How brave Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix overcame Olympics trauma that left her ‘not wanting to live’ with help from dad Fred
AS the daughter of one of Britain’s biggest TV stars, Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix knows better than most Olympians about life in the spotlight.
But her road to diving glory at this year’s competition has been far from smooth, having overcome horrific trauma from the last Games that left her “not wanting to be alive”.
This week, the brave star – who has already won bronze in the women’s synchronised 10m platform – broke down in tears after narrowly missing out on a second medal in the individual women’s event.
But the 19-year-old daughter of First Dates star Fred Siriex was not crying about the loss. Instead, she was reflecting on how grateful she was to be competing in Paris 2024 after the struggles she has faced.
Speaking to the BBC, she said: “Obviously it wasn’t the result I wanted but I’m not even upset with the competition. The girls [who won] were amazing.
“They did better than me today and it’s because they work really hard.”
She added: “It wasn’t meant to be. Genuinely I’m not even trying to be macho, I’m not upset with my performances, three years ago I didn’t even want to be alive.
“So today, I’m just happy that I’m alive, I’m breathing, I’ve got my family to support me.”
‘Twisties’ struggles
In 2022, Andrea was riding high after becoming a junior world champion, winning two senior European titles and two gold medals at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
The then 17-year-old had also clinched nine major senior medals, an achievement only few can boast of.
However, a year before that, at the Tokyo Games, she had gone through one of the worst experiences any athlete can have – the dreaded ‘Twisties’.
It is the same phenomenon that forced US gymnastics legend Simone Biles to quit the Olympics that same year.
It occurs when an athlete loses orientation in mid-air and can cause the body to lose control, which can lead to serious injuries. Andrea, who was just 16 at the time, was making her debut for Great Britain.
Recalling how she felt during Tokyo, she told The Telegraph: “I was struggling a lot mentally. I just wasn’t doing well. Going to Tokyo, I felt very alone, very isolated and I was missing my family.
“I had just finished my GCSEs and it was just very, very stressful. It just felt very overwhelming. When I was out there I was not enjoying anything – not the diving aspect and there was no socialising so it was even harder.
“After Tokyo, I didn’t take very much time off and so when I came back to training, I didn’t feel like I’d rested mentally from it.
“I made the decision to change coach because it was either I changed my scenery or I quit completely. I thought about quitting.
“I spoke so much about hating the sport. But I couldn’t get myself to actually quit. So I started to rebuild my relationship with diving.”
Writing for the Metro last year, Andrea explained: “I struggled a lot after the Tokyo Games physically and mentally. I felt really defeated even though I had fulfilled my dream, going to an Olympics as a 16-year-old.
“Something inside was not right. Up until a year ago, I was in a rut, crying in every training session. I couldn’t do simple things and it was a very difficult time.
“I had something the gymnast Simone Biles refers to as the ‘twisties’. In golf, they call it the ‘yips’. In other words, a mental block.
“I must admit, quitting did go through my mind. However, I knew what I had to do, actually, was change my approach to training.”
I thought about quitting. I spoke so much about hating the sport
Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix
Andrea also opened up about growing up in the “shadows” of her famous father.
She told us: “At the beginning, all I got was that I was Fred’s daughter. I wasn’t Andrea. Then people realised, she’s more than just someone’s daughter, she has a lot more to say.
“I feel like that has helped me come out of this shadow. I’m really proud of my dad. And he does incredible things. But I want to build my own legacy.
“Also for my children in the future. I don’t want them to just be someone’s daughter or someone’s son. I want them to be their own person. I’m being recognised for the achievements that I have, not just from being 50 per cent of someone’s DNA.”
Bounce back
Today, Andrea is in a much better headspace and has battled to move past the struggles that gripped her after the Tokyo Games.
She told The Telegraph: “Tokyo feels like so long ago. I was looking at photos the other day and I was thinking to myself, ‘I’ve changed so much’.
“I could see the change in my face and I could see the change in how I present myself.”
Last year, Andrea spoke about how she had noticed significant progress in her physical and mental health. She credited her support network for helping her through her difficulties.
She also mentioned that although she thought she could never overcome her mental struggles, she managed to get through, thanks to opening up to people close to her.
Speaking to Sportsbeat, she explained: “It was so nice to find that confidence again especially after feeling knocked down.
“I’m using what I learned and applying that into this year, and I think the most important thing is enjoying what I do every time. Realising that sometimes it’s not always going to be OK and that’s completely fine.
“Having that communication with your coach, some days you’ll have bad days and others will be really good.”
What are the Twisties?
The Twisties are a loss of orientation that can lead athletes to lose control of their own body.
It can cause them to perform extra flips and twists or even land unsafely.
According to sports psychologist Matthew Sacco PhD, the Twisties are a mental block which causes a disconnect between the body and mind.
This occurs when an athlete is in the air.
Dr Sacco said: “The brain and body are no longer communicating efficiently, and that causes a gymnast to lose sense of where their body is in space while they’re in the air.”
Even the most accomplished gymnasts, like Simone Biles, can come down with them.
Dr Sacco says the twisties can be triggered by “a little bit of everything and anything.”
Common factors include stress, perfectionism, doubt and fixating on a mistake.
Andrea is a devout Christian and had credited her faith for helping her through some of the worst times in her life.
After her incredible bronze medal win last year, she took to Instagram to talk about her faith.
“God was with us from round 1 to round 5,” she wrote. “He is with us wherever we go. He has never let us down.”
After failing to win a second medal, she again wrote on Instagram to say she “gives God all the glory” and that “God is always good – whether I win a medal or not.”
Andrea added: “I was so overwhelmed by the amount cheering and support, and being surrounded by my loved ones and seeing the smiles on their faces despite not getting that medal made me feel like the only girl in the world.”
God was with us from round 1 to round 5. He is with us wherever we go. He has never let us down
Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix
She added that she “wouldn’t be here” without the support of her dad, mum Alex, and her brother.
Fred, who has been working as a BBC pundit for the Games, has been seen cheering her on and even interviewed her in an emotional chat after she bagged bronze.
Andrea’s coach, Alex Rochas, has also played a significant role in her comeback story.
On Instagram, she told him: “What a year it has been!
“You have been by my side after Tokyo, and you healed a part of my heart that had been broken for a long time. I cannot thank you enough. God sent you as my angel. You are more than just a coach.”
As the thousands of fans who have been cheering her on at this year’s Games will attest, there is no better role model around for the next generation of Britain’s divers.