1st Dates Fred: I attempted scuba diving like my Olympian child – never once again
There a big, free-standing French fibreglass duck in Fred Sirieix hallway. We understand this because, having purchased for ?150 while filming in Hastings for another episode of rescue Hunters Celebrity specific, the guy moved directly onto social media marketing nonetheless cant avoid making reference to they.
“It really colourful, extremely beautiful,” he states. “It only brightens my entire time. As soon as everyone visited our home they see it, have a smile and fun and then they usually have a glass or two or two therefore we bring a discussion together with them sitting regarding duck, basically most funny… I happened to be with [Drew Pritchard and his awesome sidekick, Tee, from rescue Hunters] for per week so there were several things I looked over but once we watched this one it was immediately during my heart and I just believed: this, Ive got to own it.
“The guys on the program would like to get a variety of reasons,” explains the 49-year-old maitre d and celebrity of 1st times additionally the Gallic next of Gordon, Gino and Fred: journey.
“Drew features over three decades of experience. He has the eye. The guy taking a look at the recent value and just how a lot it planning to are priced at or just how long it’s going to need him to offer they on and just what he can sell it for, possibly. And this the reason why he purchases they. The duck I bought simply for me personally.” In a step made to feel practically and metaphorically closer to their star visitor country of beginning, the TV tv series traveled from Pritchard shop in north Wales via a 1,200-acre farm in Suffolk plus the Royal Gunpowder Mills in Waltham Abbey to Hastings and seen an antiques trade warehouse providing services in in French home furniture.
“It required back,” he smiles. “There happened to be factors inside I got currently found in a person household as well as Les Puces – the flea opportunities – once I was wasting amount of time in Paris within my armed forces services. I get my passion for antiques from my mum; the house was a student in the farmhouse preferences, all the furniture handed down from generation to generation, and her home is however stuffed with things like that.”
Presumably not too lots of fibreglass ducks. “No, not that from the, although my boy Lucien accustomed fancy driving on them outside supermarkets when he is small.” The bird would seem becoming a recurring theme, and “Mon canard” (“My duck”) the household nickname of their 17-year-old girl, Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix, the youngest scuba diver on personnel GB.
It was something Sirieix shared whenever tweeting congratulations on the seventh put end into the 10m program celebration in Tokyo; he extra a duck emoji and advised worldwide how “unconditionally proud” he had been of her achievements. He additionally tweeted: “Forever my little girl which once used to live on my arms. Only today she flies inside air. #goAndrea.”
“we support the woman the whole way,” he states. “I became a little stressed before the Olympics as soon as she remaining to visit Japan as most facts may go incorrect. I am a worrier i assume, perhaps plenty of dads are just like that – we worry about what can go incorrect. Imagine if she gets Covid? Or injured? And, you are sure that, exactly the pressure regarding the Olympics because it the most significant celebration on Earth, your cant get bigger than that. She got taught so hard also it was in fact terminated as soon as therefore however I was quite nervous.”
Sirieix knows a little concerning demanding character from the sport, creating previously volunteered to aim they to see they from his daughter viewpoint – an act of paternal commitment not to ever be underestimated. “I dived from five metres in the beginning,” he recalls. “And I dived foot initial then jumped from 10 metres and it was extremely high, very terrifying and Im not going to repeat unless you spend me personally well. My feet comprise bruised and I was a student in problems a while later… I found myself in no risk of putting some reserve group for Team GB, that will be definitely.”
The experience in addition taught your one thing regarding emotional features required to contend within the recreation at the top level.
“i am aware just how close this woman is. She can draw it out from the bag because when youre scuba diving from that peak, and you are only in the air for a moment or the second . 5, they concerning willpower [you have previously placed in]. When you are floating around you must perform even if you discover somebody method in front of your or youre worried about something different. Andrea able to prevent it completely and just experience along with it. I realized on the day associated with the celebration she’d end up being fine. When she gets begun and gets into opposition form, within the area, she locks herself inside the lady head and she just around scuba diving. As soon as she is at the period I know she would undergo to the semi-finals while making it with the last. I Got that faith and opinion that she would do it and she did.”
Their emotional poolside cam via videolink along with her parents – struggling to go to as a result of pandemic protocols – is another emphasize in an incredible year of firsts for Uk women athletics that provided Rachael Blackmore winning the fantastic nationwide, people cricket going to the fore for the Hundred, a landmark television bargain for ladies football and Olympic superiority in recreations because varied as BMX and gymnastics but was actually probably topped down by success of Emma Raducanu in the current United States start.
“It was so great that she claimed,” states Sirieix, talking since the daddy of a high-achieving teenage women athlete and an individual who understands exactly what it requires for their girl to contend during the highest amount. “Especially after all the flack she got for Wimbledon [Raducanu resigned in her 4th rounded fit against Ajla Tomljanovic after experiencing breathing difficulties]. And she a new lady. She only 18 years of age and people ought to do affairs in their own personal times but I am very pleased and also proud of her. What i’m saying is, what she finished try amazing. She acquired the united states start in 2 straight units! So what can you say?