Ariarne Titmus opens up on romance with new boyfriend after announcing retirement from swimming
The now retired Ariarne Titmus has opened up on her excitement to lead a ‘normal’ life, and how boyfriend Mack came at the ‘perfect time’ and opened her eyes to a different world.
It was a side of Ariarne Titmus we had never seen before; relaxed, vulnerable and dare we say it almost emotional.
One of Australia’s greatest Olympic champions, who has spent much of her life focussed solely on standing on top of the podium, was left wiping tears from her eyes as she spoke about the chance to lead a normal life for the first time.
Around the pooldeck Titmus was known for her laser focus. In the pool she was the giant slayer - earning the nickname The Terminator.
When the 25-year-old swimmer strolled into New Farm Park, for her retirement press conference, hand in hand with her new boyfriend Mack, we had a glimpse of a very different ‘Arnie’.
“I believe everything happens for a reason and I would have made this decision if I was on my own, but now I make this decision very, very happy in my personal life and I think Mack came along at the perfect time. So, that’s all I’ll say, ’cause I’ll start crying,” as she wiped tears from her eyes.
Titmus first represented Australia in the pool when she was just 14-years-old.
She announced her retirement on Thursday, via social media, content to hang up her goggles with four Olympic gold medals to her name and as the holder of the 200m women’s freestyle World Record.
Titmus has rarely had a day out of the pool in her career – her longest break prior to this post Paris Olympics 12 months long sabbatical was 12 days off post a competition.
Titmus hasn’t struggled to adjust to her new normal.
She went public with her new boyfriend Mack in January – while they were courtside at the Australian Open.
“It’s been really nice just to be home at 5 o’clock and in the kitchen and cooking dinner and, you know, having a glass of wine with my family, all normal things that an athlete that’s gunning for Olympic Gold doesn’t get to do,” Titmus said.
“And I was always okay with that because my pursuit for Olympic Gold meant that they were just the decisions I made and I was happy with that and I was willing to do that.
“But I think one of the things that solidified the decision for me was I looked at if I was to go back was I willing to go back to the way that I’d always been as an athlete.
“I didn’t want to go back and half arse it per se. And I wasn’t willing to go back and be the way I was before. So that also helped me make the decision as well.”
Titmus said she was retiring knowing she couldn’t have done anything else in the pool. She gave it everything she had.
“I gave up a lot, especially, you know, growing up as a teenager, I lived a different life and then through my early 20s, I made a lot of decisions to put my social life, my personal life on the back burner, to put my sport first.
“I don’t regret any of that because I don’t think I would have performed as well as I have if I had made different decisions.
“So I’m at peace with so much. I yeah, I walk away knowing that I couldn’t have done anymore.”
Titmus’ original plan hadn’t been to retire until after the 2028 Olympics.
She potentially waited to feel a drive to get back in the pool but that fire in her belly never returned.
“I’m really glad I’m leaving like this,” she said. “I’m not leaving for injury, I’m not leaving through my performances, I’m leaving at the right time.”
While she won’t be in the pool at the LA Games in 2028 Titmus said she still hopes to be on the pool deck as a commentator or working in the broadcast space.
“I loved commentating the swimming but other sports as well,” she said. “I love telling my story on the speaking circuit and I think that people can take a lot away from my life into their life.
“I’ve lived a different life for my first 25 years and I now have the chance to do things that I’ve never done before and spend more time with the people that I love and just really put myself first.
“I’m excited just to live a little bit and just relax.”
Before any of that though Titmus will be heading to the Bahamas to film a new reality TV show Shark! Titmus and five other celebrities will take to the shark infested waters for a number of “heart-stopping” challenges.
Titmus said she was a “little bit nervous for it”.
And once that is out of the way she plans to take a holiday with Mack.
“Other than a few months ago when my partner and I went to New Zealand for a week just for a getaway I haven’t had a holiday door to door since I was a little girl,” Titmus said.
“I’ve only ever travelled briefly off the back of a swimming competition and had to come back for swimming so I’m excited for maybe some holidays that I can actually relax into and enjoy.”
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Originally published as Ariarne Titmus opens up on romance with new boyfriend after announcing retirement from swimming
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