Olympic swimming champion Grant Hackett says he loves being a father to baby Eddie
Olympic swimming champion Grant Hackett is loving being a father again as he works his way to the top of the finance world 20 years after his heroics at the Sydney Olympic Games.
Confidential
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Grant Hackett says fatherhood is his most cherished job in the world.
The Olympic swimming champion has spent the lockdown months bonding with eight month-old son Edward and fiance Sharlene Fletcher.
“Once you’ve been around the block before and had life experiences that I’ve had, you really treasure it,’’ said Hackett, who shares twins Jagger and Charlize with his first wife Candice Alley.
“You treasure all the moments you get when they’re young, even the tough times when you’re up in the middle of the night.
“It’s even better in the sense you’re a little bit more mature and appreciative of everything.
“The one thing that I’m very thankful for which I wouldn’t have gotten unless this all happened is just the bonding time with Eddie.
“He’s doing the whole up on all fours and moving, crawling backwards but he’s got to get into forward gear.
“He’s very big, his height and weight is that of a 12 month-old and he’s just gone eight months.
“It’s my favourite thing being a dad, I absolutely love it.”
Hackett has also been reflecting this week on his other treasured moment — that of swimming at his first Olympics in Sydney 2000 and winning two gold medals.
October 1 is exactly 20 years to the day that the closing ceremony was held.
“All the boys on the swim team are on a whatsapp group and we did a zoom call,’’ said Hackett, who manages finance company, Generation Life.
“We’ve regularly stayed in contact and chat every day. It’s been really nice to reconnect.
“Even Ian Thorpe gave me a call the other day when I won my gold medal just to congratulate me which is really cool.
“You forget how special it was and how proud Australians were and we could show what a little country like Australia could do.”
Hackett is urging Australians to get behind each other now, as the face of retail and business initiative National Buy Aussie Day.
“I hope that October 1 will always be a day when Aussies stop and shop Australian,” Hackett said.
“I run an Australian business and Sharlene has set up and run businesses before. We have an appreciation for what it takes to run a small business and I think this is an outstanding concept.”
More info: buyaussieday.com.au
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