Former Australian Olympic swimmer Hayley Lewis’ incredible sporting legacy is being continued on by her son.
Her youngest child, 20-year-old Kai Taylor, earned himself a spot on the Australian swim team for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Hayley Lewis, 50, first shot to swimming stardom in 1990, when she won five gold medals at the Commonwealth Games, aged 15.
Hayley went on to compete at three Olympic Games over the course of her swimming career, and she won a silver medal at the 1992 event.
It seems as though the 50-year-old’s legacy doesn’t end with her, as her youngest son Kai is quickly coming up the ranks in the swimming world.
Last year, Kai represented Australia in the sport for the very first time, and Hayley was every bit the proud mum you’d expect.
As Kai geared up to go one step further and attend the 2024 Olympics, Hayley was right behind him as his biggest supporter.
“So proud”, the former The Biggest Loser host shared ahead of Kai’s first swim at the 2024 Australian Swimming Trials on 11 June.
Kai placed fourth in the 200 metre freestyle event which means he didn’t qualify for an individual spot, but he represented Australia in the 4×100 metre relay.
The 20-year-old made his Olympic debut in 2024, and earned himself a silver medal.
As a huge advocate for mental health, Hayley Lewis has spoken about her desire to protect her son from the more challenging aspects of the sport.
“We always said to our kids the main thing we would do is support them. We love them and want them to be happy,” she told The Sydney Morning Herald ahead of the 2023 swimming world championships.
“For both my boys, I’ve always made sure they are fully supported. I’m very wary of Kai and the pressure of being an athlete. Fortunately, for him being a swimmer in 2023, it’s a lot different to me in 1993.”
The three-time-Olympian added, “In my era it was all about [being told] to toughen up. I didn’t have the opportunity to have a good cry after one of my swims, otherwise I’d be told I was weak and I needed to stop swimming. At 19, I was ready to quit and work as a barista in a coffee shop.
“I just can’t tell you how important it is for a mum that if Kai is feeling stressed or pressured, he has support around him.”
Kai has expressed his gratitude for having his mum backing him no matter what he does, saying “Even though she’s a legend of the sport she just wants me to be happy.”
After his monumental win from lane eight at the 2023 World Trials, he added, “She told me to do my thing, be calm, but she did however mention that great things happen from lane eight.”
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