Ariarne Titmus shared what she misses most about her swimming career, which saw significant success at both the national and international levels. She retired from the sport in Oct. 2025.
Titmus was a force to be reckoned with in the pool, giving the most decorated female swimmer, Katie Ledecky, a run for her money in the 400m.
Ariarne Titmus Gets Real About Her Life After Swimming
Titmus rose to fame with her world record-breaking short course 400-meter freestyle performance at the 2018 FINA World Swimming Championships. She also earned the 200m freestyle win at the same event.
Continuing her momentum in the following years, the 25-year-old outpaced world record holder Ledecky in the 400m freestyle final and posted an Olympic record in the 200m freestyle. She also won a silver and a bronze at the Games.
The Australian repeated her 400m freestyle feat at the 2024 Paris Olympics and announced her retirement the following year, saying she felt she had accomplished everything she had ever dreamed of.
In a recent Instagram questionnaire, a fan asked her if she misses competitive swimming. The Olympic gold medalist replied that she pines for the part where she used to train with her coach and the feeling of winning as well. However, she doesn’t miss it enough to resume her time in the pool.
“I miss moments, but you’ll always miss aspects of your life from the past. I miss working alongside my coach so intricately towards something that not many people in the world would get the chance to. I miss feeling fast in the water, and of course I miss that winning feeling… but you only get that feeling when you’ve worked for it. I didn’t want that feeling enough anymore to go back to that life I needed to live to win,” she said.
Titmus represented the iconic Cali Condors in the International Swimming League in 2019 and 2020.
The Tasmanian native announced her retirement in October last year, and in an Instagram caption, she penned a note to her seven-year-old self, saying she hung up her swimming cap and goggles only after fulfilling all her dreams and walked away feeling content, with no regrets.
After her Paris Olympic exploits, Titmus was part of Channel Nine’s broadcasting team for the 2025 Australian Open, where she interacted with players and added her insights and perspectives backstage. During her retirement announcement, she said she wanted to embrace other opportunities, including being part of the broadcasting team at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
