Swim king Kyle Chalmers opens up on devastating mental health toll of love triangle controversy as he prepares to become a first-time father
Australian swimming champion Kyle Chalmers has opened up about some of the mental health challenges he faced during the 'love triangle' drama.
Chalmers, 27, went through a rollercoaster of emotions at the 2022 Commonwealth Games as claims of a 'love triangle' emerged between himself, ex-girlfriend Emma McKeon and Cody Simpson.
The ordeal tested him emotionally and led to Chalmers seriously considering quitting the sport he loves.
'It definitely impacted my mental health and wellbeing, and it kind of made me be like, "Do I actually want to put myself through this," and, "This is not what I signed up for to be a swimmer",' Chalmers told Body+Soul.
'I love swimming. I love representing my country at the highest level. But I don't want to talk about my personal life and then have that criticised in front of the world.
'As a young person in sport, you get into it for the love of sport; you don't ever think you're going to have to deal with these things.'
Chalmers, who has previously said he was considering giving everything up to play country footy, revealed Aussie athletes of all stripes reached out to him.
'I received a lot of love from amazing athletes around Australia, and the world,' he said.
'Sam Kerr and Patrick Dangerfield reaching out to me was crazy, and Michael Clarke also, someone I grew up idolising.
'There were a lot of athletes in my corner supporting how I was feeling.'
Chalmers is now engaged to Norwegian swimmer fiancée Ingeborg Løyning and expecting his first child.
He says his life has already changed in many ways.
'You're quite selfish as an athlete, because you've always got to put yourself first,' he said.
'It's always prioritising your sleep and your recovery, and what you're eating and your plan for the day, to get the best out of yourself in the pool.
'Whereas now, it's already no longer about me. I'm prioritising my fiancee, how she's feeling in the pregnancy and doing what I can to support her through this period.
'And then eventually, it's going to be prioritising the baby, and the athlete will come second.'
After his swimming career is over, he plans to complete his trade qualifications and return to his childhood home of Port Lincoln.
He and Ingeborg are also excited about the Chalmers Swim Academy they have started, which will also offer mental health support alongside first-class virtual coaching.
'I don't want the next generation of swimmers to have to go through what I've gone through with the media,' he said.
'I want them to feel comfortable, rather than feeling criticised and fearing what the media could say or do.'
Chalmers is still passionate about swimming and will surely be lighting up the pool again soon.
'Brisbane 2032 could be an option if I'm still loving it and enjoying my sport,' he said.
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Telegraph
40 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Lions tours need needle, not niceties: Bring on the Aussie baiting
The stadium announcer at the Optus Stadium did such a good job of pointing out some of the Lions' players alternate nationalities that one can only hope he receives the same gig for the Test series. 'And now introducing your 100 per cent pure-bred Wallabies. On the wing, there is Wimbledon-born but now magically Australian, Harry Potter. Introducing our centre, its Samoan-born, New Zealand-raised, capped by the Samoan Under-20s, Hunter Paisami. At fly-half there is another Kiwi in Noah Lolesio. Starting in the second row, it's another one born in New Zealand, of Samoan descent, who has spent most of his life in Europe, it's our big fella Will Skelton … and at prop, it's the Tongan Thor now an Aussie by residency, Taniela Tupou.' You see, that dual nationality thing cuts both ways and David Campese's description of the tourists as the 'British and Irish and Pacific Island Lions' applies far more to the Wallabies than it does to Andy Farrell's squad. Indeed, Australia's resident rent-a-quote might want to look at who instituted the project player system in Ireland which brought in players such as Bundee Aki, James Lowe and Jamison Gibson-Park, a certain J Schmidt. Really, the only countries who can legitimately mount a high horse about foreign-born players are from South America. Nearly everywhere else, the lines of what can be considered 'native', as Willie John McBride crudely termed it, have been blurred by the modern trends of global migration. People of multicultural backgrounds do not always fit into neat pigeonholes. Does Marcus Smith not have the right to represent the Lions because he was born in Manila to an English father and Filipina mother? Or if he does then surely Mack Hansen, who has an Australian father and Irish mother, must also qualify? If not, then where do you draw the line? Passport? Schooling? Accent? These are decisions that go far beyond Farrell's remit as Lions head coach and if you speak to the wonderfully entertaining Pierre Schoeman, or the engaging Sione Tuipulotu, you will be absolutely convinced of their legitimate passion to represent the Lions. Nor is this a particularly new development. Go back a century and you will find Tom Richards and Blair Swannell having represented both the Lions and Australia. Both war heroes are now honoured with man-of-the-match medals during this tour. Still, the subject of the Lions' mixed nationalities was low-hanging fruit that the stadium announcer in Perth was absolutely entitled to go for, likely a juicy full toss pitched up across the bridge at the Waca. Tuipulotu took no grave offence and almost seemed hurt that the Aussie sledging was not of a higher standard. This is standard fare for a Lions tour. 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Daily Mail
43 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Strange footage of 'bald' Beauty and the Geek star emerges from a month before she was accused of killing and beheading her boyfriend
A Beauty and the Geek star charged with the murder of her boyfriend was seen by Port Lincoln locals with her head shaved and acting oddly in the weeks beforehand. Police are still searching for the missing head of local man, Julian Story, after Tamika Chesser allegedly killed him, decapitated him, carried his head in a bag to an unknown location and dumped it. Police and SES are desperately searching cliffs and bush in Port Lincoln and the waters off the Eyre Peninsula as Mr Story's family are subjected to an agonised wait to bury their loved one. Two residents in the famous South Australian fishing port told Daily Mail Australia that Ms Chesser only arrived in town a few months ago and they only remembered her as having a shaved head. The 34-year-old, who finished second in the second series of Beauty and the Geek in 2010, visited KMart and other shops in central Port Lincoln, usually accompanied by a small dog. 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BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Lowe hits back at stadium announcer's trolling
The Perth stadium announcer tried his best to troll the British and Irish Lions before their 54-7 victory over Western Force, by singling out the tourists who were born in the southern issue has been a big talking point in the tour build-up after Australia head coach Joe Schmidt highlighted the ancestry of some of the Lions squad."Our former Aussie at No 14, Mack Hansen," the announcer declared on Saturday in front of a record Force crowd of more than 46,000.''Another Aussie at No 12, Sione Tuipulotu. At No 11, the Kiwi now Irishman James Lowe, and at prop, the former SA schoolboy now Scotsman, Pierre Schoeman."Not that it had much of an affect on Ireland's New Zealand-born winger Lowe, who started for the Maori All Blacks against the Lions in 2017.''Hopefully a few more Kiwis or Saffas play next week and we can keep the same gag going if we keep on getting the same result," the 32-year-old told BBC Sport. "I've been slagged my whole life, my whole career, it doesn't matter where I go I seem to get slagged so they can say what they want.'' Schmidt apologised and said he was "sloppy" and meant no harm when he called the Lions midfield duo Bundee Aki and Sione Tuipulotu the "southern hemisphere centre partnership".He was then accused of mind games and pot-stirring by Lions head of performance David captain Tuipulotu, who was born in Australia, also brushed aside the trolling, adding: "I knew there would be some 'good humour' coming back home to Australia. These are all things we've got to take in our stride," he said."To not announce the elephant in the room, I am from Australia. I was born here. I don't know how funny that gag is to everyone." 'Hungrier for a Test spot' Having reached and won the URC final, Leinster wing Lowe had to wait a week before his first taste of Lions he has plenty of credit in the bank with Irish coaches having been picked 40 times for his country, Lions tours are all about taking your opportunity, something Lowe felt he grasped with both hands against the Force, finishing the match with two assists and three clean breaks.''I knew I'd get a chance to put in a performance and personally I was very happy with how I went," Lowe adds. "I still remember sitting at home with my wife when your name comes up on the TV. To actually be here, feet on the ground in Australia and given the opportunity is a massive privilege.''The amazing thing about this tour is these games make you hungrier for a Test spot. I'm competing with some world-class wingers in their own right so you've got to put your best forward."Obviously we can get better and we will get better over time but it's already something I'll be very proud of for the rest of my days.''Lowe is one of 12 Leinster players in Australia, the most from any club in a single Lions series. "We're in a lucky situation where we know so many of our own boys," he adds."We understand each other even if we get calls wrong. If you've got Leinster boys beside you, we know what we're doing. Though we did have a Scottish 10, 12, 13 in the second half so it's nice to watch their defensive system and the tendencies they have when they're on the run.''
