Tom Daley Battled COVID Before Tokyo Olympics, Says He Feared For His Life
Image: Tom Daley. Image: Instagram.
Out British diver stepped on the podium in Tokyo in July to receive the first of his two Olympic medals – a gold medal for men’s synchronized 10 meter platform diving. He had made history as the first Brit to ever win in the discipline. What no one knew at the time was that,聽just months before the Olympics, the 27-year-old had been recovering from Covid after he was rushed to the hospital in January.
Not only did the diver have to deal with the fear associated with contracting the virus, but it was also attacking his most important asset – his lungs.
鈥淢y lungs felt pressurised, as if they had sacks of rice around them. Every time I stood up, I felt the room spinning and a blinding white light, as if I was going to faint, and as if I couldn鈥檛 get enough oxygen into my body. I honestly felt like I might die,鈥� Daley told
View this post on Instagram
The Plymouth-born athlete has never before talked about his battle with Covid. In an interview with The Times, prior to the release of his book Coming Up For Air: What I Learned From Sport, the diver described his terrifying ordeal during the course of the illness聽
鈥淚 understood how quickly things could potentially go downhill. I had flashes of fear about whether I would be put on a ventilator, and my time being up. I was really terrified,鈥� he聽 said in the interview with .
Kept It A Secret to Keep Rivals On Their Toes
View this post on Instagram
Daley started showing symptoms in January and rushed to get a PCR test taken as his condition worsened. Due to the diver’s history with pneumonia, medical staff hospitalized him and took x-rays of his chest, which revealed blotches on his lungs.聽
After being given oxygen and monitored for ten hours, Daley was discharged and started recovering. Although initially feeling better, the 27-year-old explained how his condition later declined.聽
鈥淢y head felt like I had a vice tightening around it and my oxygen levels were dropping. I would consider myself to be quite a healthy person, but Covid doesn鈥檛 discriminate at all,鈥� he told .
The interview with The Times is the first occasion where Daley has opened up about contracting Covid. Daley said the decision to keep the diagnosis a secret to the public was a conscious, strategic choice prior to the Olympics.
View this post on Instagram
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 let your competitors think that they鈥檝e got one up on you. I wanted them to think that I was training as hard as them,鈥� the athlete elaborated to .
Did Not Train For Three Months After Contracting COVID
鈥淚 spent the first three months of this year not diving, only using the power of visualisation 鈥� just imagining myself doing the dives day in, day out.鈥�
Daley won the first Olympic gold medal of his career at the Tokyo Olympic Games in the men鈥檚 synchronised 10m platform. Days later he also won the bronze medal in the men’s individual 10m platform diving.
View this post on Instagram
Following his win, at a press conference, Daley said, 鈥淚 feel incredibly proud to say I am a gay man and also an Olympic champion.鈥�
鈥淚 feel incredibly proud to say I am a gay man and also an Olympic champion.鈥�
Gold medal winner Tom Daley says he hopes his performance will inspire young LGBT people to realise 鈥測ou can achieve anything鈥�.
Read more:
— LBC (@LBC)
Daley married Oscar-winning filmmaker Dustin Lance Black in 2017 and the couple adopted their first child in 2018.
You May Also Like
