Meet Adam Peaty, British swimming hero and three-time Olympic champion returning for Paris 2024 after extended break

British hero Adam Peaty is hoping to repeat his exploits from the last two Olympic Games in Paris.

Peaty is widely regarded as the greatest male breaststroke swimmer in history.

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He has many medals and distinctions to his credit, but who is he and what are they?

Who is Adam Peaty?

Peaty is a breaststroke swimmer.

He was born in Staffordshire on 28 December 1994 to Mark and Caroline Peaty, the youngest of four children.

Remarkably, Peaty had an acute fear of water until the age of four, partly because his brothers told him that sharks could come up through the drain hole.

However, after a swimming lesson, Peaty lost this fear.

Then, at age 14, former Olympic swimmer Melanie Marshall noticed Peaty had “something special” when it came to breaststroke swimming.

But it wasn’t until he was 17, when he saw Craig Benson – a swimmer he knew from the junior circuit – at the London 2012 Olympics, that Peaty decided to start taking swimming seriously.

Peaty is currently dating Holly Ramsey, the daughter of chef and TV star Gordon Ramsey.

In September 2020, Peaty and his then-girlfriend, Eirianedd Munro, welcomed a baby boy, whom they named George-Anderson.

Olympic and sporting record

Peaty, now 29, has broken every breaststroke sprint record and broken several of his own records while doing so.

In terms of pure medals, Peaty has won three Olympic gold medals and two silver medals.

Peaty won Team GB’s first medal on his Olympic debut at Rio 2016 in the 100m breaststroke final with a time of 57.13sec, breaking his own world record.

He then won a silver medal in the men’s 4 x 100m medley relay before winning gold in the mixed 4 x 100m medley relay.

At the following Games, Peaty became a double Olympic champion with a gold medal in the 100m breaststroke final before adding another silver in the 4 x 100m medley relay.

His victory also made him the first British swimmer to successfully defend an Olympic title.

In addition to his Olympic glory, Peaty also won numerous medals at the European Championships and Commonwealth Games.

In total, he has won 31 gold, six silver and two bronze medals in the four competitions since 2014.

If his medal haul wasn’t impressive enough, Peaty also broke world records 14 times.

These include beating the 100m breaststroke five times (current record 56.88 seconds) and the 50m four times (current record 57.10 seconds).

Setbacks in personal and professional life

Peaty’s remarkable career has had its share of setbacks.

In 2022, a broken foot injury kept him out of the World Championships, although he won the British Championship later in the year.

In 2023, Peaty revealed he was stepping away from swimming for mental health reasons.

Former partner Eirianedd revealed earlier this year that Peaty suffered from depression and alcoholism.

However, in October 2023, he announced that he would return to compete in the Olympics.

He told The Independent in a candid interview: “I hated it. But now I’m enjoying it immensely again.”

“I’m the happiest person I’ve ever been, the most calculating and the most balanced too.

“(Paris 2024) It’s a big challenge, and I thrive when I’m given a big challenge. I’m looking for my final form, in all areas. My life and my relationships with people too.

“But when I get there, I hope I’ll give it my best shot. I won’t leave anything out, that’s my goal. I won’t have any regrets.”

In 2022, Peaty starred in the television show Strictly Come Dancing and was also awarded an OBE that year.

Peaty’s mother urged him to retire from swimming after the Paris Games.

She told the BBC: “He was very focused, very insular and not very attached to his family. Swimming always came first, which was what she had to do.

“But I know he’s happy, he’s where he wants to be now and he’s safer. He’s ready as ever.

“Knowing that your child is suffering, no matter what age, is difficult.

“Adam is very happy now. I think he’s a better Adam personally than before, the break has done him good.”

She added: “He’s going to the Olympics without stress, he’s happy – whatever happens, happens.”

“He’s not wondering if this is his last Olympics. I hope he finishes swimming and gets back to some kind of normality now.”