Paralympic gold medalist and broadcaster Ellie Simmonds OBE is a fan of celebrating the people who make life a little brighter. She's also a fan of not being late, not being rude, and definitely not letting her houseplants die. Because apparently, even Olympic champions have their domestic battles.
Simmonds, who's backing the National Celebration Day movement, recently shared a few life lessons she's picked up, from the chlorine-scented intensity of elite swimming to the slightly less intense (but still competitive) world of indoor plant care. Turns out, the woman who dominated swimming pools has some pretty relatable pet peeves.
She kicks off her day around 7:15 AM, which, for a lot of us, is still firmly in 'snooze button' territory. But for Simmonds, it's enough time for coffee, a shower, and maybe even a Barry's Bootcamp session. Because nothing says 'ready to conquer the day' like voluntarily getting yelled at before breakfast.
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Start Your News DetoxThe Quest for Punctuality and Polite People
Simmonds finds her inspiration in the unsung heroes battling to save the planet. She recently hit up Earthfest in London and was genuinely moved by the sheer number of people dedicated to conservation and climate change. It's easy to get bogged down in the doomscrolling, she notes, but there are actual humans out there doing good things, like Surfers Against Sewage or athletes using their platform for environmental awareness. Let that sink in.
Her biggest pet peeves? Middle-lane drivers (a universal grievance, truly) and bad manners. If she holds a door open for you, a 'thank you' is not optional. Politeness, she points out, costs absolutely nothing. Which, if you think about it, is both a simple truth and a withering indictment of society.
If the whole 'Olympic athlete' thing hadn't panned out, Simmonds reckons she'd be a farmer. She's an animal person — horses, dogs, chickens, the whole barnyard. It’s comforting to know that even a multi-gold medalist might have ended up wrangling goats instead of medals.
Her punctuality, however, is non-negotiable. As an athlete, missing a race call meant game over. Her coach's mantra: "If you're on time, you're late." So now, she's the person who shows up 30 minutes early, just to avoid the stress of rushing. Which, honestly, sounds like a pretty peaceful existence.
She's also learned to dial back the competitive fire a bit. While it was great for winning, she's realized that not winning everything isn't the end of the world. And she's trying to be more chill when plans inevitably go sideways. No small feat for someone whose entire career was built on meticulous planning and peak performance, especially heading into London 2012. The pressure to win gold was immense; now, she's just trying to enjoy the sunshine and not overthink things.
Ah, overthinking. Simmonds admits it's a habit, especially worrying about what she's said or done. It's a relatable struggle, the kind that keeps you awake at 3 AM replaying awkward conversations. She's learning to control it, reminding herself that perfection is, in fact, overrated.
Her current motivation isn't about gold medals anymore; it's about new challenges and projects, and the sheer variety of life. Which is a nice pivot from a career where every single day was about shaving milliseconds off a swim time.
And finally, kindness. Her parents fostered over 100 children and adopted five, including her. That kind of upbringing tends to stick with a person, instilling a deep sense of giving back and supporting others. So this National Celebration Day, she's raising a toast to her Auntie Shirley and her grandma, the family members who showed up, cheered her on, and probably made sure she had clean towels. Because even Olympic legends need a good support system, and someone to remind them to water their plants.
