When Tom Daley was just 15, he became a diving champion. Three years later, he won a bronze medal for diving at the 2012 London Olympics. He also went on to win bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympics and became one of the biggest names in world diving. Even though Tom’s life looked great from the outside, he was at an all-time low. He was being bullied at school and in the media. Tom decided he needed to take charge of his life. He announced he was in love with a man and said, ‘I’ve never been happier.’

Since then, Tom has never looked back. He won gold in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and silver in the 2024 Paris Olympics, making him the first British diver to win five Olympic medals. When things got dark in his life, Tom found a way to bring back the light.

Tom realised that he grew as a person when he was true to himself. He supports causes that find ways to help others grow. He is a patron of the LGBT+ charity Switchboard, and Tom also advocates for gay rights. He is also an enthusiastic crochetier and supporter of the positive effects of crafts on mental health.

In this video, he looks back at an interview with his 13-year-old self and talks about the big dreams he had from an early age. (BBC Sport)