Born on May 21, 1994, in Plymouth, England, Tom Daley began his diving career at a young age and has since become one of the most successful and recognisable figures in the sport. He became a diving sensation just days after he turned 10, winning the British national junior platform title in 2004. Four years later, he scored a surprise victory at the European Championships in Eindhoven to become the youngest-ever European champion in either swimming or diving.
Daley continued to make history as the second youngest British Olympian at 14 years and three months during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. He finished in a creditable seventh place in the individual 10m platform event and secured an equally impressive eighth position in the synchronised 10m platform competition. Daley won two gold medals at the 2010 Commonwealth Games before winning an individual bronze medal at the London 2012 Olympics. He added a second Olympic bronze to his collection at Rio 2016 in the synchronised event with Daniel Goodfellow and upgraded to Olympic gold alongside Matty Lee in the men’s 10m synchronised competition at Tokyo 2020. Daley has recently become the first British diver to compete at five Olympic Games, named as part of the Paris 2024 Team GB diving squad.
Daley’s journey transcends the pool, extending into activism. He has been an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ+ rights since coming out as gay in 2013. He visited various Commonwealth countries to investigate LGBTQ+ rights for athletes, shedding light on the issue worldwide. Daley is an avid supporter and patron of Switchboard which is an LGBT+ charity helpline in the UK. The Sunday Times named Daley as one of the 100 Makers of the 21st Century and he also received an OBE, a testament to his influence beyond the pool.
