Britain’s most decorated diver Tom Daley has lived most of his life in the spotlight and is a shining example of sporting brilliance, resilience, and sheer mental determination resulting in medal after medal including Olympic gold.
While we know Tom best for his incredible performances in the pool, the diver is also sharing his winning ways with a wider audience as a motivational speaker to inspire future sports stars and business leaders.
Long considered one of poster boys of Team GB, Tom has transformed the profile of diving and brought a huge TV audience to the sport.
He has a keen eye too on human rights and won an award for fighting oppression in the Commonwealth through LGBTQ+ activism. Tom was handed UK Sport’s PLx Award for Social Impact and Sustainability at the Commonwealth Games after using campaigning for positive change — a message heard loud and clear around the world.
“It was what we were working towards, a huge moment of visibility for LGBTQ+ people from across the Commonwealth, for them to feel seen and to feel acknowledged,” Tom said.
His powerful BBC documentary ‘Tom Daley: Illegal to Be Me’ explored the Commonwealth’s most homophobic countries and exposed how gay athletes were facing extreme persecution.
He was also chosen by Channel 4 to write and present their Alternative Christmas Message where Tom spoke about mental health, homophobia and pride in sport. He also pondered the idea of what could happen if closeted Premier League players came out as gay in 2022, and how this might inspire young people across the UK and the world.
The Christmas message was seen by professional footballer Jake Daniels who came out as gay a year later and spoke out how inspired he felt by Tom in a special Channel 4 documentary.
Tom’s unrelenting positivity is truly remarkable. He has spoken openly about struggling with injury, debilitating anxiety and coping with the death of his father, his biggest supporter.
Never afraid to shy away from his personal experiences, Tom has revealed his experiences with bulimia, an illness triggered by being told he was overweight. He learnt how to change his relationship with his body and heal his mind.
Tom is a household name loved by millions, an inspirational one-man wonder, whose own life experience can enrich yours and your business.