HE is set to make his grand return to the world stage at the Paris Olympics, but Adam Peaty’s road back to the top has been far from straightforward.
Last year, the eight-time World Champion sensationally pulled out of the British Swimming Championships and amid battles with alcohol abuse and mental health issues.
Now the 29-year-old is ready to take on games again – and credits girlfriend Holly Ramsay and her TV chef dad Gordon with his recovery.
Adam has been dating the model and influencer since 2021 and this week, he opened up to Gordon in in a frank chat for BBC Sport.
And in a recent interview, Adam paid tribute to the family’s part in his return to the pool, saying: “Gordon just inspires me to be successful. Holly is obviously part of the core team every single day. She is on this journey with me.”
Here, we look at how Adam, from Staffordshire, overcame some of the lowest points of his life with the support of Holly and Gordon.
Before his romance with Holly, Adam was in a relationship with Eirianedd Munro, 26, with whom he shares a son, George, three. The pair started dating in 2020 after meeting on Tinder.
But rumours of strain in the romance began to circulate after his appearance on Strictly Come Dancing in 2021. He is said to have gotten close to his professional dance partner, Katya Jones.
After Adam and the professional shared a steamy dance where they nearly kissed, reports began to surface that there may have been more between them. The pair finished in ninth place.
Eirianedd appeared to make light of the issue and joked about it on Twitter, now X. But Adam’s woes were far from over.
For eight years, Adam went unbeaten in the 100m breaststroke. In July 2022, following a foot injury, he finished fourth in the Commonwealth Games, his worst result in a decade.
In August of that year, he and Eirianedd revealed that they had decided to end their relationship and focus their energy on raising their son.
In a statement, Adam apologised to Eiri and George, saying “I’m sorry for letting you down.”
As his mental health spiralled downwards, he found himself completing punishing laps in his training pool in Loughborough, as his goggles filled with tears.
He told his coach he was “done” with the sport and in March last year he pulled out of the British Swimming Championships, bravely revealing details of his mental health struggles.
He wrote on social media: “Very few people understand what winning and success does to an individual’s mental health. They don’t understand the pressures these individuals put on themselves to win over and over again.”
He suffered more controversy when it was revealed in September that he had to get stitches in his head after a fight with fellow swimmer Luke Greenbank.
Adam is said to have slapped Luke’s bottom while making a joke about his relationship with Olympic champion Anna Hopkin.
“As some people may know, I’ve struggled with my mental health over the last few years, and I think it’s important to be honest about it.
“I’m tired, not myself and I’m not enjoying the sport as I have done for the last decade.”
He also revealed that he had been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
In April, he went into more detail about his mental state in an interview with the Sunday Times.
He said: “I felt broken, desolate. I’d lost any sense of direction, purpose, let alone motivation. It was almost like I no longer knew myself. I couldn’t face one more day of it.
“I’d felt like a god on so many occasions. Now, I felt like a complete failure who’d let everyone down. When it all became too much I started drinking.
“It was good to feel numb for a while but that’s just the starting point in that downward spiral. Life lost its colour, its fun and joy.”
Adam and Hollie met through her younger sister, Tilly, when they competed in the same Strictly Come Dancing season.
Adam reportedly made a move after liking a bunch of pictures on Holly’s Instagram page.
While rumours of their romance swirled for ages, the pair finally confirmed their relationship in June last year. In a series of holiday snaps, Holly tagged Adam, sending both their fanbases into overdrive.
Soon after, they began posting pictures on dates in Manchester and on holiday in Cornwall, where Holly’s family has several holiday homes.
Last year, it was reported that Adam had started spending a lot of quality time with the Ramsays after Holly officially introduced him to dad Gordon, mum Tana, sisters Megan and Tilly, and brothers Jack and Oscar.
Holly’s father, Gordon, 57, known for his straight-talking and fiery temper on TV, appeared to have given the couple his seal of approval when he was seen out with them at Silverstone.
The pair’s relationship has become increasingly serious – at the beginning of the year, they revealed matching tattoos. Holly got the letter A by her ear while Adam inked H on his chest.
In October last year, Adam returned to competition in Berlin and won a bronze medal at Doha in February. At the British trials in April, he posted his fastest time in years to qualify for this year’s Olympics.
He has since credited his relationship with Holly and her family for helping him rediscover his love for the sport.
Speaking about Gordon in an interview, he said: “He’s an incredible energy to be around and an incredible person to have that guidance from.
“Gordon is a high performer. He worked his way up to the upper echelons of his industry and works in a place where there’s no bull***t.
WHAT TO WATCH TODAY...
THE PARIS 2024 Olympics started with a stunning Opening Ceremony – and now the Games really do begin.
SunSport brings you all the action taking place in the French capital on a thrilling first full day.
Josh Tarling and Anna Henderson are both in road cycling time trial action along the streets of Paris (from 1.30pm), leading today’s Brit medal hopes.
Michael Bargeron and Seonaid McIntosh team up in the 10m mixed shooting trying to win the first gold of the 2024 Games (10am).
In diving, 3m synchro pair Yasmin Harper and Scarlett Mew Jensen could medal (10am).
And Team GB expect a medal from their swimmers in both of the 4x100m freestyle relays (8.30pm).
While three-time Olympic gold medallist Adam Peaty begins his quest for 100m breaststroke glory (heat 10.30am, semi-final 8.15pm).
And Max Whitlock is eyeing a pommel horse medal for a fourth Games in a row as gymnastics qualifying gets underway (10am).
Click here for all the events taking place at Paris 2024 today.
Follow all the action as it unfolds with our Paris 2024 Olympics LIVE blog.
“I take a lot from that and from the professionalism he has every single day with a relentless pursuit.
“So, when I see that, I’m like, ‘Yeah, why can’t I work like this? Why can’t I do this every single day? Why do I have to be so emotionally engaged with things?'”
Adam also started attending church regularly and says his faith in God has transformed his outlook.
“I’ve come to full confidence in who I am, wearing my skin, and being true and authentically myself,” he told The Telegraph. “Church has helped me get to that state. When I look at myself in the mirror, I’m very peaceful.”
Gordon just inspires me to be successful. Holly is obviously part of the core team every single day. She is on this journey with me
Adam Peaty
In that same interview, he also hinted at future plans with Holly and spoke about the importance of being a “better father, better boyfriend, partner, hopefully, husband one day.”
This week, Gordon interviewed Adam for BBC Sport.
He told Gordon: “After 2021 and the Olympics, winning Olympic gold and silver, I didn’t take rests, I didn’t take stock, and it wasn’t until February/ March last year when I felt ‘I’m broken’.
“I felt like I was on my knees and I needed some kind of help, some kind of light in my life, that wasn’t related to getting up and chasing something every single day.”
They talked about his ups and downs and how he made the decision to compete in the Olympics again.
Their chat ended with Gordon wishing him luck but hilariously warning him: “Don’t f**k this up.”
When he takes to the pool in Paris, the chef’s characteristically blunt words could be spurring him on to more medal glory.
