Australian athlete Ian Thorpe was BOTD in 1982. Born in Sydney, he began swimming competitively as a child, though his progress was sidelined by a chlorine allergy. Six feet tall by age 14, he became the youngest athlete to represent Australia in international sport, blazing through the World Aquatics Championships and the 1998 Commonwealth Games. He was the star of the 2000 Sydney Olympics, winning three gold medals and breaking several world records for solo freestyle. Nicknamed the Torpedo for his speed, 6 foot 5 inch height and giant flipper-sized feet, he proved unbeatable on the world stage. In 2006, he announced his retirement from competitive swimming, though made a brief comeback in 2011. A popular figure in Australia, he spent many years denying claims that he was gay, a statement repeated in his 2012 memoir. In 2014, he was admitted to a rehabilitation clinic to treat his alcoholism. Later that year, he came out as gay during a televised interview with English talk show host Michael Parkinson. Though somewhat late to the party, he campaigned for legalisation of same-sex marriage in Australia. He was in a high profile relationship with skincare entrepreneur Ryan Channing, until Channing’s death in 2022 from a prescription medication overdose. His current relationship status is unknown.