Cody Simpson Says He Qualified for Olympic Swimming Trials — and Gets Shoutout from Michael Phelps

Cody Simpson.Photo: Cody Simpson/Instagram

Cody Simpsonis one step closer to the Olympics.

On Saturday, the 23-year-old Australian singer — who is also anavid swimmer— revealed that he had qualified for his first Olympic trials.

“I’d love to share this personal milestone and let you in on my current journey as an athlete that I’ve kept relatively low key until now,” hewroteon Instagram alongside a triumphant pool-side photo.

Although Simpson was dedicated to swimming as a young child — evenwinning two gold medalsat the Queensland Swimming Championships when he was 13 — he said his career was cut short “when I was given an opportunity in music that I couldn’t refuse.”

“I have had the chance to experience and learn so much as a musician from touring around the world, releasing albums, performing as a leading man on Broadway, publishing a work of poetry, traveling with and speaking at the United Nations on environmental and oceanic matters and much more. For this I will be forever grateful,” he wrote. “Now almost exactly 10 years later, here I am once more.”

Simpson went on to share that he was determined to get serious about training this year.

“It is my greatest ambition to expand the limit and perceived notion of what’s possible for a man to achieve in a single lifetime, and I’m here to tell you can do absolutely ANYTHING if you are willing to work for it,” he added. “I’m looking forward to seeing where this all takes me on the long road ahead!”

Michael Phelps.Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty

“Lfg!! Congrats mate,” wroteMichael Phelps, who won 28 Olympic medals throughout his swimming career. Australian OlympianIan Thorpealso celebrated the news, responding to Phelps’ message with a string of thumbs-up emojis.

Although the upcoming Tokyo games were originally supposed to take place in 2020, they had to be postponed due to thecoronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

source: people.com