DALEY: Initially, it was because my coach said that I'm terrible at sitting still and resting and recovering, and I need to find something where I can just sit still. So then it was my husband that suggested that I try knitting because he's a filmmaker. And people on set, while they're waiting, they sometimes do some knitting. So I was like, you know what? I'll give it a go. And it just turned into my mindfulness, my meditation, my calm and my way to escape the stresses of everyday life and, in particular, going into an Olympics. I haven’t really made any final decisions yet and I am enjoying a little bit of time away from the pool,” Daley tells TODAY.com in a sit-down interview. I know he would have done something crazy [after the gold in Tokyo], he would have fallen down off the balcony, he would probably have jumped in the pool. He would have been the streaker of the Olympics; I just know he would have done something silly. DALEY: You know, the easiest thing to make and the best place to start is with, like, a scarf because, you know, you're going to be going in a straight line. You just have to learn one stitch, and off you go.

I felt everything was happening for a reason. If anything, I see it as a blessing that I was able to feel rested and I hadn't just been training, training, training. From winning his first diving gold at 13-years-old and going on to represent Team GB at the 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games, Tom has gone on to inspire the nation.The father of one said: “There are loads of things I’m doing to keep myself going, like yoga and visualisation, but I’ve also taken up knitting, which could be my secret weapon. DALEY: ...And spikes all over. So - and it's - and that's very - yes, it's very weird and hard to picture, but I just love the fact that you can just be totally creative with it. And if you think of something, you can make it. And that's the beauty of it, really. TOM DALEY: Yes. Honestly, it was - when I first started knitting, I had no idea of the impact that it was going to have. DALEY: So I've been making all kinds of things, actually, and I'm trying to make, like, a little bit more out-there, editorial things. And I've just recently made - you have to, like, bear with me here. There's two things that I've made. There's one, like, kind of chainmail-esque, very, like, meshy-type knit, with crystal balls... Although this is Tom’s debut craft book, he published a memoir in 2021, titled Coming Up for Air, which detailed his early sporting career and experience of publicly coming out as gay.

Rio in 2016 was his most difficult because he thought he was going to be at his best. "Then it didn’t quite turn out as I wanted,” Daley says. Included in his new book “Made with Love" are knitting and crocheting patterns for pillow covers, blankets and sweaters. Daley says that putting the patterns together was a fun process, and might encourage people to "upcycle, reuse and repurpose" some of their existing items. It’s nice now that athletes are able to open up and talk about those things a little bit more," he continues.Tom Daley has regularly spoken about LGBTQ+ rights throughout the years which is why he’s a public figure that everyone can look up to. Summer 2021 saw Tom compete in the Tokyo Olympics where he won his first Olympic gold medal alongside his diving partner Matty Lee in the 10m synchro event. Followed by a bronze medal in the 10m individual event, Tom is the most decorated British diver of all time. Every project I did, I learned a new skill and then I taught myself how to crochet as well and then I started designing and learning how to be able to actually design something from a drawing,” Daley says. That viral Olympic cardigan For many, it was the moment of the Tokyo Games when the 27-year-old finally became an Olympic champion, at his fourth Games, alongside Matty Lee in the synchronised 10m platform event. In an exclusive interview with BBC Breakfast's Sally Nugent, Daley talks about getting that gold medal, his late father, how his son has changed his perspective, and his favourite hobby - knitting.

I never thought I'd feel emotion the way that I felt it. I always dreamed about singing the national anthem at the top of my lungs and I literally couldn't even speak. It's also one of those things that sometimes, with knitting, it has this expectation of being for older people and a little bit fuddy-duddy, and you get these things. But all of these patterns in there I like to think are, like - are things that you'll actually wear, and you'll look forward to getting out there. And, like, for example, if you were to get the book for a grandparent - like, your grandparents or your parents or whatever it may be - they might actually starting knitting you things you'll actually wear... Although it was me and Matty up on the podium, there are a lot of people behind that medal, and just everything came to that moment of pure elation at having done it after 20 years of training. DALEY: Yes. So there's a couple of the jumpers I designed for kids and adults, and there's also even a dog hat in there. And there's also, like, homewares. So there's blankets and cushions - plant pots, even.DALEY: ...And disco ball kind of vibe, which is quite - it's a lot. And then I also made, like, a balaclava which was, like, hot pink with sleeves... Knitlympics: Knit Your Favourite Sports Star by Carol Meldrum is published by Collins & Brown. Photographs by Holly Jolliffe. NADWORNY: Yeah. Do you have tips for how people can make knitting and crocheting get them to that peace and tranquility - that practice of mindfulness? So when I saw my doctor, he said: 'Maybe you might need an injection to loosen it up. Worst case scenario is that you need an operation.'

Fortunately, Daley says he’s got a few months before he has to commit. Choosing to participate means returning to an “intense schedule" of five to six-hour daily workouts — and all the pressure that comes along with competing.

NADWORNY: Yeah. OK, so I'm not a knitter, but what is the first thing that I should make? Like, what - and what gear should I get?