02 February 2021
Newsdesk
Cody Simpson was so nervous before his first professional swim meet that he broke out in hives.
The Australian singer is currently in training for the 2024 Olympics, after deciding to concentrate fully on his swimming career rather than music. But he suffers similar levels of nerves when it comes to swimming and singing, as he reminisced about his first meet - in which he swam the 200m freestyle - in October.
"I broke out in hives I was so stressed," he sighed to The New York Times, before likening the feeling to when he made his Broadway debut in 2018.
"And I just remember how by closing night, after having done the show 130-something times, I was absolutely soaring, no nerves whatsoever. That's what I figure it's going to take in swimming - 130, 140 races before I can get up without fear and just do it."
And being put through his paces by two-time Australian Olympian Brett Hawke also has its physical downsides, as Cody laughed: "I've thrown up at multiple pools so far."
As for why he's decided to focus on his swimming career for now, the Pretty Brown Eyes singer added: "I love the music industry very much, and I'll continue to be a musician long into my life, but it's not as pure of a pursuit as sport, which just comes straight down to the clock."
