In the Paris Olympics 2024, the stories of resilient athletes will endure the test of time. Some will compete on the global stage for the last time, whereas some will chart maiden voyages with optimistic hearts. It’ll not just be a game of weaving field successes, but also an emotional rollercoaster. So many pairs of eyes are dreaming of the titles while the families already have their hands clasped. One story of a diving legend surfaced recently, which resembles nothing less than a movie.

The first British diver to have secured four Olympic medals almost drew the curtains at the Tokyo Olympics. Winning the men’s synchronized 10-meter platform was like the last nail to the coffin for him. But what made him reconsider and make a return to the global stage?

From the brink of near oblivion back to starry dreams – a la Tom Daley

Tom Daley, married to Dustin Lance Black, had not unveiled his plan, but his husband knew. “I mean, I’d moved to America“, said he, who is a proud father of Robbie and Phoenix. Everything was going fine with their shift to the US fixed until a trigger made things upside down, of which Lance was the biggest support. Having bagged four Olympic medals, Daley’s journey transitioned from black and white to color. But a reminiscence had caught him vulnerable when the husbands visited the United States Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Colorado. “I was sitting down there, and being like: ‘Oh my gosh, I don’t think I’m ready for this“, said Daley who felt a rush of emotions run down his spine, “I was crying” – he poignantly says, tugging at our heart strings.

Such is the domino ripple effect of life. Daley’s son Robbie has a crucial role to play in this story, too. ‘Papa, I want to see you dive at the Olympics’ was what made the Paris 2024 dreamer think of ‘another shot’. Thoughts jumbled up in his preoccupied head. The way back home from the museum felt like forever. How is he planning to go about being the oldest diver in the GB team?

Mindfully training for Paris, the way most serendipities are

The World Championship in Doha is returning next month, where the 6x World Championship podium finisher will make an entry. “Of course I would be lying if I said I didn’t want to win another medal”, said he who’s ready to pull no stops in doing so.

READ MORE: After Two Year Break, Diver Makes a Michael Jordan Level Promise for Paris Olympics 2024

“That is the plan. The thing is, I know that I probably could do the individual. But I’m too old. I have to be realistic. I’ve gone from being the youngest on Team GB in 2008 to now being the oldest diver”, he said as he’s planning a double act with Noah Williams. Now, we await the battle of the fittest in the turquoise pools.

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