Mark Foster on hiding his sexuality and learning to be himself

What happens when the person the world sees doesn’t quite match who you are behind closed doors? In this open conversation with five-time Olympian and former world champion swimmer Mark Foster, we explore the double life he lived for much of his extraordinary sporting career.

For 20 years, Mark was one of the fastest swimmers in the world, breaking world records and competing at five Olympic Games. But while his public identity was defined by success in the pool, privately he kept his sexuality hidden from teammates, coaches and much of the world around him. He opens up about why he felt unable to share that part of himself, and the fears that kept his public and private lives separate.

Mark Foster also shares his relentless pursuit of improvement at the highest level of sport, why even becoming the fastest swimmer in the world never felt like an endpoint, and what years of competition taught him about failure, resilience and separating what you achieve from who you are.

We talk about his childhood, his relationship with his parents and the importance of finding people who give us a sense of belonging. Mark also reflects on why he eventually decided to speak publicly about his sexuality at 47, the importance of visibility and what he discovered when he allowed himself to be more vulnerable in therapy.

From Olympic success to self-acceptance, this is a conversation about identity, happiness and what can happen when we feel able to show other people who we really are.

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Guest: Mark Foster

Producer: Georgie Rutherford

Executive Producer: Emily Leahy

Video Producer: Darren Michael

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