WATCH: Olympian Tom Daley - ‘Bullies at school made diving a burden’

Anti-Bullying charity enlists Olympic diver Tom Daley and husband Dustin Lance Black to help raise awareness as schools start another year
6th September 2017, 12:39pm

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WATCH: Olympian Tom Daley - ‘Bullies at school made diving a burden’

https://www.tes.com/magazine/archive/watch-olympian-tom-daley-bullies-school-made-diving-burden
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With the start of a new term, teachers, parents and celebrities are joining forces in the ongoing war against bullying in schools.

And Olympic athlete Tom Daley, and his Oscar-winning husband Dustin Lance Black, have taken up arms to join the fight.

They have both opened up and shared their experiences of homophobic bullying in schools in a video for the Diana Award Anti-Bullying Campaign’s #Back2School initiative.

‘They threw stuff at me’

Daley, 23, said: “For the first few years at school, I had the best time, but when I qualified for the Olympics things took a bit of a turn.

“I came back from Beijing [Olympics in 2008] and everything changed. They took the mick out of what I was wearing on the diving board; they would throw stuff at me at lunchtime.”

The bullying became so bad that diving - the talent that has made Daley into a role model for so many pupils - became a burden.

Black added: “Imagine if you could tell yourself as a kid, ‘That thing you’re being bullied for might get you an Academy Award or an Olympic medal one day.’”

 

 

 

A call to action from the charity resulted in thousands of old (slightly awkward) school photos being shared on Twitter.

With each picture, a piece of advice for victims of bullying was given, resulting in a lovely bubble of support found with the #Back2Schools hashtag. 

 

7th grade I was made fun of because I was a girl who dressed like a boy, fat, and had bad teeth. I found my tribe, you will 2. #Back2School pic.twitter.com/MoXn0KCICg

- Maureen Meadows (@mfmeadows) September 5, 2017

 

Bee who you are because no one is normal. #Back2School pic.twitter.com/Hbi1uF8Td1

- Jo Weber (@Jotato37) September 4, 2017

 

My #Back2School pic is the shy girl who grew into the confidence (and sass) she pretended to have. #stopbullying @AntiBullyingPro pic.twitter.com/YzzpAd1ZKm

- Amy Rose (@teacher_amyrose) September 4, 2017

 

I want to give the 6 year old me a big smooch!  I’m trying my best...looks like I cut my own bangs for back-to-school pix day! #Back2School pic.twitter.com/dbUvuLlm6O

- Kathleen Gehl (@Kata811) September 4, 2017

 

 

Headline: “Anti-bullying campaign @AntiBullyingPro asks for awkward school photos in solidarity.”
Me: Say no more. pic.twitter.com/oIFsN578NC

- Virginia Montanez (@JanePitt) September 4, 2017

 

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