Inside Holly Ramsay and Adam Peaty's 'winning' romance after Olympian's 'hell'

Olympic swimmer Adam Peaty was congratulated with a kiss from his partner Holly Ramsay, daughter of TV chef Gordon Ramsay, after he won a silver medal in Paris.

Italy’s Nicolo Martinenghi beat the athlete by 0.02 seconds in the men’s nail-biting 100 metres breaststroke final. Watching on, Holly Ramsay saw her boyfriend narrowly miss out on gold with the athlete's three-year-old son George on her lap.

After the race, Peaty broke down in "happy tears" and he shared his son's reaction to his loss. He said: "He normally goes ‘Daddy, are you the fastest boy?’ and I’d have said ‘Not today’ but he just said ‘I love you, daddy’ and that’s all I care about."

The Olympics star has made an impressive comeback after "three years of hell" where he grappled with depression, booze and the split from the mother of his son Eirianedd Munro. Last year, he took a six-month break from swimming for his mental health and even considered quitting altogether.

After his win in April this year, he admitted: "We have come through the past three years of hell. I didn’t want to see a pool again. The sport had broken me."

Behind the scenes, Peaty has had the unwavering support and love of his girlfriend Ramsay who he started dating in June last year. We take a look at how Ramsay helped her Olympian boyfriend fall back in love with swimming.

Read more: Gordon Ramsay shows true colours with treatment of Adam Peaty since dating his daughter(Wales Online, 2-min read)

Holly Ramsay's support for Adam Peaty

The chef's daughter is his biggest cheerleader and gave him great encouragement after his latest achievement. "Watching you get back into the water and fall in love with your gift again has been the most inspiring journey," she said.

Ramsay hailed Peaty for being her world and she gushed about her admiration for him, writing on Instagram: "These pictures say it all. You are our world and I could not have been prouder of you last night. What you have accomplished is truly incredible. I am totally in awe of you and your faith."

She added: "To think that when we first met 15 months ago, you weren’t in the pool. Watching you get back into the water and fall in love with your gift again has been the most inspiring journey. It’s impossible to describe the sacrifices that you have made to get here, and for it to be your third games, that takes so much. Getting here has been a journey and I am so thankful to be part of your team. @adam_peaty & @melmarshallmassive you are a force to be reckoned with (star). Congratulations to you both."

Days before the Olympics, she had shared a public message of support that championed Peaty for being the best father to George and partner to herself — all at the same time as training for the event. She shared a declaration of love and gave him a boost before the big day.

She wrote on Instagram: "It has been an absolute privilege to have watched you this last year. Your determination and dedication is unmatched. Hours of training, team meetings, gym, physio and still you have been the best father to George & the best partner to me.

"Being able to watch so many training sessions & host team breakfasts has made me so thankful to be a part of your world. I love you. Go out there and smash it. Enjoy it all, you deserve everything and more. Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. - 1 Corinthians 16:13."

How Gordon Ramsay helped Adam Peaty

As their romance has blossomed, Peaty has grown close to Ramsay's famous dad Gordon and he has had a huge impact on the swimmer. In his own words, the Olympics star detailed the chef's guidance to him and their close bond.

"He’s an incredible energy to be around and an incredible person to have that guidance from," he told The Sunday Times. "Gordon is a high performer. He worked his way up to the upper echelons of his industry and works in a place where there's no b*******. I take a lot from that and from the professionalism he has every single day with a relentless pursuit."

He added: "So, when I see that, I'm like, 'Yeah, why can't I work like this? Why can't I do this every single day? Why do I have to be so emotionally engaged with things?' So I've changed my manner from seeing the way he operates around people and operates around his job."

Holly Ramsay gives Adam Peaty peace and stability

While Ramsay and Peaty keep their love out of the limelight, the Olympian praised his girlfriend for giving him "peace" and "stability". The athlete said regardless of the outcome of his swimming, he was still "winning" because he had found the right person in Holly.

In March, Peaty told The Guardian: "She gives me peace and that brings so much stability. We met last summer and, whatever happens in the pool, I’m still winning because I’ve found the right person."

Matching tattoos

Peaty and Ramsay showed they were serious about each other when they got matching tattoos over the Christmas period. The happy couple were delighted to show off their new inkings to the world on Instagram.

Ramsay got an A for Adam tattooed behind her ear while Peaty got a H for Holly inked on his chest. Peaty shared a photograph of his inking for the first time on Instagram when he turned 29. "29 and Blessed… Thank you @hollyramsayy I love you so much," he wrote.

Are Adam Peaty and Holly Ramsay engaged?

They have just passed the one-year milestone, having gone public with their romance in June last year. Speculation was rife the couple had got engaged just four months into their relationship in October as Ramsay flashed a gold ring on social media. Among the comments, one fan wrote: "Thought the first was an engagement pic." However, Peaty has yet to pop the question to Ramsay.

It was fate that brought them together. Despite finding love last year, the duo first crossed paths in 2021 when Peaty competed on Strictly Come Dancing against Ramsay's sister Tilly. What followed has been the beginning of their blossoming relationship together.