Olympic swimming champion: I have self-destructive tendencies

The 28-year-old British swimmer has won three Olympic gold medals in his career, as well as eight gold medals in the world championships.

“I’m in a self-destructive spiral, which I don’t mind admitting because I’m human,” said the athlete rich in titles.

“I came to a point in my career when I no longer felt comfortable in my own skin. Swimming and participating in competitions no longer brought joy,” the swimmer admitted.

“My hand is over the self-destruct button because – if I don’t get the result I want – I will self-destruct.”

Peaty still hopes to compete in next year’s Olympics in Paris. He has previously spoken publicly about periods of depression and problems with alcohol.

The swimmer admits that the problems worsened last year as he struggled with injuries and lack of motivation.

Last year, the swimmer’s relationship with his girlfriend, with whom they have a two-and-a-half-year-old son, broke up.

Petey has been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

“It’s been an incredibly lonely journey. The devil on my shoulder says – you’re missing out on life, you’re not good enough, you need a drink, you can’t get what you want, you can’t be happy.”

The swimmer thinks it’s crazy to do the same thing all the time for 18 years, trying to improve his result by even 0.1%.

Petey is unable to answer the question of why he is still pursuing a swimming career.

“I don’t know why I’m still fighting. The positive is that I noticed the ‘why’ there. I’m looking for an answer.”