"I want to go to the Olympics and win the gold medal!" In 2005, Tom Daley, then 11 years old and known as Britain's "diving prince", did not hesitate to tell his dream in an interview with the media.
Fast forward 16 years later, Daly and his partner Matty Lee won gold in the men's doubles 10m platform event at the Tokyo Olympics.
The moment he stood on the podium, the tears of the bean slid down from Daly's eyes, and in the tears, there was joy, sadness, and all kinds of feelings after bullying and the pain of losing his father.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="8" > 14 years old to go to the Beijing Olympics but became a bullying target in school</h1>
Born on 21 May 1994, Daly began diving at the age of 7 and won the Gold Medal in Diving at the European Championships in 2008, the youngest diving gold medalist in history; in the same year, he represented The United Kingdom at the Beijing Olympic Games, and although he failed to win the medal, he became a household name "Prince of Diving".
Fame is like a double-sided blade, representing the country on the world stage, But in school has become the object of bullying, unpleasant campus life, coupled with the pressure of hidden sexuality, so that he was finally forced to move.
"For a long time, I was always silent, but I was so depressed that eventually I couldn't be trained... When it comes to diving, I'm always embarrassed and can't accept compliments, and even if others say good things, I worry that I'll be ridiculed." Daly said.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="36" > father wanted to see Daly on the London Olympic stage until his death</h1>
On the way to becoming a diver, the person who supports Daly the most is his father, Rob Daley, who told the media in 2009 when daley won the FINA World Championship diving title, "Seeing my son become the world champion is the proudest moment of my life."
However, the fate between Daly and his father is not long, as early as 2006, Rob was diagnosed with a brain tumor, even if he later underwent surgery, removed 80% of the tumor, but the condition did not improve, Rob is not unaware of this, so he cherishes every moment he can get along with his son.
On May 27, 2011, Rob, who could no longer deal with the disease, passed away, 14 months before the opening of the London Olympic Games. Recalling this incident, Daly said that his father was still asking until a few days before his death, "Did we get tickets to the London Olympics?" Can we come in and watch?"
Until his death, Rob still hoped that he could walk into the London Olympics and watch Daley fight for Britain.
"When he left, I held his hand... At that moment, I had to admit that he was not invincible, he did not have time to teach me to drive, nor could he see me win a medal at the Olympics and watch me get married and have children." Daly said.
The day after his father's death, Daley endured grief and continued training, and he failed to win a medal at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, and won two bronze medals in the 10-meter platform jump event at the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Olympic Games, but the pain of losing his father, the pressure of failing to win gold, and the impact of triceps lacerations once caused Daley to fall into a low ebb.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="37" > partner accompanied him through the low tide The love of his family made Daly brave to be himself</h1>
Daly was accompanied by his partner, Dustin Lance Black, the screenwriter who won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for the film "Milk" and the Oscar.
Daly, who came out publicly in 2013, described meeting Blake as a relief from his shoulders, and when he came out, he "no longer worried, no longer afraid, can be himself."
Daly and Black married in May 2017, and then, with the assistance of assisted reproductive technology, they welcomed their son, Robert Ray Black-Daley, who was named after Daly's father in June of the following year.
The joy of fatherhood allowed Daley to overcome the pressure before the Tokyo Olympics, "First of all, I am a father, and secondly, I am an athlete... Whether I'm good or bad in the game, I'm going to be back to my family and they still love me... It took a lot of stress out of me, and I just had to go there and dive because I didn't have to carry the pressure."
At a press conference after the Gold Medal in Tokyo, Daly confidently said, "I am proud to be a gay and Olympic champion!"
"When I came out in 2013, when I was young, I always felt lonely, different, and in a way, I could never meet the expectations of society... When I was young, I didn't think I could accomplish anything, but being an Olympic champion proved that you can accomplish anything." Daly stressed.
Father, partner, son, 3 of the most important men in Daly's life, let him be brave to be himself, 16 years of chasing dreams, Daley is not alone, the love of his family, has always been his strongest backing.