As the Paris 2024 Olympic Games begin breaststroke swimmer Adam Peaty is in the news. He is the most dominant breaststroke swimmer of all time. He won the gold medal in the 100-metre breaststroke at the 2016 and 2021 Olympics and a silver medal at Paris. He is an eight-time World Champion, a sixteen-time European champion and a four-time Commonwealth champion. He holds the world records in both the 50-metre and 100-metre breaststroke events. He was the first man to swim under 26 seconds for the 50-metre breaststroke and the first to swim the 100-metre breaststroke under 57 seconds. Adam is a true champion.
Despite all his success Adam has also experienced a profound personal crisis which involved grappling with depression and the abuse of alcohol. He was searching for balance in his life. He said, “It started in the water… I was crying as I was swimming.” It was a moment that “broke” him. Adam says, “I have spent most of my life kind of validating, getting my gratification or life’s fulfilment from my results and that led me to some dark moments. It’s really living your life on a quantifiable measure of results, results, results instead of how are the people around me? How am I, how is my son, how is my family? All these things actually do matter; it’s not about your job, it’s not just about performance.”
During this crisis in his life Adam attended a church in Nottingham when the sermon was themed around the Olympic Games – even though no-one knew he was going to be there. Adam said, “I was just at the back, and I was like, ‘if this isn’t meant for me, then what is?’ I don’t think society has the answers I’m seeking, especially as a young man, and it’s nothing to do with being an athlete.” The speaker was Pastor Ashley Null, who is a chaplain to elite athletes and coaches enabling them to integrate God’s grace and unconditional love in Jesus with their vocation as professional sportspeople. Ashley helped Adam to find faith.
When interviewed after winning the silver medal, Adam spoke about his faith in God that has made him a ‘new man’. He wants to love and care for his family and be an example to his son. He has found going to church every week has been a great help. He says, ‘For me, the only fulfilment and the only peace is every Sunday at church. It gives me a nice balance. It is those everyday conversations or prayers with myself that keeps me inspired, but also keeps me on the right track that I’ve got a gift that I will use every single day.”