Cody Simpson has opened up about how his swimming career saved him from the chaos of fame.
The former swimmer spoke with Nova 96.9’s Fitzy & Wippa with Kate Ritchie radio show, where he was asked if he had ever escaped the lifestyle he led as a singer by swimming.
“Eventually it was… I didn’t swim for the better part of those 10 years that I lived there,” Simpson told listeners.
Watch the video above.
READ MORE: Ridley Scott is a legendary director. Working with him is ‘chaotic’
The A-lister lived in America throughout his career as a musician, moving to Los Angeles at just 13 years old.
“It was towards the end that I started to really realise that I needed it because I missed it so much,” he explained.
READ MORE: ‘Here we go’: Question leaves movie star with face in his hands
In 2009, at the age of 12, he won the Queensland Age Group Championship in the 100m butterfly heat with dreams of being a professional swimmer.
Simpson began posting YouTube covers of popular music and stardom quickly followed, prompting the Paradise singer to put his swimming goals on hold.
“In the end, it’s [swimming] sort of almost what saved me from a lot of the chaos of it… sliding into too much nonsense and partying and all that.
Simpson confessed: “Yeah, it saved me from the edge sometimes, for sure!”
For a daily dose of 9honey, subscribe to our newsletter here.
Back in 2019, Simpson decided to leave his singing career behind and chase his Olympic dreams.
He decided to pursue swimming professionally, a childhood dream he had been working toward before kicking off his career in music.
READ MORE: Jules Sebastian’s heartbreaking tribute as she reveals her beloved dad has died
He represented Australia in the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Unfortunately, he suffered a devastating loss when he didn’t qualify for Paris 2024, ultimately deciding to hang up his swimming cap.
Through his career swimming, Simpson met his now-girlfriend, Emma Mckeon.
“It was amazing having her because we lived the exact same life and were on the same schedule for years, which made it that much easier to get up,” he shared.
FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.
