Adam Peaty opens up on ‘three years of hell’: Being ‘broken’ by swimming, alcoholism, depression and split from the mother of his son – after qualifying for the Olympics with his quickest time since 2021
Adam Peaty has revealed he endured ‘three years of hell’ after suffering from depression and alcoholism and splitting from his girlfriend – but has now rediscovered his passion for swimming.
He admitted he ‘didn’t want to see a swimming pool again’ after being ‘broken’ by the sport, turning to drinking and partying as an escape.
In 2022, his three-year relationship with Eirianedd Munro ended, as did his eight-year unbeaten streak in the pool, and he took a mental health break after the Commonwealth Games.
Add to that a broken foot and a cut to the face after a collision with a teammate, and the past few years are not the most optimistic numbers for a three-time Olympic champion.
But now Peaty has qualified for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris after winning the British title in the men’s 100m breaststroke with his fastest time since 2021.
Adam Peaty endured ‘three years of hell’ after suffering from depression and alcoholism following difficult split from long-term girlfriend
In 2022, Peaty divorced his girlfriend Eirianedd Munro (L) after three years together and has been in a relationship with Holly Ramsay (R) – daughter of TV chef Gordon – since mid-2023.
However, Peaty has since rediscovered his passion for swimming and now focuses on being ‘a better person’ and ‘being a better father to George’.
When asked if he is back to his best, he said: ‘I think so. A 57.9 is very good, still not where I want to be, but the first solid result that makes me think, “Oh, not many people can do this.”
‘I felt so light in the water.
“This is a real victory for my team, my family and myself. We have endured the last three years of hell. I didn’t want to see a swimming pool again. The sport had broken me.
‘I didn’t know which route to take and so many things came my way, but now I wake up every day and enjoy my work.
“Who knows what the end will be, but I’m having fun along the way. It may not be a fairy tale, but it could be.’
His time of 57.94 seconds was his fastest since retaining his Olympic title in 2021.
The 29-year-old has won three Olympic gold medals and two silver medals and was undefeated for eight years from 2014 to 2022.
However, he broke his foot in May 2022 and rushed back to the Commonwealth Games, where he could only finish fourth. He later gave up swimming to focus on his mental health.
In August 2022, he was grappling with the breakdown of his relationship with Eirianedd Munro, the mother of his then two-year-old son George.
Adam announced the news on social media, writing: “Eiri and George, I’m sorry I let you all down. My only interest is in the well-being of our family during this difficult time.”
The Olympic swimmer and former Strictly contestant took to Instagram to share the sad news with his followers in August 2022
Peaty has become incredibly close to Ramsay and has stated online that he loves her ‘so much’
Eirianedd announced the split on her own social media, predicting she would face an “incredibly difficult” future.
The split marked another example of the doomed ‘Strictly curse’ taking hold once again, after Adam raised eyebrows in 2021 with his chemistry with professional partner Katya Jones on the dancefloor.
However, Peaty is now dating Holly Ramsay, 24, daughter of dimwitted TV chef Gordon Ramsay – who he met during his time on the show.
In 2020, Peaty told Mail Sport he found himself turning to alcohol after winning at the Commonwealth Games two years earlier.
‘After the Commonwealths, towards the end of the year, I had no more races. And when you’re dealing with partying and drinking in the off-season, that in itself is a depressant, so I did that a lot.
‘I didn’t actually go off the rails, but I didn’t really have that overwhelming motivation to perform for anything. And I’m a performer, so if I don’t have anything to perform with, I get completely lost.
“Add that in with all the partying and stuff, it wasn’t that great having it all at once.
‘Then you are so low that you can’t really enjoy anything, you no longer see the point of buying nice things or doing fun things, because it no longer gives you a high.
In a Valetine’s Day post on social media in February, Peaty labeled Ramsay his “best friend”
In 2020, he told Mail Sport he turned to alcohol and partying and ‘went off the rails’
He showed up at an event with a nasty cut above his eye after reportedly getting into a fight with a Team GB teammate
‘It took me a long time to realize what was important to me and what wasn’t. Fortunately I have now found that. I know exactly how to deal with my body, how to deal with my mind, and I don’t do that by forcing alcohol as much as possible.’
He told The times: ‘It has been an incredibly lonely journey. The devil on my shoulder (says): “You’re missing life. You’re not good enough. You need a drink. You can’t get what you want. You can’t be happy.”
“I’ve been in a self-destructive spiral, and I don’t mind saying that because I’m human. By saying it, I can start to find the answers.’
Last year he emerged with a nasty cut above his eye after allegedly being involved in an assault with Team GB teammate Luke Greenbank after apparently slapping him on the bum and making a ‘cocky joke’ about his girlfriend, Anna Hopkin .
Since summer last year, Peaty has been in a relationship with Holly Ramsay, 24, daughter of infamous TV chef Gordon Ramsay.
The pair met on Strictly Come Dancing and revealed matching tattoos in tribute to each other in 2023.
They made their relationship public in June, with engagement speculation sparking four months later when she was spotted wearing a ring. He claimed on social media: ‘I love you so much.’
However, the three-time Olympic champion says his Christian faith has helped him on the road to recovery, opened up his newfound faith and helped him overcome alcoholism.
In 2023, he told Mail Sport that his Christian faith had improved his mental health.
He said, “I go to church every Sunday. It’s been the last few months and it has definitely helped.
‘It’s about becoming a better person. Not only being a better athlete and fulfilling my gift, but also being a better father to George. There are so many other reasons. It gets quite deep. But it’s great to be a part of it.’