Watching the Olympics as a spectator can bring about some nerves and butterflies for some, so we could only imagine how the athletes handle the stress. Luckily one British diver has found the perfect way to unwind.
Tom Daley has quite a lot of Olympic experience under his (speedo) belt. He first competed at the Games at the age of 14 during the 2008 games, and went on to represent the United Kingdom at the 2012, 2016, and now the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. So, safe to say he was no stranger to the make-it-or-break-it pressure that came with the sport. But this year, he has been spotted partaking in arguably the calmest of pastimes throughout the competition: knitting. The Olympic diver was snapped on multiple occasions in the Olympic Village knitting and crocheting away at various stages of the competition, and it has since gone absolutely viral.
In an Instagram video posted to his account, Daley didn't hold back in explaining his love for his hobby. "One thing that has kept me sane throughout this whole process is my love for knitting and crochet and all things stitching," the 27-year-old athlete shared with his fans. According to him, knitting has helped in "finding calm, mindfulness and [it] relieves stress," which arose throughout the competition. And while knitting proved to be the perfect medicine for stress, the decorated athlete has also gained quite the following for his unexpected hobby.
Besides boasting nearly 3 million followers on his personal Instagram account, Daley also decided to open a different account for his knitting adventures. And people couldn't get enough of it. The page, under the handle @madewithlovebytomdaley has racked in almost 900 thousand followers and climbing. And thanks to his recent gold medal win on July 26th, the Men's Synchronised 10m Platform Final champion's popularity has only skyrocketed. In a video posted to his knitting Instagram account, Tom celebrated his Olympic win with the ultimate accessory: a handmade sleeve for his gold medal.
Stay tuned for more viral Tokyo 2020 news coming your way!
