Wellbeing and Mental Health

What we learned from British Olympic diver Tom Daley at Davos 2025

Tom Daley, Diver, United Kingdom, speaking in Defying the Odds session at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2025 in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland.

British Olympic diver Tom Daley at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2025.

Image: World Economic Forum / Ciaran McCrickard

This article is part of: World Economic Forum Annual Meeting
  • British Olympic diver Tom Daley joined the panel session 'Defying the Odds' at the World Economic Forum's 55th Annual Meeting in Davos.
  • He shared his experience with handling the pressures of high-level competition while balancing aspects of his personal life.
  • Here's what we learned about Daley's early life, wellbeing techniques, and hopes for the future.

Five-time Olympic medallist Tom Daley is well-known for his acrobatic feats at the diving pool.

But a fastidious panel of judges isn't the only challenge he's faced in life.

Daley's story is shaped by many struggles, which have taught him a lot along the way - both about himself and the world around him.

At the World Economic Forum's 55th Annual Meeting in Davos, Daley joined the panel session 'Defying the Odds', where he talked about his early years becoming an Olympic champion and managing his wellbeing.

You can watch the full session below.

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On defying the odds

"I used to cry on the end of the diving board all the time", Daley said.

Confidence wasn't something that others inspired in him from an early age: "My coach told me I would never make a diver in my life and that I should forget about it. And I think I had a lot of people telling me that I would never make it as a diver".

Yet that only built resilience and inspired him to greater heights:

When someone tells you that you can't do something, of course it fuels you to go and do it.

Tom Daley

On personal struggles growing up

Alongside the pressure of competition and performing for his country, Daley also had to navigate his sexuality and an eating disorder:

"In the world of sports... there are not many people who wear more clothes to bed than to work, but that was kind of the uniform. So my diving higher-ups were very strict with me about what I could eat and what I couldn't, and what I looked like."

Those aspects added additional pressure to the struggles he was already facing in his competitive life.

On his discovery of knitting

After a disappointing 2016 Rio Olympic Games for Daley, his coach shared something with him.

"'You are always on the go. You're always doing something. And although you train really hard, it's just as important to rest and recover. But on the weekend, you're always going to museums, you're going to markets, you're exploring. I want you to be able to sit still and do nothing so that you come in on Monday as well rested as you possibly can be'."

Daley's husband, who works in film and TV, suggested he take up knitting, an activity he’d seen many people in the entertainment industry do to pass the time while waiting on set.

"So I was like, OK, I'll give that a go!"

Tom Daley, Diver, United Kingdom; speaking in Defying the Odds session at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2025.
Tom Daley talks candidly at AM25 about the pressures of being an Olympian and managing his wellbeing. Image: World Economic Forum / Ciaran McCrickard

On mindfulness

Taking up knitting brought much-needed mental health benefits: "It was the one time my mind went quiet. The counting of the stitches, the movement, the consistency of it. It just allowed me to zone out and be in the present moment."

Knitting became his escape from stressful waiting periods during competitions, in particular the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, where Daley ended up taking gold.

Knitting became my escape from all of that and I genuinely think without knitting I would not have won an Olympic gold medal.

Tom Daley
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On manifesting his future

Daley explained how during the COVID-19 lockdowns he and his husband started a habit of writing their ambitions down, covering them with gold leaf, and leaving them by the front door: "Every day we left the house knowing what our purpose was and what we wanted to achieve."

He credits this practice with helping him believe he could reach the heights he eventually achieved in his sporting career.

"I genuinely think the power of manifestation is real. I feel like I manifested my Olympic gold medal."

On the future

Looking forward to his future goals, Daley explained: "I'd love to start a Made-with-Love Foundation. I would love to be able to get that going, to help bring mindfulness and craft to as many people as possible."

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