‘There’s more to me than just a body’ – Tom Daley dives into Attitude’s Body Issue
By Will Stroude
He’s got one of he most famous bodies in the world, and it’s on display almost every time you see him. So the choice of who to put on the cover of our our Body Issue was simple.
It had to be Tom Daley.
In an exclusive interview in the brand new issue of Attitude – available to download and in shops now –the 22-year-old Olympic diver discusses his own fitness regime, as well as the complicated relationship between gay men and body image which often holds the young sporting superstar as the physical ideal.
Asked how he feels about his the idea of physique making others feel body-conscious, Tom says: “I train six hours a day, six days a week. It’s not as if it’s something that happens just from going to the gym for 20 minutes or an hour a day.
“My life’s about getting to the point where I’m in the physical shape that I can do all my diving the best that I can. So, I do feel bad and I wouldn’t want to make anyone feel that way.
“But I know that if anyone else trained for six hours a day, six days a week, they would get the same result.”
The Body Issue sees Tom discuss everything from the changing nature of gay culture and sexuality to body dysmorphia and online affirmation, and the Rio bronze medallist was happy to open up as he posed for an an exclusive 10-page spread shot by Mark Cant.
“Outside of the pool I don’t walk around the house in my trunks!” Daley laughs.
“The other day, an old lady came up to me and said: ‘Gosh, I don’t recognise you with your clothes on!’ and I guess people see me on TV and diving with no clothes on.
“It’s nice to go to a photoshoot and actually wear something.”
Elsewhere, the Attitude Body Issue sees our survey of 5000 readers reveal some shocking truths about how gay men really feel about their bodies, and we celebrate masculinity in all its forms as eleven guys with very different body types dare to go bare.
Attitude editor-in-chief Matt Cain also strips off to show readers the the truth about how can turn a real body into a fantasy physique. Plus, I’m a Celebrity‘s Joel Dommett takes part in our Active fitness shoot as he reveals how he transformed his own physique – as well as some rather embarrassing personal details about his time in the jungle.
You can read the full interview with Tom and see his exclusive new shoot in Attitude’s Body Issue, available to download and in shops now. Available internationally from newsstand.co.uk/attitude.
More stories:
Sir Ian McKellen talks life before legalisation in first ever episode of ‘Attitude Heroes’
Sydney gay killings of ’80s and ’90s inspired new Australian drama ‘Deep Water’