One image that has definitely melted our hearts during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games was diver Tom Daley knitting a dog sweater during the female diving finals. As a fellow knitter and crocheter myself there had never been a time I felt more identified with anyone in the Olympics than with Tom Daley taking his yarn and needles everywhere.
The image of the British athlete adorably focusing on his knitting project was everywhere on social media, television, and newspapers shattering this nonsensical and outdated idea that men don’t do knitting. Even before this amazing talent reveals, Daley had already made the news not precisely because of his gold medal win along with Matty Lee, but because he spoke about his experience as a gay man in the sports world.
But let’s go back to his passion for knitting. As the medalist commented, knitting and crocheting have been a key aid in his career as an athlete; it’s been a unique and creative activity that “has kept me sane throughout this whole process.” At a time when mental health among athletes has been the main conversation after Simone Biles’ withdrawal for most of her competitions, seeing how athletes like Daley deal with the pressure is beyond inspiring.
Twitter: @Tokyo2020esBesides the image of him knitting this lovely dog sweater (which he’s finally finished and posted online), Daley has been working on some unique projects like the adorable pouch he made to protect his gold medal the day after winning it. The lovely pouch has the Union Jack flag on one side and the Japanese one on the other. He’s also been seen working on a special project on the benches which as he revealed in his alternative Instagram page, is a sweater rocking the Olympic rings and the Team Great Britain logo. How awesome would it be to see him wear it if he manages to score another medal at the individual finals!
For Daley, knitting has become a way of “finding calm, mindfulness, and to relieve stress,” and the only thing I could think about when seeing these heartwarming images, is him packing his uniforms, swimming suits, and a good selection of yarns, needles, and hooks, to keep on with his projects. Not only that, if you thought this was only a hobby for the awarded athlete, you couldn’t be more wrong; he’s actually a true artist with a unique talent. You can witness it yourself at his Instagram page dedicated to his craft, @madewithlovebytomdaley, where he also sells some of his works to raise money for charity, especially to associations that favor the LGBT+ youth.
These Olympic Games have been historic for so many reasons, but Tom Daley has definitely been a central character to open up several conversations, including inclusivity, mental health, and masculinity.
