Andy Drozdziak
Triple Olympic gold-medal winner Adam Peaty has spoken of finding a ‘welcoming community’ as his newfound Christian faith has helped him conquer alcohol addiction.
Peaty, 28, who won Olympic gold in 2016 and two more in Tokyo in 2021, opened up earlier this year about mental health struggles and issues with alcohol. He was also diagnosed with ADHD and split from the mother of his son, George. He told The Times that he started attending church after spending time with American theologian Ashley Null, who has served as chaplain at five Olympics.
Peaty said: “I started to go to church in February because it felt like the missing part of the puzzle. I went with Ashley and . . . it gives me goosebumps just thinking about it because I went in there and the sermon was all about the Olympic torch passing the building [in 2012] and about athletes and percentages of how they work.”
Swimming in the World Cup in Berlin last week, the words “Into the Light” were seen on his stomach in a tattoo below a cross. Peaty underlined the sense of ‘belonging’ he encountered at church.
“I’d gone in there pretty much with my hood up. It was all pretty scary to me but then that happened and the community was just so welcoming. I felt a huge sense of peace, calmness, grounding and perspective, belonging even. It felt like I was home, in a place where people understand there’s a higher level to this very superficial world,” he said.
He has also said that his faith was ‘about being a better person. Not only being a better athlete and fulfilling my gift, but also being a better dad for George. There are so many other reasons. It gets quite deep. But it’s great to be a part of.’