Adam Peaty is fighting to support working-class swimmers, inspired by his own experiences and the sacrifices his family made to support his career.

What drove Adam Peaty to act?

He was the youngest of four children growing up in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, where his father Mark was a supermarket caretaker and his mother Caroline worked as a nursery manager.
Money was tight and when they couldn’t afford his first competitive race suit, family and neighbours raised funds through community-wide raffles, tombolas and barbecues.

How did Adam Peaty's family support him?

When he was 14, Peaty joined the City of Derby club where Mel Marshall had taken over as head coach.
As the sole driver in the household, it fell on his mum to take Peaty on the 40-minute journey to and from training every day with neighbours also helping out before he passed his driving test.
At the World Championships back in 2017, Caroline spoke about the sacrifices the family made, adding: “We did it gladly, don’t get me wrong, but he realises how difficult that can be, so this is why he wants to give back.

What is Adam Peaty's goal?

Peaty has long recognised the selflessness of his family and how that was central to him being able to excel on a journey that has so far seen him claim three golds among six Olympic medals and eight world titles.
Inspired by what was done for him, the 30-year-old intends to set up a programme to help swimmers who may not otherwise get a shot at fulfilling their potential because of a lack of resources.
“I’d say it’s a long-term goal of mine and something I aspire to do because yes, I know how hard it is to make it from a working-class background,” he told Swimming World.

How will Adam Peaty's programme help?

Following silver in the 100m breaststroke at Paris 2024, Peaty took time away from the water to focus on personal and professional matters.
That included the AP Race brand that he set up with Ed Baxter in 2019 and which delivers swim meets and clinics for all levels of swimmers in Great Britain and Saudi Arabia.
Since its inception, the brand has gone from strength to strength and is now valued in the multi-millions with two-time Olympic champion Matt Richards investing more than £25,000 in late 2024.
What has become apparent to Peaty and Baxter is the level of talent that falls through the cracks.
“That may be the governing body’s fault, it may be lack of resources, it doesn’t matter whose fault it is at the moment,” said Peaty, who is now training with Jamie Main at Repton School.
And with his programme, Peaty hopes to provide the necessary support and resources to help working-class swimmers achieve their goals.
He knows exactly what it takes to succeed, having experienced it himself, and is determined to make a difference.
The programme is still in the planning stages, but Peaty is committed to making it a reality.
He has already seen the impact that his AP Race brand has had on the swimming community, and he is eager to build on that success.
With his passion and dedication, Adam Peaty is poised to make a real difference in the lives of working-class swimmers.