I’ve spoken in previous blogs about my time in sport and the practicalities of the transition process but, having been out of the pool for three months now, I’m starting to understand some of the key emotions that have accompanied hanging up my goggles for good. This blog started out as a personal psychological exercise but I’ve shared it because I think it offers an interesting insight into the thought processes and emotions associated with managing major change. Read More

A couple of months ago, in a moment of what I can only assume was temporary insanity, I signed up to ‘RideLondon’—a 100-mile cycling event being held this Sunday in our nation’s capital. Read More

Retiring at age 27 is a very strange concept, especially when my current job is the only one I’ve ever really known. As an elite athlete, every decision you make—eating the last cupcake, drinking a milkshake, climbing a flight of stairs, or running through the rain—everything we do is subconsciously analysed and organised in relation to the consequences on our bodies and the subsequent impact on training or performance. Read More

After swimming at an elite level for almost 15 years now, it’s finally time for me to retire. I’ve spent an unreasonable amount of time in a state of heavy chlorination, averaging over twenty hours a week in a swimming pool since the age of 13. In total, I’ve swum roughly the circumference of the Earth, but now it’s time to learn how to be a real person… Read More