Ellie Simmonds has opened up about her decision to retire before the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, revealing she revelled in her newfound freedom. The iconic para-swimmer, now 31, retired in 2021 after a glittering career that began with a Paralympic gold medal at just 13 years old in Beijing.
During Birmingham 2022, Simmonds worked as part of the organising committee and provided commentary for the BBC alongside Clare Balding, Rebecca Adlington, and Mark Foster. She explained that watching the swimming from the sofa confirmed she had made the right choice.
“I loved Birmingham, seeing it from a different point of view. It was wonderful to be part of it,” she said. “Watching the swimming in the Commonwealth Games, it was lovely not thinking I have to dive in that water and be cold, deal with the pressure and all that. I get to sit on the sofa, or sit and watch the sports, and just get to enjoy it from a spectator's point of view. I think that's nice because it means that I don't miss the sport.”
Simmonds added that she enjoys having dry hair and not smelling of chlorine, though she does miss being fit. “It's nice to be not wet, to have dry hair, not smelling of chlorine all the time. I miss being fit, that's for sure, but everything else is nice to let the athletes do that. You live in your sport, and swimming is a very time-consuming sport, the early mornings, the giving your life to it, it's nice to not be doing that all the time.”
Despite no longer competing, Simmonds remains a passionate sports fan. She recently participated in the King’s Baton Relay in Loughborough, supported by Team England’s official automotive partner, Geely. The 74 batons, customised to represent each Commonwealth nation, will be reunited at the opening ceremony of Glasgow 2026, where the Scotland baton will be presented to His Majesty.
Simmonds highlighted what makes the Commonwealth Games unique: the integration of para and non-disabled athletes. “I think it’s wonderful to celebrate having non-disabled and disability sports together. With the Olympics and Paralympics, even though it’s near enough the same year and the same time, we don’t really get to socialise until after the Games have finished. To be a team where you have Team England athletes with Olympians and Paralympians together, that community feel and team feel, I think that is really exciting. There is the exposure and the opportunity to compete with a mixture of all different people and I think it’s great for the athletes to have all that camaraderie.”
Simmonds is now eagerly anticipating the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, where she will once again enjoy the action from a different perspective.
