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Tom Dean MBE shares all on turning his Olympic dreams into reality, and how his high performance is powered by a meticulous night-time routine. And plentiful naps, of course.
4 Min Read
Last Modified 9 August 2024 First Added 17 July 2024
Whether he’s hitting the pool or hitting the pillow, double Olympic gold medallist Tom Dean MBE takes his routines seriously. From an Olympic dream that was inspired by Michael Phelps back in 2008 to making his bedroom a place to truly switch off, Team GB’s competitive freestyle swimmer and Dreams Ambassador Tom knows all about sleeping for success.
Join us as we find out more about Tom’s tried and tested methods of ensuring he’s rested and ready to win big at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
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‘My first memory of my Olympic dream is probably my first time getting in the pool. I remember I asked my mum, “How do I get to the Olympics?” Then as you get older, it’s like, “Oh my goodness, imagine winning a medal. Imagine winning an Olympic gold.”
‘A few years before the Olympic Games, my coach said, “You need to start thinking about winning the Olympic Games, because the way your times are going, that’s where you’re headed.” It just made me work even harder and chase that dream.’
‘When I was growing up, my house was absolutely crazy. I’m one of five, so it’s always manic in the house. When I was really young, I used to share a room with my two younger brothers, we had bunk beds, but when I got a bit older, I got my own room.
‘I remember thinking, “Right, this is my space, I’m going to keep it as somewhere I can relax and switch off and get myself ready for training.” And that’s the same today, even now, I’m like, “This is my own space, I want to switch off.”’
‘I keep it quite minimal. I keep it really clean. I keep it really neat. I’ve got my houseplant, my lamp on my bedside table, I’ve got my medals. It’s the one room in the house where it’s consistent and it’s calm.
‘That’s great to relax, but it’s also great from a performance standpoint; it helps me switch off and recover. If I need to have a nap, or I need to get ready for the next morning’s training, I’ve made it my own space.’
‘I think my hero growing up was definitely Michael Phelps. I did have his picture on the wall! In 2008 he got the eight gold medals, which just set the world on fire. That was the first swimming competition I ever watched and it really, really inspired me.
‘I’m trying to go on and win loads of different events now, and I’m trying to do more and more events at the next Olympic Games. So I’m realising just how tough it is to back up one event after another after another.’
‘At the Olympic Games, obviously we’re racing really early in the morning, we’re racing really late at night and I’m taking caffeine, I’m having coffees before a race, so you’re on a really, really big high. When you get back, a solid night’s sleep is just so, so important.’
‘My evening routine’s exactly the same every single night, because I need to get a solid night’s sleep. I’m up at 6:45am every morning, so I’m in bed by 10pm pretty much on the dot, just switching off, decompressing, completely relaxing, maybe watch something on TV, maybe have a chamomile tea.
‘I like it completely dark, completely silent, and quite a cold room, so I’ve always got a window open. [I like] a really comfy bed, which I’m very fortunate that I’ve got.’
‘I think sleep’s probably the most important part of recovery. You’re having eight solid hours every single night to recover from the training you’ve just done and get yourself ready for the next morning to train.
‘I do like a little nap between morning training and afternoon training, so whether it’s in the middle of day or whether it’s at night, sleep is super, super important.’
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