Photo exposes Ariarne Titmus’ big career regret
It may be one of the most iconic images from her career, but Aussie swimming icon Ariarne Titmus says all is not as it seems.
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Australian swimming icon Ariarne Titmus has revealed a big regret from her career that she’s now looking to make amends for.
The 24-year-old has taken time away from the pool following the Paris Olympics and said it has given her time to reflect.
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In a Q&A with fans, the four-time Olympic gold medallist gave an eye-opening response when asked what advice she would give to her younger self.
Titmus posted a photo from the 2019 World Aquatics Championships, when she was just 18 after she toppled American legend Katie Ledecky to win the 400m freestyle final, and said while she appeared happy in the image, all was not as it seems.
“This is me back in 2019 becoming 400 free world champion for the first time,” Titmus wrote.
“I remember being disappointed with the swim and was already thinking to what were meant to be the Olympic Games in 2020.
“At the time it seemed the right mindset to be in when you’re on the pursuit for Olympic gold.
“But in hindsight, I regret not enjoying the bigger moments more when I was younger.
“I was always looking to the next thing and not allowing myself the grace and time to be proud of myself.”
The swimming great said the moment won’t happen again as she’s learning to live more in the moment.
“As I continue to swim, my goals will be to be more present in the moment, enjoy the small special times with my teammates and not take anything for granted,” she added.
Titmus announced after the Paris Olympics she would be stepping away from the pool for up to 12 months.
“I’ll slowly start swimming more in the new year,” Titmus said.
“But I’m putting no pressure on myself to rush being back.
“I head to Fiji after my last commitment of the year for my first solo holiday. It will also be my first holiday since Paris!
“I’m very much in need of some peace and quiet after what has been an incredibly rewarding but busy few months.”
In September last year, Titmus revealed she had undergone surgery to remove a large growth found on her ovary.
The terrifying health scare prompted her to reassess her life priorities.
“It changed my perspective on life quite a lot actually,” she told the Inherited podcast.
“I’m stumped with this, it’s a bit of a freak out moment.
“The hardest part was going through all the tests, seeing how big it was, whether it was cancerous, how they were going to remove it.
“For me and where I want to go in my life, there was just no other option. I had to get it out.
“It put a lot of things into perspective for me. My body isn’t just a vehicle to train, my body’s purpose, really, is to carry a child one day.
“And that really hit home to me, it made me realise how much I want to be a mum, and it made swimming almost seem a bit irrelevant at the time.”
The health scare didn’t stop Titmus from adding to medal tally in Paris as she defended her 400m freestyle crown, won gold in the 4x200m freestyle relay and also picked up silvers in the 200m and 800m freestyle.
Titmus could mark her return to competitive swimming at the 2025 world championships in Singapore.
Originally published as Photo exposes Ariarne Titmus’ big career regret
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