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

Cody Simpson/Instagram Cody Simpson

Cody Simpson is one step closer to the Olympics.

On Saturday, the 23-year-old Australian singer — who is also an avid 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,” he wrote on Instagram alongside a triumphant pool-side photo.

Although Simpson was dedicated to swimming as a young child — even winning two gold medals at 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.”

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

“For years I had been fuelled by the silent fire in my stomach of returning to my first love, the sport of swimming, with the idea that 2020 would be the year I’d try training again,” he added. “After only 5 months back in the water with my incredible coach @hawkebr, I was able to take out a win and secure a spot at next years Australian Olympic trials in the 100 fly.”

“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!”

Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Michael Phelps

The star went on to get some supportive comments from some of his famous athlete pals.

“Lfg!! Congrats mate,” wrote Michael Phelps, who won 28 Olympic medals throughout his swimming career. Australian Olympian Ian Thorpe also 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 the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The Olympic Games are currently scheduled to begin on July 23, 2021.