Olympian Tom Daley took an unexpected dive into the River Thames.
Tom Daley‘s kayak capsized in the River Thames, throwing the 27-year-old gold medalist overboard during the Red Nose Day Endurance Challenge. Daley is one of many queer stars who have supported Red Nose Day. Other queer celebrities who have participated in the charity’s various activities include Neil Patrick Harris, Sean Hayes, and Ellen DeGeneres.
What Is Red Nose Day?
Red Nose Day is a charity organization that aims to end childhood poverty by funding programs to protect adolescent safety, health, and education. Celebrities, like Daley, often participate in acts or challenges to raise money for the organization. Since its creation in 2015, the organization has raised over $270 million to support its cause.
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The British athlete decided to complete an endurance challenge that would take him from Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, all the way to Daley’s hometown of Plymouth. In total, Daley will travel more than two hundred miles over four days to complete the challenge.
During Daley’s first leg of the challenge, his kayak capsized due to turbulent conditions, plunging the diver into freezing waters. When asked about the incident, Daley stayed positive.
“The rowing is the most technical part. I’ve found the rowing particularly difficult, and I did fall in quite soon after starting out on the Thames,” Daley said. “I was looking out at the Thames and thought it looked horrible: the waves were going wild, and the winds were blowing. If I’m honest, I didn’t know if I was going to make it to Tower Bridge, but I did my best.”
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We love that attitude! After all, he was far from finished. Usually sporting a skin-tight speedo, these conditions called for multiple layers as the remainder of his journey that day included a sixty-mile bike ride. Anything for the kids, right?
You can watch Daley’s journey unfold on the BBC in March and you can support the organization by donating here to help fight childhood poverty.
