Three-time Olympic swimming champion Adam Peaty has once again spoken openly about his mental problems.
“I was in a self-destructive spiral,” said the 28-year-old in an interview with The Times. He doesn’t mind admitting that, “because I’m human,” Peaty said. “By speaking it out, I can start finding answers.”
The Brit, who has dominated the breaststroke for almost a decade, has previously spoken out about depression and alcoholism. These have worsened over the past year as he struggled with injuries, motivational issues and a failed relationship with his son’s mother, Peaty admitted.
The “devil” on his shoulder said: “You’re missing out on life, you’re not good enough, you need a drink, you can’t have what you want, you can’t be happy,” said Peaty, who set the world records 50 and 100m breaststroke holds.
He had come to a point in his career “where I no longer felt like myself” and he was “not happy anymore” when swimming. “I had my hand hovering over the self-destruct button because if I don’t get the result I want, I’ll destroy myself,” said the multiple world and European champion.
Due to his ongoing mental problems, the swimming star is not part of Great Britain’s squad for the World Championships in Japan (July 14-30) this year. At the Olympic Games in Rio (2016) and Tokyo (2021), Peaty won gold in the 100m and also won the 4x100m medley mixed relay. He wants to start again in Paris in 2024.