'3 YEARS OF HELL'
I was broken by alcoholism, depression and split from girlfriend before Olympic qualification, says Adam Peaty
Peaty qualified for the 2024 Olympics with an impressive time
OLYMPIC champion Adam Peaty has bravely opened up about his battles with alcoholism and depression.
Peaty, 29, burst onto the scene at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, where he won gold in the 100m breaststroke and 4x100m medley.
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The Staffordshire-born superstar has since won three Olympic gold medals and two silvers.
But throughout his career Peaty has continued to be open and honest about his battles with mental health.
After taking a step back from the sport to focus on his wellbeing, he has rediscovered his passion for swimming and returned to the pool in preparation for this year's Olympics in Paris.
He qualified for the games on Tuesday after winning the British 100m men's breaststroke title.
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When asked after the event if he was feeling back to his best, Peaty said: "I think so. A 57.9 is very good, still not where I want to be, but the first solid result where I am like, 'Oh, not many people can do this'.
"I felt so light in the water. This is a real win for my team, my family and myself.
"We have come through the past three years of hell. I didn't want to see a pool again. The sport had broken me.
"I didn't know what route to go down and so many things got in my way, but now I am waking up each day and enjoying my job.
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"Who knows what the ending is going to be but I am having fun along the way. It may not end up as a fairytale, but it might."
Peaty's qualifying time of 57.94 seconds was his quickest time recorded since the 2021 Olympics.
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The 29-year-old was unbeaten for eight years in the 100m breaststroke from 2014 to 2022 before taking a break from swimming to focus on his mental health.
Peaty broke his foot in May 2022 and was rushed back for the Commonwealth Games two months later.
He subsequently finished fourth, his worst result in eight years.
After the Games he struggled with the breakdown of his relationship with Eirianedd Munro, the mother of his young son.
Peaty had previously opened up about his relationship with alcohol.
In 2020 the Brit revealed that he turned to alcohol after the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
He told the : "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.
"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."
But in 2023 he admitted that his faith had contributed to his improved mental health: "I go to church every Sunday. It’s been the last few months and it’s definitely helped.
"It’s about being a better person. Not only being a better athlete and fulfilling my gift, but also being a better dad for George. There are so many other reasons. It gets quite deep. But it’s great to be a part of."
Peaty is currently dating Holly Ramsay, 24, daughter of world-famous TV chef Gordon Ramsay.
They first met when Holly's sister, Tilly, was competing alongside him on Strictly Come Dancing in 2021.
Holly confirmed that they were dating last June, just under one year after Peaty split from Eiri.
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Peaty suffered a nasty cut above his eye in September after an altercation with GB team-mate Luke Greenbank.
He allegedly cracked a joke about Greenbank’s girlfriend, Anna Hopkin, which led to the bust-up.
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If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans for free on 116123.
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