Olympic gold medallist swimmer Kyle Chalmers reveals passion for raising reptiles

SWIMMING superstar Kyle Chalmers is beginning to get nervous — and it has nothing to do with taking the blocks in next month’s Commonwealth Games. Rather, it’s the impending hatching of 23 bearded dragon eggs.

Kyle Chalmers with his blue tongue lizards. Picture: Calum Robertson

• How Kyle is preparing for the Commonwealth Games

SWIMMING superstar Kyle Chalmers is beginning to get nervous — and it has nothing to do with taking the blocks in next month’s Commonwealth Games.

Rather, it's the impending hatching of 23 bearded dragon eggs that has left Olympic gold medallist, Kyle, 19, on edge.

Chalmers’ revelation this month of his lizard obsession and that he had an Instagram page called ‘Adelaide Blue Tongues’ made a splash around the world.

Kyle Chalmers with his bearded dragon and blue tongue lizards. Picture: Calum Robertson

“The king with his ladies #beardeddragon”. Picture: adl_bluetongues / Instagram

Chalmers says the man who started his fascination as a kid is the first one he calls to look after his treasured pets when he’s away, his grandfather Malcolm Bagnell.

The 100m freestyle champ said he was a little surprised at the level of media interest in his hobby which has become a passion outside of the pool.

“I was pretty excited about it to be honest, it’s one of my huge passions and it makes me happy to talk about them,” he said. His interest in lizards started as a kid growing up in Port Lincoln where he had five bearded dragons, a few turtles and green tree frogs.

“I’ve had every pet, I’m an animal lover,” Chalmers said.

“Now I’m old enough to make my own decisions and to get rare blue tongues that I’m interested in is pretty awesome.”

Kyle Chalmers' blue tongue lizards. Picture: adl_bluetongues / Instagram

Chalmers is often away for training and competition but phones someone he knows will take extra good care of his lizards when he’s on the road.

“Grandpa is the person who has driven that passion into me, we used to go out lizard catching all the time when I was growing up and he always had lizards in his backyard,” Chalmers said.

“He was pretty excited when I gave him the call up and said ‘Grandpa do you mind coming over to Adelaide (from Port Lincoln) and looking after my lizards while I’m at trials?’ and he did a great job.

“(We’re) obviously coming up to the Commonwealth Games so I’ll get one of my mates to come over and take care of them.”

Kyle Chalmers playing with a snake.

A handful of Chalmers’ blue tongues. Picture: adl_bluetongues / Instagram

Looking after his 16 blue tongues, three bearded dragons and large nest of eggs is serious business including making sure they are properly fed their diet.

“They love their greens,” Chalmers said.

“And blue tongues are easy, they eat whatever you want, so they a dry cat food available to them all the time and every second day I’ll put some minced meat or snails in there for them and they smash it.

“They love fruit, vegetables, it’s pretty easy to do.”

Chalmers will swim the 100m, 200m freestyle and relays at the Gold Coast Games on April 4.

You can see his collection of reptiles on Instagram.

Originally published as Olympic gold medallist swimmer Kyle Chalmers reveals passion for raising reptiles