When did Ian Thorpe retire? What does he do now?

Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe specialized in freestyle but also competed in backstroke and the solo medley. Along with teammate swimmer Emma McKeon, he holds the most Olympic gold medals of any Australian with five.

Ian Thorpe unexpectedly announced his retirement from swimming at the age of 24 in November 2006, shocking the swimming community.

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Who is Ian Thorpe

Australian former swimmer and freestyle specialist Thorpe was born on October 13, 1982. Thorpe was a big baby at birth, weighing 4.1 kg (9.0 lbs) and standing 59 cm (1 ft 11 in) tall. He was born into a sports family and raised in the Milperra neighborhood.

Ian's father Ken played cricket for Sydney's district league for the Bankstown District Cricket Club at the junior level. Ken was a skilled batter who once outperformed former Australian captain Bob Simpson in the season's batting averages. However, Ken's enthusiasm for cricket was diminished by parental pressure, and he retired at the age of 26. Ian's mother, Margaret, was an A-grade netball player, but he lacked their ball abilities.

By chance, the five-year-old Thorpe followed his older sister Christina into the water after she received advice to learn to swim to strengthen a fractured wrist. Due to his unpleasant experiences, Ken Thorpe believed that the most important factor in his children's sports engagement was fun.

2011 FINA World Cup - Previews

Ian Thorpe competed in two Olympics in his career. First at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, where he secured six medals that included three golds and two silvers. His second Olympics was in Athens in 2004, where he managed to capture four medals that included two golds, one silver, and a bronze.

Thorpe retired from competitive swimming in 2006 but tried to return later in 2012 but failed to qualify for the London Olympics. In 2022, Thorpe was inducted into the inaugural Australian Swimming Hall of Fame

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Thorpe's career post-swimming

Through the use of hidden cameras, Ian Thorpe used a two-part television program called Bullied on ABC Television to show bullying from the perspective of the victim, which started on the 14th of March, 2017. Thorpe participated in Celebrity MasterChef Australia (season 2) in 2021 and was eliminated in fourth place. The judges mentioned Thorpe's two cookbooks, "Cook For Your Life" from 2011 and "Eat Well Now" from 2016, during the competition.

In addition to being an ambassador for Armani and having his own line of luxury jewelry and underwear, Thorpe is also recognized for his passion for fashion. Thorpe was one of Australia's most well-known and well-liked athletes during his career.

Ian Thorpe frequently ranks as the most sought-after Australian athlete for sponsorship agreements, topping footballers who compete on a weekly basis in far larger stadiums despite playing in a sport where the great majority of international players' incomes are below the poverty line. Apart from his swimwear sponsor Adidas, Australian business juggernauts Qantas, Telstra, and the Seven Network supported Thorpe.

Ian Thorpe has made a name for himself as a philanthropist as well. In 2000, he founded the organization Ian Thorpe's Fountain for Youth. The group generates money for pediatric disease research and supports a school for abandoned children with disabilities in Beijing. Additionally, they are collaborating with The Fred Hollows Foundation to enhance the health and quality of life for Australian Aboriginal communities.