the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
He told the Daily Mail: “After the Commonwealths, towards the end of the year, I didn’t have any races. And when you involve off-season and you involve partying and drinking, that’s a depressant in itself, so I was doing that a lot.
“I kind of, not went off the rails, but I didn’t really have that overwhelming motivation to perform at something. And I am a performer, so if I don’t have something to perform at, I completely lose my track.
Peaty won a gold medal and set a new world record at the 2016 Rio OlympicsPA:Press Association
“Add that in with all that partying and stuff, it wasn’t that great to have that all at once.
“It took a long while to recognise what was important to me and what wasn’t. I have found that thankfully now.
“I know exactly how to treat my body, how to treat my mind, and it’s not by forcing alcohol as much as you can.”
He also spoke about mental health in 2021 when he took a break from the sport, saying: “You’ll see people who are falling off, who go all the way through ISL [International Swimming League] and all the way through World Cups and by the time they get to Paris.
“You’re seeing it in all sports now. You’re seeing it with Simone Biles, you’re seeing it with Ben Stokes, mental health matters and it is about getting the balance right at that elite level.
“The amount of time that has been taken away from me with my partner and my boy — he doesn’t know it — but I want to make that time up. I’m going to enjoy it and recover.”
Who is Adam Peaty in a relationship with?
Peaty is in a relationship with Gordon Ranmsay’s daughter Holly.
She is one of Gordon Ramsay’s five kids that he shares with his wife Tana.
Holly studied fashion design at London’s Ravensbourne University but had to leave after her first year after she was admitted to the Nightingale Hospital – where she spent three months as an inpatient.
There, she was diagnosed with PTSD, anxiety and depression, and since then she has been in therapy up to three times a week.
She also decided to quit booze and put her mental health first after reaching her “lowest point”.
Working as a model and influencer, Holly is signed to EST Models and has 346,000 followers on Instagram.
She has her own podcast called 21 & Over where she talks candidly about her life and struggles with depression.
The chef’s daughter previously held a part-time job at clothes store Brandy Melville.
Peaty’s ex-girlfriend is Welsh artist Eirianedd Munro.
They met in 2019 while he was training at Loughborough University, where she was also studying at the time.
According to reports Eiri’s father, Tola Munro, is a police officer at Somerset Constabulary.
Her mother’s name is Llywela and she has two sisters, Carys and Abi, as well as a brother named Elliott.
On August 23, 2022, Peaty announced that he had split from Eiri.
Taking to Instagram, he wrote: “Eiri and I have decided to go our separate ways.
“We have enjoyed a wonderful three years together, 2 of those with our gorgeous son George.
“Our priority has always been to provide the happiest and healthiest home environment for him, and right now that means ending our romantic relationship.
“I could not ask for a greater mother for George and I am so grateful to Eiri for her amazing support over the last three years.
“Eiri and George, I’m sorry for letting you down.
“My only interest is for the well-being of our family at this difficult time so I ask that our privacy is respected and I won’t be saying anything further.”
Does Adam Peaty have any children?
Peaty shares one son named George-Anderson Adetola Peaty with his ex Eiri.
Adam announced the safe arrival of their baby boy in September 2020 in a picture captioned: “George-Anderson Adetola Peaty. 11/9/2020. 9lb 1oz.
“I’m so proud of you @eirimunro and I love you both incredibly.”
