“Not take anything for granted” - Ariarne Titmus opens up on the advice she would give her younger self

Ariarne Titmus recently opened up about the advice she would give her younger self. Titmus is renowned for her impressive swimming career, being the current world record holder in the 200m and 400m freestyle (long course), and has also collected four Olympic gold medals.

At the Paris Olympic Games, Titmus added two gold and two silver medals to her previous collection from the Tokyo Games, where she earned 2 gold, 1 silver, and 1 bronze. Additionally, her best performance in Paris came in the 400m freestyle event, where she successfully defended her title.

Following her remarkable Olympic campaign, the 24-year-old decided to take an extended break from the sport, which she revealed to the media after the swimming competitions in Paris.

Recently, during an "Ask Me" session on Instagram, Ariarne Titmus was asked what advice she would give her younger self. She shared a photo from her 2019 World Championships victory, reflecting on how, at the time, she was disappointed with the swim and focused immediately on the next goal, and didn't take enough time to appreciate her achievements. Keeping a photo from the same tournament as the background, she wrote:

“This is me back in 2019 becoming 400 free world champion for the first time. I remember being disappointed with the swim and was already thinking to what were meant to be the Olympic Games in 2020. At the time it seemed the right mindset to be in when you are on the pursuit for Olympic Gold, but in hindsight I regret not enjoying the bigger moments more when I was younger - I was always looking to the next thing and not allowing myself the grace and time to be proud of myself.”

“As I continue to swim, my goals will be to be more present in the moment, enjoy the small special times with my teammates and not take anything for granted,” Ariarne Titmus also mentioned in the story.

Screenshot of Titmus' Instagram story. CREDITS: IG/ ariarnetitmus_

"Nothing else to prove" - Ariarne Titmus on embracing success after achieving childhood dream

Ariarne Titmus at Paris Olympics 2024. (Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images)

Ariarne Titmus, who collected her first Olympic gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games held in 2021, reflected on embracing her achievements in an interview with HarpersBazaar.com. She said:

“That winning feeling on the world stage is something you can’t ever replicate or find in life and you only feel it in that moment when it happens.”

“I know I have already achieved my childhood dreams of becoming an Olympic champion. I am in the phase of my swimming career which my coach, Dean describes as ‘free like a bird’ I have nothing else to prove. I have done everything I wanted to do in the sport and if I can go out there and push the limit on what I am capable of achieving, then that’s an added bonus and thrill. This doesn’t feel like a grind for me, yes it’s tough and I love it."

Although Titmus hasn't confirmed the dates of her return to competition, she has mentioned her plans to come back and represent Australia at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.