Ariarne Titmus, the four-time Olympic gold medalist, has announced her intention to swim into a new era of life. On October 15th, she surprised her fans by announcing her retirement from swimming at just 25 years old. "Today you retire from competitive swimming," she wrote in a heartfelt letter to her 7-year-old self, shared on Instagram. "18 years you spent in the pool competing. 10 of those representing your country. You went to two Olympic Games and even better, you won!"
The Australian-born athlete, who holds several world records including women's 200-meter and 400-meter freestyle, shared that her dreams "all came true" along the way, giving credit to her parents and younger sister for supporting her goals. "Mum and Dad saw the glimmer in your eye and sacrificed everything to move," she continued. "Without them, alongside Mia—you wouldn't be here today."
In an accompanying video, Ariarne offered insight into her decision-making process, revealing that she reached a "turning point" while preparing for the 2024 Summer Olympics. "In the lead up to the Paris Games, I went through some health challenges, which, quite frankly, really rocked me mentally," she explained. "It was probably the first time where I considered some things outside of swimming."
Since then, her outlook on her future had begun to shift. "I've taken this time away from the sport and realized some things in my life that have always been important to me are just a little bit more important to me now than swimming," she shared. "And that's okay."
As for what's next, Ariarne hinted at a career in broadcasting as well as plans to help aspiring athletes unlock their own potential. "It's almost like my life is restarting at 25 years old," she mused. "I've had to reassess my goals, but I'm really fortunate that I do have goals outside of swimming."
