Being happy in general makes life so much easier.
Tom Daley
I think the real reason for my improvement is because I had such a long period in the off-season just working as hard as I could on all my new dives; making sure I did lots of repetition to get them consistent.
I would say, if you come out, they can't take away how you play football. That was the thing for me: once I did come out, it's not going to affect my diving. I can still perform, no matter what anybody else thinks of me. I'm judged for what I do in the diving pool.
Once, every four years, you get an opportunity to compete in the Olympics. You have these six dives that decide whether you're an Olympic medallist or not, which is quite intense.
Every time I dive, I feel an adrenaline rush like I did that first time. Until my body fails on me, I will keep going.
I'm partial to the Cornish coast, as it's near where I grew up in Plymouth. The views across the water are stunning. I love walking along the sandy beaches and the seafront paths.
Training hasn't been consistent for the last week or so which was a bit annoying, but going into the competition I just had to get myself into the right mind frame.
Ensure you eat within 20 minutes of a workout. Choose healthy snacks such as slices of ham, a handful of almonds, or fruit. Sometimes before bed, I have a teaspoon of almond butter or peanut butter, which gives me enough protein to get me through the night.
Submerging myself in water makes me feel better after travelling. There's something about it that does it for me, and I usually go for a swim after every trip.
Finishing overall champion at the World Series in both the individual and synchro events has given me great confidence and I'm pleased I've been diving with consistency.
Every time you go up to the board, you get scared. It's more like adrenaline, though - you feel pumped and ready to go.
Exercise is key, of course, and people wrongly think you have to spend hours a day in the gym. Actually, you don't. All you need is simple equipment, and you can train in your living room.
I wake up an hour and a half before I have to leave the house to do everything I need to do. But I have my routine, and I stick to it.
You can only do so much in the gym or pool. Seventy per cent of it is physical, but the final 30 per cent is down to the mental capacity to actually control what you can do in competition.
Every morning, I do 10 minutes of mindfulness, where I do meditation, and I use that in competition and everyday life.
My best advice for jet lag is to sleep as much as you can on a plane, no matter what time it is. Then, when you arrive at your destination, do some sort of physical activity.
I'm not allowed to celebrate as normal eighteen year olds probably would but I'm going to save it for after the Olympics!
Sexuality didn't come into it when I was bullied, but for so many years, being LGBTQ was one of the biggest things you would be bullied for at school. Hopefully, as time goes on, it will be a completely accepted thing that people won't have to think about.
Coming to the Gold Coast and being able to live as an openly gay man is really important.
When you're young, you think your parents are embarrassing and always saying and doing the wrong things, but as you get older you really appreciate how right they were about so much.
There are some great divers in Europe and I'm really excited about going to Eindhoven.
If I do a bad dive, that's in the past. Move on. The next dive is a completely separate thing. It's just about being really present in a particular moment.
I normally get four weeks off each year, so often I'll go to Los Angeles, or if I have a weekend off, I'll do a European city.
You ask any Olympian what the year after the Olympics is like - you always get the Olympic blues.
I always knew that I liked guys. I just thought it was a normal thing to like guys but then also appreciate girls' attention too.
Obviously in 2008 it was 538 (to win an Olympic gold) and most of my scores have been over that this year.
I didn't look at any of the newspapers, I look at the pictures sometimes, but apart from that I don't read them.
I was World Series champion in individual and synchro for the first time which was awesome.
It means so much to be European champion again with a personal best and I couldn't have asked for anything more.
I think if I am to win an Olympic medal I'll have to score like I did today.
The 2012 Olympics was such a high, but once it was over, I felt really down in the dumps. You don't really look beyond the event which you've spent four years preparing for, and so there's a bit of a comedown.
Marriage is a sign of commitment between two people and something I always thought would happen when I was a kid.
I feel extremely lucky to compete openly as who I am, not worry about ramifications.
I've got to be a husband on my visa. Going to Russia can be scary - you've got to compete in front of lots of people who know I've got a husband.
We hope that the Commonwealth Sports movement is playing a meaningful role in the wider global conversation around tolerance, empowerment, and legal recognition for all.
