If anyone wants to know what the worst thing about diving is getting wet,” Tom Daly describes the undulations you can expect from him at 10m simultaneously. I know it's part of the job, but it's the worst.
Daly speaks to me via Zoom from the south London kitchen she's shared with her husband, writer-director Dustin Lance Black, and their son (all reclaimed wood and mini fridge magnets from her world travels) for four years. little boy. Boy boy, Robbie. With bright eyes and thick, beautiful hair, the 28-year-old is a man completely comfortable in his own skin.
After winning Olympic gold at the Tokyo Olympics last summer, Delhi took a year off to pursue any passion under the sun. You know him as Britain's most famous Olympian. But the consummate millennial swimmer/entrepreneur/scriptwriter finds her newfound addiction to knitting (you'll remember the needles sprouting so quickly during the Games) in a lovingly crafted fashion label and lighting up the front rows of the fashion scene. After that, Mila looks great in Moschino and Louis Vuitton and generally has a good time on land.
Her new knitting book, Made with Love. Check out 30 Knitting and Crochet Patterns on sale on October 27th. Is there anything you can't try? "I don't have perfume," she says. "But it must be chlorinated water, right? I always smell chlorine."
Thinking of hanging luggage? "I haven't made any decision yet. This afternoon she went to the pool with her diving instructor for the first time since Tokyo. But he was talking to the management team about the future. Honestly, I want to be a fabric designer and sit on the beach with Margarita, and I'd be happy to.
This is real. But you may not agree. Being a superstar athlete gives Peek a valuable platform off the field. She was "outraged" after diving body FINA decided in June to ban transgender women who have passed male puberty.
"We need to send the message that everyone is welcome to try sports, no matter who you are, where you come from, your gender, race, sexual orientation or religion," he says. We will not touch on the issue of justice here. the counterargument is that biologically female divers are at a competitive disadvantage. But Delhi's vision is broader. "I consider myself a guy. I'm not transgender, but if I'm told I'm gay, I can't compete with who I am, I'll never try.
And what a waste. He says that the world of sports lags behind society. "Most companies do not have this exception. And if there is, there's a lot of human resources that come in, but that's the way sports are; "Oh no, it's sports." It is a form of entertainment. basically many people all over the world. But it is probably one of the most diverse places. Men must be men, and they can only do so in certain ways. It just doesn't make sense to me and obviously has a long way to go. go with it."
For example, Qatar hosts the Winter Soccer Cup, where homosexuality is illegal. "I don't see how it would be good to have the World Cup in a place that is not acceptable to everyone," Daly said. At last year's Virgin Atlantic Opinion Awards, he called for an Olympic ban on countries that criminalize homosexuality, but changed his mind this year after visiting gay athletes around the world for his illegal BBC documentary To Be Me . "If you say ban these countries, it's going to be a target behind these gay people… and then it's going to be more oppressive," he told Channel 4.
But there are reasons to be happy. "When I came out, they didn't have any other players at the top of their game," he said. “Most people leave when they finish their career or retire. But what is surprising now is that they have more athletes in the Olympics compared to previous games. So seeing is a big challenge. And it didn't happen. They were, but now they feel comfortable being open about who they are.
I always choose to focus on the most vulnerable person in my family.
I wonder if the tough and determined Daley could join Gary Neville to show a more political side (Neville joined Keir Starmer at last month's Labor conference to criticize the Conservatives, although the footballer said he would prefer to work outside the party. ": Protector" )")). "I think my husband would be fine with that," Deli said. But campaigning isn't for her because she "wants to talk about LGBT issues without worrying about getting re-elected." The ballot box was never tampered with. But she was fired: "I never [ I haven't talked about [whom I will vote for], but I haven't talked about the current party either."
"I always choose to think of the most vulnerable person in my family," she says. “I think of those who are not as good as my grandparents. My brother has a young son, as do my mother and brothers who live in Plymouth. And I take care of them. He is a student, he has a house. With a lifetime mortgage, the cost of your car's petrol, Gas and electric living expenses. There are a lot of other things I'm thinking about… I'm in too good a position to help when it comes to this, but I'll vote smart.
He doesn't stop Deli and takes her wonderful life for granted. Gay parents ask, "What next?" You ask: Look at Italy. After the election of far-right Georgia Maloney, who opposes same-sex adoption and surrogacy. "If people, especially gay people or any minority, are indifferent to our rights and we don't continue to fight for more equality and more legal protections, people are going to come and take them away from us," Daly said.
He says that London is where he feels completely safe. She loves rocking stunning couture outfits on the London Underground (like the all-red, plunging Kaushik Philendra gown and six-inch Louboutins she wore to the GB Ball last November). But I still check myself. What if I fight someone who doesn't want to see me here? Or you don't want to see my husband and me? or whatever. Although, yes, I feel safe, I still have these thoughts."
Closer to home, they have come in handy in recent months. Oscar-winning screenwriter Lance Black suffered a "serious head injury" last month. "It's working better," Daly said, "but I can't say too much about it because it's just a legitimate accident." "Even though we are busy, we are trying to rest and do our best to recover as much as possible. But you know it's nice to be with Robbie and be able to remember the most important things.
of all kinds? "You know, I'm a school parent now," Daly said with a smile. Since September, Robin drops her off at the door every morning and picks her up after karate, arts and crafts, or choir. Time goes fast. “All of a sudden you start seeing big differences in reading, writing, math and things like that, which makes it real. He's a real boy." New beginnings. New endings. Last month, he was saddened that Robin had joined the waiting list to see the Queen inside; she says sadly. "Everyone missed Nan."
Dali said he had a great sense of humor. "I met her with other [Olympic] gymnasts … she said, 'Oh, you're so short!' Dali assured His Highness, “Yes, there are several different gymnasts. What have you brought here?' Now that said, this is a very special functional accessory.
Made with Love (£28) is released on October 27