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Grant and Candice in NY: Retiring for love

By Jenny Brown

Pictures: Stuart Ramson

After 24 years of competition, the swimming legend wants to devote more time to his wife.

Somewhere between New York’s Fifth Avenue, the glitz of Vegas and the sunny Bahamas, Grant Hackett made a momentous, life-changing choice.

On a romantic second honeymoon with his pop singer wife Candice Alley, the Aussie swimming legend realised it was time to hang up his goggles and quit the sport he had loved for 24 years.

Diving into retirement wasn’t a snap decision; there were no sleepless nights of uncertainty, just quiet time chilling out with Candice in the wake of the Olympics.

“It was the first holiday when I didn’t have to do something related to swimming,” grins the good-humoured giant, whose 198cm (6 feet 6 inch) frame dominated the 1500m freestyle event for almost a decade.

“Even our original honeymoon was cut short — only four nights away — because I had to compete. Not much of a honeymoon!…”

For the full story, see this week’s Woman’s Day (on sale November 17).

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