Olympic gold medallist Tom Daley shares his battle over an eating disorder in upcoming autobiography

The Tokyo Olympics saw the birth of a whole new generation of athletes who once again reminded us that sport is more than just a game. Tom Daley was one of them who shone with his gold medal winning diving performance. He made headlines not just for winning a gold but for displaying his exceptional knitting skills to the world. His mission and vision as an athlete was to ensure that the LGBTQ community got the recognition they deserve. Having accomplished all this, it seems as though there is no stopping Tom Daley in his bid to change mindsets and perceptions.

In a recent interview with the Guardian, Daley opened up about his eating disorder which was a mainstay in his life for a very long time. His perception about his body resulted in him developing a habitual situation of throwing up food in order to be a certain way physically. It was as recently as 2012 where he won the Olympic bronze medal that he threw up food in order to be in shape. The reasons behind it varied immensely but he also began an inspirational journey to change his ways since then.

This also led him to realise that eating disorders were not just gender specific and that men were equally culpable in suffering from them . He was quoted saying "Men always seem to not have eating disorders, and it's hard to talk about it. But I would consider myself to be someone that has very much struggled with body image, and eating, and feeling guilty and shameful of the things that I eat."

In his soon to release Autobiography " Coming Up For Air", Daley has reflected on several real life incidents that changed him as a person for the better. All the issues that Daley reflected on were extremely pertinent to the modern day discourse on body positivity, LGBTQ rights and sport in general. Daley continues to inspire people on and off the field who may feel, look and think a certain way.