Olympic Champion Adam Peaty Offers Swimming Guidance to BBC Presenter

BBC Radio Derby sports presenter Dominic Dietrich expressed his astonishment, stating, “It’s the equivalent of getting Lionel Messi to give you a football lesson, isn’t it?” This reaction followed a session where three-time Olympic gold medallist Adam Peaty offered him guidance to refine his swimming technique. Dietrich is currently preparing for a swimming challenge benefiting Children in Need, a notable undertaking given his inability to swim prior to commencing this initiative. He described the additional training from Peaty, a former member of the City of Derby swimming club, as feeling “surreal.” Dietrich commented, “It was really nice the way he took his time out and you can see how the local people responded to him.” He further recounted, “He actually stood with me and gave me some tips and told me about his struggle early on being scared of getting in the water, not wanting to swim, and that opened my eyes a bit. “It’s not just me, there are loads of people that didn’t like swimming when they were younger or were scared of it.” Dietrich reflected on the experience, stating, “I stood there looking at him thinking this is absolutely ridiculous.”Not just the fact that he’s with Gordon Ramsay’s daughter, so he has a close relationship with him, that is incredible on its own, but the fact that he’s an Olympic record holder.” He concluded, “It was so surreal. He was genuinely really nice.” Dietrich’s participation is part of The Thousand Mile Challenge, an effort to raise funds for Children in Need. Teams from various BBC radio stations throughout the UK aim to collectively swim a total of 1,000 miles (1,609km) by the close of Friday. Dietrich, whose personal goal is to complete at least 50 lengths, credited Peaty with boosting his confidence in the water. He admitted, “If you put me in deep water, I will struggle and panic,”. He elaborated, “I think it’s a bit of a fear thing for me. Putting my head in the water is just not comfortable, so it’s proper out of my comfort zone.” He added, “I never would’ve jumped into the water back first or dived in at all, whereas now I feel pretty confident in doing that.” Dietrich further stated, “I feel way more confident, I feel like I could turn up to a leisure centre and get in the pool and not feel insecure that people are looking at me thinking I’m an idiot.” He concluded this thought with, “They probably are, but I don’t feel insecure in that.” Further information is available at bbc.co.uk/swim. To follow BBC Derby, visit their pages on Facebook, X, or Instagram. Story ideas can be submitted to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk or through WhatsApp at 0808 100 2210. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content found on external sites. Details regarding their external linking policy are available for review.