Cody Simpson says he thrives on the motivation to prove his doubters wrong.
The popstar-turned-swimmer is preparing to qualify for an Olympic debut in Paris next year, in what is set to be one of the most remarkable stories in swimming and Australian sport history.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Cody Simpson is set on the Olympic dream.
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The 26-year-old has already competed on the world stage at last year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, where he won gold and silver medals for heat swims in the 4x100m freestyle and 4x100m medley.
He also competed in the 50m and 100m butterfly, making it to the final in the latter.
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But the award-winning musician is not done there and wants to keep proving people wrong.
“I think coming back into the sport of swimming and doing it the way I did, I was inevitably going to face a lot of doubters and a lot of naysayers and things like that,” he told Sunrise.
“Fear of failure is often what gets me up in the morning.”
Cody Simpson is gearing up for a push to the 2024 Olympics. Credit: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images
In the candid interview with Channel 7’s Tamra Bow, Simpson admitted the mental toll of the sport, and carrying his profile within it, is taxing — but he draws strength from his support network, including his partner and fellow Australian swim team member Emma McKeon.
“I think I’m one of the luckiest people in the world to have the group of people around me that I have, from my family to my coach to my training partners,” he said.
“We do about nine sessions in the pool a week, about an hour and a half to two hours each session, and that’s accompanied by three gym sessions a week (which area) about an hour and a half as well.”
He is already a Commonwealth Games gold medallist. Credit: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images
Simpson hopes his path to becoming an athlete, though extraordinary and rare, will act as inspiration for others who are worried about change.
“I think that more people can and should embrace change, and be braver in their lives to go after what it truly is that they like to do,” he said.
But the popstar assured fans he wasn’t done with the microphone and guitar just yet.
“Music has been my primary love and focus for the majority of my life; I spent 10 years of my life playing music professionally, and plan on doing it again as soon as I hang up the goggles,” Simpson said.
“I absolutely love what I’m doing at the moment. I love the feeling I get after a hard session.
“I think ultimately life’s good when you’re challenging yourself like this.”
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