Max Whitlock on the Olympics, his childhood as a boy gymnast and fatherhood

Fast-forward to 2024, and Whitlock is the most successful British gymnast of all time – he's a six-time Olympic medallist (three gold and three bronze) and the most successful pommel-horse worker in the Games' history. Now, he's set on dominating Paris – his last hurrah ahead of retirement.

"When people get their first Olympic medal, they might run around the arena going absolutely wild," the 31-year-old says, in a living room that is light, spacious and minimalist – except for his bespoke pommel horse, of course. "I get teased because my biggest celebration is a little fist pump. I'm not downplaying the moment – I'm just trying to take it all in my stride.

"The whole process and the build-up to the competition is so calculated. I’m so regimented and structured. When it comes to the moment, and it all plays out and you get an Olympic gold medal and you’ve done the best performance you could ever do – even then, I don’t fully relax. I just try and go with the flow, do each bit and never let the emotions erupt. I never rest or leave my hat on one result. I’m always like, ‘OK, that’s done. What’s next?’”

Whitlock grew up in Hemel Hempstead with his parents, Brian and Madeleine, who own a children’s day nursery, and his brother Ben, four years his senior. "I had an amazing childhood and upbringing. I was seven when a friend got me into gymnastics. He had me try a few skills and I picked things up pretty fast.

"I got hooked on the sport quickly and became a bit obsessed. As a young gymnast, there are thousands and thousands of things to learn. But when you set foot in the gym on that first day, you feel like the world’s your oyster. You’ve got no fear – you can just throw yourself about."

At just nine years old, Whitlock made the GB squad and was doing 15 hours of training a week. Aged 10, that rose to upwards of 20 hours in the gym a week – and reached a high of 35 hours a week during his teenage years.

"At that point, you couldn’t make a career out of gymnastics. There was no option of gaining sponsorship or funding for training. My parents supported me from a very, very early stage," he explains. "My school was also hugely supportive. My mum would pick me up around noon and we’d drive to the gym, an hour away. I’d train from 1pm until 8pm and she would wait the whole time. I feel extremely lucky for the commitment from my mum and my dad, too – he was working all hours to help with the cost of everything.

"People ask how I’ve stayed committed, training 35 hours a week, six days a week for so many years – but how did everyone around me stay so committed to enable me to do that?"

While he was juggling training with school, surely his gymnastic skills caused a stir in the playground? “I was a shy kid – I wasn’t a show-off,” Whitlock laughs. "I’d only do something if someone peer-pressured me to do it. My coach tells a story of me being anxious about going into a shop to buy a chocolate bar because [I was nervous about] the interaction with the person at the counter. I felt so shy! At the same time, I was competing in a sport that is judged on aesthetics. I would be watched by a viewing gallery and judged by a panel – but I disconnected in a really positive way."

Did he ever experience any stigma as a boy gymnast? And with his successes, has he paved the way for more boys to get into gymnastics?

"I’d like to think I’ve played a part, and that feels amazing. There was [stigma] for a lot of people – I feel like I was one of the lucky ones. In school, people thought it was cool. I can’t pinpoint why I had that experience, and others got stick because people thought it was ‘a girls’ sport’.

"I do feel like it’s changed massively, and that the changes have come from results. The guys on the team have produced results for ten to 15 years and that makes an impact. It inspires people. We see it after every Games, kids taking up the sport, waiting lists through the roof.”

Did the London Games in 2012 make the biggest impact? "Home games are such a rare opportunity – people are so lucky to experience that in a lifetime. I’d never been a gymnast who as a kid thought, ‘I want to go to the Olympics.’ But, at 17, I turned senior, and London 2012 was in my sights.

"However, I was told by the team selector that 2012 wasn’t my cycle and that they were unlikely to pick me. I told them I wanted to be in the team, and I’d do my best. A month before the Olympics I got a phone call – I had made the team. I was very inexperienced – I’d only been the reserve for the World Championships before!

"A home crowd doesn’t cheer – there’s a constant, loud roar. No other audience will ever come close to it. We got our first team medal in 100 years, then I got my bronze on the pommel. I’d been told I wouldn’t make the team and wouldn’t medal on the pommel – and I did both. That built my confidence, so my coach and I sat down and planned the next four years."

Whitlock achieved dizzying success – but it wasn’t all highs. The pandemic meant he didn’t compete for more than a year, and he had a fall at the European Championships in 2021. Then, despite retaining his gold at the Tokyo Games in 2021, Whitlock had a year off training and experienced a period of poor mental health.

"I fell into a rut and really struggled mentally. I felt so lost in that moment. I felt like a failure even though I had just retained an Olympic title. I’d been used to looking forward, and suddenly I didn’t have a plan or a vision or targets. I’d never based myself on what I’d done previously – always on what I’d do next. So, that was a challenge. I felt like a complete waste of space.

"From that period, I’ve learnt to be more present. That’s helped me a lot. Being more OK with how I’m feeling, more realistic and honest. I used to hide my feelings when I was struggling. I’d say, 'I’m good.' That’s when I crumbled."

Whitlock now has a five-year-old daughter, Willow, with his wife Leah, a gymnastics coach and ex-gymnast. Did having a child impact his approach to the sport? "Massively. It put a lot of things into perspective. Gymnastics has always been such a big priority, and still is – but when you have a child, nothing comes close.

"That’s helped me in the sport as well. If I’ve had a bad session and come home, Willow is excited to see me. If I’ve had a good session, she’s still excited to see me. She thinks I win everything – and I want to keep that feeling for as long as possible. She sees me as a superhero. She loves the fact that I’m an Olympic champion, and it’s wonderful that she’s coming to watch me in Paris."

Whitlock explains that he’s now considered an "older athlete" – seven years past peak age – so, consequently, his training is vastly different from the 35 hours he used to rack up in the gym. Now, it’s four days a week, four hours maximum, focusing on building his routine, stamina and fitness. When he’s not in the gym, he’s doing everything he can to recover for his next session – which explains the hot tub I spy in his garden.

Is he apprehensive about the prospect of retiring? "I nearly retired after Tokyo. Looking back, that would have been quitting because of the fear of failing and moving forwards. I’ve come back and I now have the opportunity and the challenge ahead to make history in Paris. It feels amazing to grab that opportunity. I get huge motivation from trying to retain a title, and there’s no doubt that that’s my target in Paris. I’ll give it my best shot.

"But it also feels like the final chapter of my career. It hasn’t hit me yet; when I come back from Paris, it might feel more real. I struggled after Tokyo with the lack of targets and process, but I’ve learnt from that time. My focus is going to be furthering the impact that I’ve built and getting young children involved in sports."

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