Australian Olympic hero Grant Hackett has added a new member to his beautiful family, and also revealed how a Hollywood movie inspired a last-minute change to the baby’s name.
Hackett’s career in the pool was watched on by millions of green and gold supporters in the early 2000s where the superstar swimmer enjoyed plenty of success (he is a seven-time Olympic medallist and a 10-time world champion).
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But these days life is a little different for the doting dad, who welcomed in August this year the latest addition to his family of four, a daughter named Olympia.
Speaking to The Morning Show on Wednesday, Hackett said Olympia was happy, healthy and had been sleeping well.
“I mean, I have four kids now and, out of all the babies, she has been the best one so far,” he said.
Hackett says Olympia is happy, healthy and has been sleeping well. Credit: Instagram
“She has been doing four or five hours over the last week or two. Very, very settled, calm sort of energy about her and just a beautiful kid. (I’m) very, very fortunate. And I think as you get a bit older as a dad, you are a bit more settled (too).
“The cries don’t stress you out as much and you are not as worried about everything, it is generally three things you have to look at. I have really, enjoyed it and savoured it, to be totally honest.”
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The Morning Show host Larry Emdur then pressed Hackett about the name Olympia, and wondered if that had anything to do with Hackett’s glittering swimming career
“Was Commonwealth on the name’s list?” Emdur joked.
“No, Commonwealth wasn’t there, not enough countries,” Hackett replied, but he then revealed how Olympia came about.
And curiously, it has nothing to do with the Olympic Games.
“It is quite funny because I almost didn’t name her (Olympia) because of that (reference).
Hackett said he was watching a Sandra Bullock movie with his wife Sharlene and there was a “strong little girl” in the film (Bird Box) called Olympia.
“We actually liked the name Grace, initially, and we were talking and (Sharlene said), ‘Why don’t we just call her Olympia Grace?’. And I thought, ‘That sounds awesome’.
Nothing to do my Olympic career, it was purely because we love the name. We call her ‘little baby Olly’ but she is absolutely wonderful and already trying to talk and sit up and do all of those great things.”
Emdur pointed out that Hackett had missed the opportunity to have a middle name of ’Gold’.
“Maybe if there is a fifth one, we can it do it then,” Hackett said.
Hacket said there was “a really strong connection” already between Olympia and his other children, and there was “a lot of love in the household”.
Grant Hackett with his medals and (inset) his beautiful young family. Credit: TMS
Hackett is now a successful businessman, works in Melbourne’s famous Collins St, and is the CEO of Generation Life.
He is promoting ‘National Buy Aussie Day’ which is an initiative to support small Australian businesses.
“I love to support Australian businesses, particularly small businesses. They are 97 per cent of our economy, right, and over 5 million people employed,” Hackett said.
He said Aussie businesses had been doing it hard over the past few years so this was a call to arms for shoppers to purchase local products.
“I mean, we have all been struck down by the events over the past few year, whether that was the initial impact of COVID, then we have seen inflation go through the roof, and then we have obviously seen the impact of cost of living now because of inflation and the rising interest rates.
“So to be able to support Aussie businesses and to be able to have an opportunity as a consumer to have a discount on there (at australianlifemagazine.com.au), I think it is a wonderful way to be able to support your own teammates, so to speak.”
Hackett said there were still times he missed swimming, but he didn’t miss the training and the 4.45am starts.
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