Pvc sounds music, radio broadcasts lowering of india we're taking our summer break so until we're back on air was showcasing a few programmes from our archive as usual six been shortened for rights reasons. This week's guest is the diver Tom Daley. He was the very first person I cast away in september, twenty eighteen and it's an absolute pleasure to listen back to this, knowing that he is now an olympic gold medalist. the the just twenty four my guest today is one of our younger castaways. However, his age

eyes his experience? He is already amassed more than one lifetimes worth of achievements and who, better than a diver, to fit a lot. to a short space of time, anyone who squeeze three and a half somersaults, plus a twist into the one point, nine seconds between leaving the ten metre board and hitting the water below it, with thirty miles per hour knows how to make the most of every moment tommy We first learn to dive at seven by ten he was a prodigy, the youngest ever, the eighteen uk champion at fourteen. He represented britain at the beijing olympics ten years later. He is a too tight well champion and also has full commonwealth goals and to unemployed bronze metals in his trophy cabinet, frequently described as mature he's had to do his growing up in public, dealing with bullies at school, losing his beloved dad rob just a year before the london twenty twelve olympics. His relationship with his husband

and the arrival of their son robbie, ray of hope in front page news and with the tokyo olympics in twenty Twenty next on the horizon, the scrutiny and expectation on letting up anytime soon. So welcome tom. Thank you. I want to start at the edge the ten metre board now we all have those edge of the diving board movements in life, but for most of us, of course, they are metaphorical a moment before we make some kind of figurative leap to told me- through your literal version? What's it like standing up there staring down at that little sparkling blue square of water? It is terrifying and I remember the first time I went upon, see the ten metre platform and I was about eight years old and I felt like I literally had to crawl on my hands and knees to the edge, because it feels like when you that high up it feels the diving board narrows and narrows and narrows almost like you're on a balancing beam that you could fall off at any moment. So I figured that

my centre of gravity as low as possible to the diving. Ball was going to be the safest back to me. But when you stand up that, as this overwhelming feeling of Adrenalin and all of your senses are completely heightens and you become so hyper vigilance. Everything is going on around you, the light the noises its a really weird, almost out of body experience stand up there, because if you actually think about what you're doing no saying minded, women with John. We would actually do it, so you have to gdp in the moment effect on prices, and you tell me your eyes open. Yet I find fascinating to us if we want to sell unusual yeah. So just like her, I dont say, might in parallel and spot a wall as their spinning. We do exactly the same thing, but with the water. So if we don't know which way up and where we are in the air, there's no chance really about

in vertical in the water. So yeah you have to learn to dive with your eyes, open and shut them just before you hit the water so that you don't get an eyeful of water and what am I landing? I mean, I know we obviously can hunt when it goes wrong. But what about when it goes right. It hurts when it goes wrong, I'm when it goes right, if, I'm being completely honest, obviously it's a lot more. If goes wrong. I've broken ribs coughed up blood, instant breathings. people in split skin when they hit the water spending at the rights. Beat and out the roma angle, whereas when you hit the water vertical all of the pressure and all the impacts goes from europe, your hands suit your shoulders three or try sat sir, your back, and sometimes when you hit the Then you have the cleanest of entries when you have that rip entry and all the splash get sucked under the impact goes like pretty pretty hard through your shoulders and your spine. So after a while, it's a definitely a young man's sport, so the rip is, it sounds like a piece

paper tearing exactly the aim is to when you hit the water, you split your hands as fast as you can, and it creates a vacuum that sucks under the water so that you don't have to bake in a cannonball effect. And tell me a little bit more about the since we experience because you know you said that it is this very kind of heightened experience to dive, and I read that sometimes while you're in the egg, you can actually feel that you have quite a lot of time. Is this weird thing you have to make so many decisions infractions of second, so it almost everything goes into sleigh motion. You know like in a matrix, maybe all of a sudden you, like everything, slice down and you have so much more control than you actually could ever imagine, and when I takeoff and I jump into the air I'm spinning, I see so much and my brain comprehend so much that I can't imagine it being only one point. Eight one point nine seconds now you know I'm going to cost you away

yeah, and I know that some listeners are going to be hearing this thinking that you must be a very strong swimmer and let her escape from the island in ten minutes flat. Are they right I'm not I'm not that strong, a swimmer, believe it or not. I'ts can swim to the edge of the pole, but doing like a fifty meter length of a pool. I am absolutely knackered by the end of it: I'd prefer to be out the water and diving into it rather than swimming in it. Okay, let's get your track choices. Why is this one of your eight? While this is one of them eight choices, mainly because it resonated with me so strongly in the build up to london, twenty twelve, a sum that still to this day, puts goosebumps my arms and on the back of my neck and just thinking about how I was feeling into london, twenty swelled and how much I wanted to make my friends my family and my country

that way, the small singing proud today, were born in ninety ninety four in plymouth to Debbie and rob, and when you arrived, the midwife declared that your water baby, yes, My mom was telling me that, apparently, because I had such big hands and feet that the midwife was like this,

definitely going to be awarded av yeah becomes. Victory is a good thing. I think is good for balance, so I've known with diving and I feel like I should have been taller than I am. You know I feel like maybe sport stunts micro, in some way maybe twenty four dive iran untold for diver, just under five ten most the divers I can be against so like five, four five, three, maybe five five but big hands help with balanced one. In my handstands and then big feet, help with being able to stand right up on my tip, toes on the edge of the diving board. I feel like I'm secure and have a good base to stand on, so your mom and dad were quite young parents when they what was family life like I only have amazing memories from growing up down in plymouth, with my dad and they were so Orson all the time, and you know it's really I now realize being apparent how supportive my family, why and how different they were to lots of other

sporting families, the I've come to know because my mom and dad worse course if they were never pushy and if anything I was the pushy child trying to get everyone out the door quick enough for me to get to the diving pool and being able to get to training, and just being able to be surrounded by such love, and you know support every single day. makes me feel so incredibly lucky. So that's a perspective that you ve come to recently me a little bit more about that. You know looking back and may be thinking again about the sacrifices that they ve made. I mean my dad used to work ass, hard ass. He could to be able to pay for me to be able to go to train, and go to all these competitions. I had go to you in the very beginning, sacrificing all of his evenings a common sit and watch me. Try just spend hours and hours at the pool the meat. these something that I love doing you do have to younger brothers.

What were the dynamics between the three of you like? Well, we were all very sporty. I mean there's lots of bouncer sleigh, like, for example, when I won bronze in london, my brothers, the funding they came up to me than a half hour place that place Ok, thank ye, reassuringly normal sibling dynamic and I absolutely and we are all very competitive, How would you describe yourself when you were little what we liked? What did you like doing, and apparently I was very driven into what I wanted and choir creative kid. I loved to draw love to you, know, cut things up and stick things back together and in our garage, my dad built this little seats with like a work table if you like, and had all his these different shelves, which had different color pieces of paper, different kinds of glues, letters and stick is there. I do she said spent hours in that the weekend in the evenings, just creating something or another. Would this be the guarantee? later would become home to his collection of press clippings. Yes, exactly at my door,

absolutely loved to keep prescott things whether an online article or a newspaper article, he would collect one copy of the actual thing. So you'd keep it in like a little plastic wallet and then he would laminate a copy. So we always had two copies of everything, so that one was a bit more robust to be able to gown have a look while keeping the original, and he ended up doing that for all the way up until he passed away yeah now, looking back on it, I is like a lot of hard work and effort that an incident creating those folders. You were very confident swimmer from a young age, but when did you first become interested in diving itself? Yard is low. Being in the water of going to war to parks and one saturday my dad took us to me and my brothers to saturday in a fund session of the It was a different pulled. I've been learning to swim in, and I saw

well, diving off the diving boards in hopes that whoa that looks fun, and then you know the next week. On the saturday morning I went to the diving pool and I started diving myself. It was just by luck that we have the facilities there to be able to do it in the first place. Tell me about a second disc. my second disc ah well. I used to dress up, as Elvis as a bit of inspiration from my dad, who also used to dress up, as Elvis we used to go camping every weekend down at watergate bay and near new quay that will literally go to the caravan theresa in his full Elvis jumpsuit glasses, wig, you name it. He had it and he got me to start doing it because he was I why you just eat harry. Ok, it's funny. He no single have you like, and I started off singing asked up reach for the stars and then it slowly transitioned into me dressing up myself singing with my dad and that's where suspicious minds was my my karaoke song choice.

we dealt with this suspicious minds. Tom you want your first trophy when you were nine and he was still at primary school. Obviously, did diving set your part from your classmates? Yes, I mean, I think,

started off. Everyone was so happy and excited about the fact that I have the diver and was like kind of cool and I could do some assaults and it was like an interesting skill to have. But it wasn't, until now, I went to the olympics in beijing that then how my classmates saw me with started to be a little bit different say. Tell me more than I would have been yet fourteen and I was going into a year nine at school and I had had them making experiences in the games and then lots of media wants it to be there to witness WI fi they back at school and there are lots of people in yes, seven they'd know but let me before I started to become really weird like having that might signing. Ought grasses goal and having faces a people at school, I was the inner thrown into this whole different. I'd, never experienced before, and people easter, three things

It may culminate. I mean I had scissors thrown at me. I had rolls of tape and in the field at lunchtime these guys would go on like rugby tackled me to the floor and think it was that funny and to the point where, like I start getting injured and I just didn't, feel safe anymore and I felt scared and worried about going to school and he got to the point where I had to move school and you were offered a place, You aunt plymouth college a scholarship. Yes, how did that change things? I honestly I think to this day it was one of the best things have happened in my life. Obviously, there's been lots of amazing things, but the way that it changed the course of how I felt and I automatically felt safe and at home- and there was a completely different environment and people understood what it was to be. A sports person cause. There were

sports people at the school- and I remember just feeling so much half here- that my diving took a completely different turn by that point I was fifteen and I went to my first while championships in different headspace to what had been the last three months felt so happy and, as my coach would say, I was at peter pan that could fly again and I won my first well title a plymouth college, you weren't just excelling your chosen sport. I mean you were straight a students, were you have perfectionist unit this x? optional, dr unkind of singularity of mind and focus on you're describing nuts as unusual for teenage boys in it. I think I definitely was up and still am agnes. By think there is something as well of growing up feeling slightly different and not feeling like the rest of your classmates and not feeling like you fit in something the so different about you, but you can quite but your finger on it and there's something that's eating.

you that you want to do everything that you'd hanta and ass and be the best that you can be so it you know, you don't feel too different and alone. I also had it in the back of my head. What happens if diving goes completely wrong and my brain lag, I my back and I can't dive anymore. I need to have something to fall back on very interested in The idea of you sense. Something different about yourself and thinking. My ok. I need to get everything else right that there has been no change in the autumn of this new kind of vulnerability, that that is credible. It yeah exactly because you know I'll I was I was growing up in her. I just figured that everybody in I liked everyone going through primary school You know boys at higher boys girls at how a girls- and I didn't we I said it wasn't socially acceptable if you like to like boys. Girls and it was a. It was a weird period of time,

me. It wasn't until I went to secondary school that I started to realize and oh, but not everyone else is like me, and why am I different? Does that persons? the same the ig, but it's just better at hiding it or not, showing it and you feel less than- and I think you know to this day those feelings of feeding less than and feeling different. I've been the real things have given me the power and strength to be aid to succeed in the other things I've done, because he wants to prove that you'll not less than, and you want to prove that you are something, and you are some one in that- I'm not going to disappoint everyone when they eventually were to learn. My truth, jumped on narrating tell me that nx desktop site, my next desk is, is quite a bit of a funny story. While I think it's funny, it was after the first national championships, I'd won and I'd be in people. There were eight years ten twelve years older than me, and

you all the way home and this particular son came on and one lyric try or His mate came on in the car and my dad burst out laughing thinking. It was actually hilarious. Thinking about all of the older people that I had beaten and crying and we had this whole private joke about, unite, Jai rise may be right, don't worry- seventy seven ten years younger than just the new year and that song, then forever resonated with those moments with my dad, where we want you may I know it's hard to say, but her mind has been made seen in this dismay I know you want to see this, why

then are move down, barmecide shaky, crushing before from a hand up, suffice, disguise The butler machine is now the streets, his dry rice Tom daley in thousand in six aged twelve at an international competition. In aachen and germany, you completed two of your three die from the ten metre board. But on the way of this as to your said, you froze what happened He had learned lots of new dives hands. I had pushed myself too learn some of the hottest eyes in the world, an age that was probably six to seven years younger than why should have been doing, and there was a couple of times in that period because at twelve years old is when you start growing, ends I started to grow and all my arms and legs are starting to grow and we at ways in life when I was getting into my touch, shapes and things like that,

alex, wouldn't be where they used to be a center of gravity is to yeah, like my whole, or what spatial awareness was thrown off and in the build up to that conversation there was a couple of moments where I went completely wrong, landed flat hit the boards, and I just got to play where I was just so terrified and so freaked out when I was going up to the board and I decide I can't do it. There's no I can actually make myself jump from this board when I come down and my coach at the time wasn't there. So it was the high performance director and I went to him. I can't do it and I was crying and I think they thought that I was just being dramatic, so he was always going to pull out. You have to pull out self and in this pool had to go to the record is table when they were like an representing great britain thomas daily, I went up to the record is able to cry again as I can't I can't it, and they pulled me out of the competition, and I remember like walking over and going up to the stands with where my dad was and my mom and just sitting there.

Like crying his and he was like. Don't worry, it's ok, there's going to be more competitions, you're! Absolutely fine! It's all good! But little did I know that you know my dad had recently been given his cancer diagnosis. Just before going over to that competition and yeah, that was where the beginning of a very f five years or in my life. How much did you understand about what was going on with your dad at the time cause? He were just twelve. He I had no idea what was going on with my dad, if I'm being completely honest when we got home from competition does. I come on doing a charity thing down the pub I'm going to. my head for charity and, alas, what way when you called shave off your hair, that's crazy! But okay! This is something my dad would do something nuts and Remember he shaved his head and I thought he looked hilarious. Like an it was a oh my. This is funny but whatever, and then

one day my dad do come home from work and my mom sat me William and then my brother's down and was then we're gonna, go and visit your dad. Now what you mean my dad, like you know, he's gonna come home from work. Surely thy. Where is he and then my mama explained that he was poorly didn't? Tell us. P blots, but I remember walking into the hospital and seeing my dad in a hospital bed with these massive big bandages round his head and looking really sick, and I was I wait? I saw him yesterday. He just shaved his head for chat like what what's going on, and you know I was old enough to start putting things together like okay, we're on a cancer ward, but my dad doesn't have cancer like what that's really like

and I remember speaking to my grandma about as I did this does my dad have cancer and she didn't know what to say she cried, and then that was an answer enough and later. when I started asking the questions and it turned out, he had had a brain tumor the size of a fist removed from his brain, and you know, then he it was the whole johnny afterwards of recovering. Therapy, the therapy, the the the five the five years that were that come to come afterwards for, of course, still in competition, still training and and you're talkin very hard at just thirteen you qualified for the two thousand and eight beijing olympics. That is an adult sized achievement, but was experienced by a child. How do you remember it? No looking back qualifying for those olympic games, you know they say things happen for a reason, but if I had gone to those in a big

aims in beijing. My dad never would see me can pay an olympic games cause he passed away before the london olympic, so it was again the one of those moments when I I remember, looking up into the crowd and whenever I would complete my dad, would have this big union jack flag you just know exactly where he was at any moment and it come over. beijing and he was bursting with pride and so excited about the fact that his little boy, didn't you know we had achieved our dream four years earlier than I ever thought, I was going to be able to get there and I was going to go to the olympics Tom daley. It's time for your fourth tell me about this. This Well. This song in particular, really is something that I had on. So many different road trip on the way to training competitions at my dad would always play and it radio as remind me of their while championship

two thousand and nine is a song that my dad one said one day you will win a while championship or an olympic games and you'll be on top of the world. we want to do. Is shining station is at stake and that was the competence with top of the world I did you tom daily of when you became well champion in two thousand and nine is very interesting to watch full

give you in your dad together, which have done in the build up this, because, while you can see the relationship between you and how incredibly close you, obviously, while you also very different yeah, we were very different, and I I think that was where we were able to balance each other out. I would rationalize things and be worried about things and my dad would be able to rationalize things and make it so like it, was no big deal and the way outlook on life, and especially since is cancer diagnosis. I think he just decided there. You know all the life shore and I'm just going to live ilife be me and care will anyone else things about me? As always, my family and friends love me and after the toothache in a normal championships, when we went into the press conference my dad's loud and how this character can manage to allow him in, but he got in pretending to be a journalist to ask a question any of these questions as if he can

half a cuddle, and I remember I felt like I was dying inside out. Oh, my goodness, but dad's command is crying. It was embarrassing, but now looking back on it, can't even imagine what it'd be like to have. Your son compete in such a high level and you know be going three. Why was going through with his health and You know those lessons of light, not worrying about what anyone else their opinion, a few and just being you is something that is such a valuable lesson your dad had gone into remission after his operation and treatment in two thousand and six? But in two thousand and eleven another tumor was found in this time. Treatment wasn't possible and he passed away when he was just What d ya mean so young heartbreaking experience? How did you cope with it I mean it was a horrible moment in my life. I was in fort lauderdale and

got a phone call from my nom sanctum we're gonna have to fly home and, as I would mean, fly me home dad's not very well. I was like yeah. I know it does not very well, but I'm going to be home in a couple of weeks and then it was that may of realisation like oh, this is that phone call and when I get home and ice my dad in a hospital bed in living room. They hadn't even been in a conscious for I I dunno. I think it was twenty four hours he hadn't been conscious for and I walked into the room and I said hi dad it's. It's me I'm home and for the first time in twenty four hours he opened his eyes raised his fist into the aramis happy is as anything to see me- and I remember I was just before my seventeenth birthday and I was saying with him- then suddenly. He would have a good day where you be awake, any everything will be gray and then, as only

he's gonna get better he's going to get through this, because I was like my dad's not going to die, he's invincible. He didn't think he was going to die now. Remember sitting next to him every day, practicing from my driving theory test and he would sit there and help me and like grunt, not you know whenever he could and as the days went by his condition, started to detail right and in our family and friends were always around and noise coming by and I remember one of the last things he said to me was: do we have all tickets yet and so take it? So please let us live london. twenty twelve tickets cause. I wanna be right on the front row and I was like oh my goodness hake, I didn't know how to say to him likely. I dont think I can say to him

you're not going to be around to be on the front right ad and I think the next day all of our family and friends were around and he it's gone unconscious and I was holding his hand and you know we are watching his chest, making sure he was still breathing and then you know I was holding his hand as his as he breathing and it wasn't until he had ass, she stopped breathing and that he was dead there. I finally acknowledge that he wasn't invincible and life It's so fragile and he wasn't gonna be there to teach me to drive to go for my first pints at the pie. to be able to watch me when an olympic meadow to see me get sorry to see me, have a kids like all those things. I'm forty as old as such a young age to die and he had

much more to do. He had some modest for all of us of his kids. I was seventeen, my those fifteen in my younger brothers, twelve. You know that such a young age to lose a parent and yeah like my world felt like it had come crashing down, and I was you know it was a big big adjustment to not have your biggest cheerleader with you anymore, Tom daley, Let's have some music tell me about your tax disk or my next disc is a song. The I remember growing up, it would be a summit would help me get this Late poor be a sum that my dad would play if I needed to calm down, and I think it's something that is still now selling I use with myself robbie and it is a peaceful, easy feeling

honestly, with the eagles, peaceful, easy, feeling tom daily eighteen months after losing your dad. You are achieving the dream that you and he had nursed all of those years competing in the london twenty twelve olympics and you run bronze an amazing achievement, especially given everything that you ve been through what was going through your mind at a moment it was

a crazy experience going into london, twenties thousand the pressure, the expectation, the fact that, as a home crowd thousands of people watching audience millions at home, and I just for me by going into that last round, a dives at walking to the end of the platform. Looking down at the bottom of the pool, seeing the olympic rings and seeing london twenties haven't thinking. This is everything that I have dreamed of everything I have worked towards From when I was a boy age, nine and drawing a picture of me doing a handstand with london, twenty twelve olympic rings It was even announced as the host nation, and I just knew that this is where I had dreamt of my whole, wife- and I remember- hitting the water after that dive, then I felt like I could have been like a dolphin that come out of the pool and like done a flip of outlet so there's so much adrenalin and excitement, because I knew I'd done enough to get a metal and I

Then we're running out of the pool and then going to my couch and just going through my teammates, and it was an amazing euphoric sensation and when you know it was confirmed, I'd want to meddle in my teammates or picked me up. We all were in the pool. Em up forms are jumping with its phone and it was there yeah, it was a. It was a great night. Everybody just leaves and Emma avowedly highlights back just wonderful again. there was more happy news for you. Your relationship began with your husband, Dustin lawns, black at the oars, winning screenwriter of the film milk it's interesting, because you come from quite different well to mean lance. twenty years older than you. You know I mean how different was his well to the one that you'd been used to up till now I may do lays quite a jump isn't it is true only know. I have learned a lot from La So let us learn a lot from me, but fur stars, never see new howard loves was until himsel couple amount in our relationship,

it's not something that I notice. I never thought I would advocate a fall in love with a man. With something that was caught me by surprise, and I just want an olympic bronze metal and the month off words. I was really sad about it. You know didn't know if I want it's a dive any more. I lost all purpose like those no end goal anymore and also with My dad there was that trauma that Three to and months have been through, similar thing winning an oscar and then having the the downward slump. That comes after it and So he had recently lost his brother in a very similar fashions how I lost my dad so weak, disconnected, I just felt safe. I felt happy I felt comfortable and something just clicked and felt right. I just knew- and I think in when you go through so much at such a young age. It's hard to find another eighteen nineteen year old, that has achieved the high

experience, allows travel and all those things. So that was, I think, nonsense already connected so new teaching. He thinks he's teaching you knew things are developing new interests. I note that you were sketched by david up I think not long ago. Yes, I mean there's been lots of different things and f's has been wild. Since then I did a photography project at school and David hockney was one of the people that I research and looked up to and one of launched his friends as an art dealer and nose. David very well and David, invite us up for lunch one day and said in passing all Hey, I'm gonna, draw you and us like, ok, yeah, call thinking. He says that to everyone, and then I came along after our wedding, while we are on our honeymoon, is about two and a debt of that. But okay, fine turn athens. Lance says I'll, be back in a little bit and

lots comes back when he walked into the room. He sees David hockney. He nice sketching me and then hanging off the easel. My underwear, I hesitate, is he is drawing me nude and lost the oh wow, okay David. I leave you here for a couple of hours and you've already got my husband undressed, but you know in David hockney says: that's how he wants to draw you. You do it so yeah that was definitely an experience time for some music Tom Daley. Tell me about your sixth disc, well, my next disc is a song that we knew is going to be our wedding song. We had a string quota. Play. While we were walking down the aisle and also it was very fast dance. How long will I love you Yes stars. I love you longer. If I can,

I need you as long as seasons need to no really yes building. How long will I love you tom daily depressing trust in. You has been unremitting, since your teens- and you have Do you going up very much in public? You do share great deal of your life on your youtube channel. What do you say to people who might you have over sharing, I think, there's lots of people might think that I have a share but I didn't think about social media in a way that, oh, I need to do this needs. Do that I post things the unthinking feeling and things I think, would be cool and things love to share with my friends and family and universally

we ve been very conscious about making a decision in privacy around our son, but at the same have you wanted to shine light on the fact that we are a family and I think that's been the biggest thing that has ruffled feathers is the fact that nonce and I are now parents. You chose to go down the route of commercial surrogacy in order to become parents, and some people do have difficulty with that idea. How do- respond to that criticism, young people that don't necessarily get it that so many children around the world the need adopting. Why didn't you adopt ends? Then you asked the question to any couple that are able to have kids naturally like: why? Don't they adopt there's plenty of kids in the world that need adopt and there's something special about having a biological connection to your child, and you know we ve always just wanted, a family more than anything in in the whole world and again with sir.

you see lots of people, think it's just for same sex couples are naturally I seventy percent or more is straight couples that have had some kind of illness or fertility issues and they need someone to help them create their family, and you know Are we love our surrogate more than anything in the hallway, she's, so good and where you know we are in contact with her, he not nearly every day and she will be a part of rubies life, because we believe that honesty and transparency about the the whole process is very important, You do have a very prominent public profile, and in April this year, at the australia games. You appeal to commonwealth countries to decriminalize homosexuality. There are thirty, seven, where it's illegal. What made you decide to do that? You know I just felt so lucky to have just won the commonwealth games in my sink repotted dan and I was sat having lunch with my husband, my mom and my grandparents, and you know

celebrating the fact that we just won and there was no worry No fear about going back to the uk and gang thrown in prison or getting you know some countries, the death sentences, and I think in our being able to just truly be me and truly be who I am standing on my diving board, without fear of ramifications of what might happen living openly? As I am I just I just felt so lucky enough. I can't believe the amount of countries there's still criminalize algae bt people for four. Who they are lots of people that the lg BT or q don't understand what it is like to be born this way. You know, lots of people think is a lifestyle choice and it's not a lifestyle choice, because if you it's

you you choose the easy route of not being different. You don't want to stand out like that, whereas I love you. I love, lots of people around the world that love you. They love, and you know that with the day. Love is love and being able to share personal stories is a way to be able to change people's hearts, and I think, if you can change people's hearts about an issue, that's how you can start changing people's minds and the way that they think about it. I think that we expect a lot of asp. Stars. We expect them to be diplomatic, to shrug off criticism, to assess their victories and defeats quite dispassionately and You know this is something that you can do and then you'll choosing to go further and talk about your personal life have difficult. Has it been to develop the ability to do than to communicate in that way?

yeah. It can be difficult because you know that there's lots of people that are going to criticize everything or anything that you do, but I just want to be able to help leave behind some kind of cars. For example, you know have competed in russia and on the podium had like a rainbow pin badge on white taxi and because there's lots of people in lots of countries that are growing up feeling different Feeling less than feeling like an outsider and feeling like an outsider can be dangerous and I think, being able to give. A kid that sees someone on the screen living openly as who they are and knowing that people are respectful and like happy and like there is hope that people, We'll get through it and people will be able to live life openly and happily, and they won't feel the way they feel for ever, I think, is something that is quite powerful.

Able to day time for some music Tom tell me about this next disk. Next song is sought the I remember from when I was a kid something my dad would sing to me and every night, while I'm rocking robbie to sleep. There is a song that I definitely saying because he is horsemonger lane. Your mother, those in mapping yeah

I thought I was gonna run. I don t know about a one year on tom was on a lot about sought featuring we ve gone into tommy. you on our doubts gas to MR cliche to ask how its changed your perspective, but com really avoided because it just does nothing yeah, it's been the most of using match core experience and every day I feel so incredibly lucky to wake up and see all the old robbie ray. his little bad, and this is just the Q s little thing go: it's a training. I want to make sure that I do everything I can to make the most of every single second that I'm away from him, because I wanted show the hunting the best

I can do it cause. If I'm me away from him, I want to make sure it's down worth it. So, Then, when I get home, I can be completely distracted away from diving because he's gonna be there. He's, gonna be scream. pooping in fifteen or all of the above rubbish named. Your dad is unable to know how you must get. No, no has Debbie enjoying being grandmother. My mom not adapts, absolutely sheath its decisions, because that now that's a key decision young into the process. As you know, she wants to be Nana right now. She wouldn't want to be grandma sean's banana dabs, so she comes all wet from plymouth, lesser and even though a little toiletry bag and our teeth fresh think is basically made an end of the week. I hadn't assistance, yet I gradually you're, the grand old age of twenty four now preparing for your fourth olympic games in Tokyo. What's your definition of success going into that challenge, I think no my whole perspective on Tokyo has changed with a athena. If you ask me last,

There is a need to win a gold medal, which is the most important thing, and you know why there are bigger things than olympic gold medals. My of nickel metal is Robbie. What advice would you give to young people who watch you dive about what they need to do to be successful? What it takes? I think one if I could give my younger self a piece of advice, so Also, I think, a visa for anyone in any failed as pay attention to the smallest details. I you know for me, in diving is as little things like. I used to be ready, scrapped you a nice little a night in point my fee as much as I should have a now. As I get older, I realize I needed and point my feet if I'm going to get the nine, the house and Tens- and that is no things if I focus on the details when I was younger, it would make me now, as they granddad, if diving her slightly hazy or on the ground. Let's have some amazing. What what are you gonna play? Snakes this song instantly takes me back to london,

twelve imagine this sum blasting in my ear fines and the adrenaline I thought I was going through when I was walking out onto poolside for the men's semi final in the london two thousand and twelve limpid gains get it. bt.

And so Tom daily it's nearly time for you to set sail to your island. What do you think would be the biggest challenge for you there? Oh gosh. I am a very social and so being there on. My own, I think, will be the biggest struggle, because I love having people around Monday night dinner club. I cut for twelve to sixteen people every week. So for me you know, I would definitely mistress having people around you dont go empty handed. Of course all castaways will find the bible and the complete works of shakespeare waiting for them, and you can choose another book to take with you. What will he owes me? Well, the book have, the most memories I feel like is the biggest achievement for me is the first proper burke. I'd say that I read was Harry potter, the first. reporter I remember reading it with my grandma and with my mom and my dad, and there was like a real group effort to get me through this book and then from then on. I was just like a massive harry potter fan, so Harry potter and the philosopher's stone yeah. I wish I could take the full.

Acts. Like the shakespeare for uptake ironic, you had a little bit of identification with harry potter because of your scar. I've hit my head on the dangle twice once on the front and once at the top, and I used to dress up Halloween Hypothenuse young, because I had my scar. My add cyan. He like little squiggle, rather than doing the full ska can do some light cosplay on the island. Exactly while reading the book alternately, ok got it, you can also take a luxury what she was going to be well. I would like to say a lot take my whole kitchen, including ok, quiet, but we can't do that as a little bit. See much, I mean I'm new to this. It's my first day. I've really gotta stick to the rules. I think a full kitchen is a stretch. Yes, if I had my oven with the hopes and the cooker itself

and we'll get I can do. Do you know great right? What do an oven and and may be the hardest part? I'm I'm gonna have to ask you which, if the eight discs he would choose, if you could keep only one, that's a tough one. I do think long. I love you are still be. One of the Ps memory suffer wedding days. I think I'd have to take our tom daily Thank you very much for sharing your data on a discs with us. Thank you it was great having Tom Daley's my first castaway and his chile, the first diver to be sent to our desert,

Ireland. There are lots of olympians and paralympic games in the desert island. Despite catalogue, though, Kirsty interviewed, I skaters jean toivonen, christopher dean and twenty fourteen american sprinter, Michael Johnson, in twenty eleven and athlete Denise this in twenty twelve and the wheelchair razor deem tunny gray thomson with sue lowliest guest in two thousand and one swimmer, Rebecca Arlington.

tom was a member of team gb at the beijing olympics in two thousand and eight kirsty cast her away in twenty fifteen. The youngest, as you say, have three sisters. I think that's quite an interesting place in the pecking order. I was it for you, it's one of those things that you can tell now that are a little bit older, the different characteristic that we've all had from me being the youngest I'm a little bit, probably more laid back and a bit more care for either my sisters and my sisters are just they're so protective, whereas I think as the baby, you don't fearless protective and you just kind of like oh yeah, that my big sister's they'll get through anything. You kind of just have the attitudes, and it just makes you bit more laid back, but they hated maybe them and swimming roles.

It was our family thing that we used to go to club together amidst go at weekends, and they just did not like may be in them, or your opponent sporty, not at all. No, I'm so surprised, yeah! No, they look like watching sport, but they're not spoke to people at all were dead small town atmosphere, but we're very lucky that in this tiny place we haven't even got a hotel. Yet we've got to some impose this woman who was just around the corner, was just a wall. Your house was that way they took their three girls something to do, and it was close by something that you can do together as a family. And I think other sports, like you, can't play rugby with them from three. He can you or the sports. I think it's quite difficult for them to be active, and even when, at my mum tried me with ballet and all that, but they couldn't get involved in that and yet on the weekends moments I could get in the pool with us and we could do she'd, do it as a family and go together. I didn't look back on my career and remember all the

all the times. I remember times to have instruction about pretending to be a mermaid with my mum and dad who remember getting rid of your arm bends and doing doggy. Paddle was a moment or comment been on holiday and my mum says that was the most terrifying moment of her life that she was blown up, the Alban's and maybe the baby. I think, because she see her older sisters and they could fully sweat him. They would find in the pool my mum was bone up they on buttons that I just run not having any lessons. I just run into the polo my uncle who can't swim. He he's terrified of water jumped in the pool after me, and I ended up saving him that it was just like I could flow. I was I just do it and then, after that, alongside right, she's going into lessons, I just have no fear rebecca Waddington speaking to cast a young join me next week for another desert island discs archive classic.

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