Olympic swimmer Adam Peaty has shared how Gordon Ramsay helped him recover from a breakdown and pulled him out of a “deep, dark hole”.
Peaty reached a low last February when he pulled himself out of the pool where he trained in Loughborough, telling his coach he could not continue.
The breaststroke extraordinaire was the first British swimmer to win the gold medal in the 100m breaststroke at the 2016 Olympics, and again at the 2020 Olympics, and boasted an unbeaten record between 2014 and 2022.
In 2022, he returned to the pool too quickly after breaking his foot, leading to his first ever defeat, and he separated from his partner Eirianedd Munro, the mother of his three-year-old son, George-Anderson.
The following year, he met Holly Ramsay, 24, the model and influencer daughter of Gordon, 57, the renowned TV chef and mentor who helped the 29-year-old recover.
Peaty told The Sunday Times: “He’s an incredible energy to be around and an incredible person to have that guidance from.”
He says he shares similar qualities with Ramsay, who worked his way up to the top of his industry with relentless presfessionalism.
Inspired by Ramsay’s composure, Peaty told the outlet he has changed how he operates.
Holly, Ramsay’s second eldest child, has also opened up in the past about her mental health struggles, the 24-year-old was diagnosed with PTSD, anxiety and depression after a sexual assault when she was 18 years old led her to be admitted ot a psychiatric hospital.
Peaty says Holly gives him “peace and stability” and that they bonded straight away, the swimmer even has the letter “H” tattooed behind his ear to honour their relationship.
Speaking of the day he broke down, the gold medal swimmer revealed he walked out of his training practice teary-eyed, something he had never done before, and went to the shop to buy an entire basket of chocolate, since he had also had to follow a strict regime.
He told the outlet: “I’d felt like a God on so many occasions. Now I felt like a complete failure who’d let everyone down.
“I’d achieved everything, met every goal but in doing that I just kept moving the bar higher and higher. When it all became too much I started drinking. It was good to feel numb for a while but that’s just the starting point in that downward spiral. Life lost its colour, its fun and joy.”
When his “dam finally burst”, Peaty says finding church and working with psychiatrist Steve Peters also helped aid his recovery from burnout.
He says he is no longer driven by emotion after his unbeaten streak from 2014 to 2022 was achieved by “seeing red”, adding that he now knows when to pick the best moments to channel rage for “real moments of battle”.
Peaty will compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics after a momentous victory at 100m breaststroke GB Swimming Championships where he set the fastest time of the year.
If he achieves gold this summer he will belong to the same camp as Michael Phelps, as the only male swimmers to have gained gold in the same event at three Olympic Games.
If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
