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on his knitting project was everywhere on social media, television, and newspapers shattering this nonsensical and outdated idea that men don’t do knitting.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.
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.