The 32-year-old swimmer admits to having contemplated suicide after his robbery scandal during the Olympic Games as saying, 'I was about to hang up my entire life.'
- Jun 7, 2017
AceShowbiz - Ryan Lochte has opened up about the depths of his despair in the the aftermath of his robbery scandal during the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro last year. In an interview with ESPN, the 32-year-old swimmer said, "After Rio, I was probably the most hated person in the world."
"There were a couple of points where I was crying, thinking, 'If I go to bed and never wake up, fine,' " he shared. When asked if he had actually considered suicide, Ryan nodded his head slowly before saying, "I was about to hang up my entire life." He then forced a smile and added, "Everything happens for a reason."
Ryan was joined by his pregnant fiancee Kayla Rae Reid for the sit-down interview as the two prepare for the arrival of their first child together this summer. He said that his main focus these days is the water and his growing family.
"Look, I was done with swimming back in 2013. I was drained, wiped out. Now I've found a new purpose with my son," said the swimmer. "This fire has been ignited, and it's bigger than ever, and I'm just so excited because I know what's going to happen in Tokyo. Everyone is going to have to watch out!"
"You can be at the all-time high and then the next second the all-time low," Ryan continued, adding, "I love being at the Olympics, but I'm the opposite of what you'd expect. It's been that way my whole life. I don't fit in."
For those who don't remember, Ryan and some of his teammates in Rio lied about being robbed at gunpoint back in August. The soon-to-be father, who has won six gold, three silver and three bronze Olympic medals over the course of his career, has been banned from swimming for several months due to the controversy.
