Adam Peaty’s ‘Olympic Nan’ Mavis, 78, ‘closed her eyes’ because she was too nervous to watch her swim star grandson win gold for second time
- Mavis Williams, 78, watched grandson’s historic victory from East Staffordshire
- Adam Peaty is the first British swimmer ever to defend an Olympic gold medal
- Mavis said she is ‘so proud’ of Adam and that she ‘burst into tears’ when he won
Adam Peaty’s grandmother has described the heartwarming moment she watched him become a double Olympic champion at the Tokyo Games – all the way from her living room in East Staffordshire.
Mavis Williams, 78, said she burst into tears when her grandson swam to victory in the 100m breaststroke on Monday, claiming his second gold Olympic medal.
The ‘proud’ retiree, who lives in Uttoxeter, said she had to close her eyes when he jumped into the water because she was so nervous.
‘I had a text from him saying “I wish you were in the stands”, and it just made me get a lump in my throat,’ Mavis told ITN, before welling up once more.
She continued: ‘I got up at 2(am), made a cup of tea at 3(am) and then it was time and he came on.
‘My stomach went all over, and when he got on the blocks and was going to go in, I closed my eyes, I dared not look.
‘And when they said double Olympic champion i just burst into tears.
‘I was so proud, I can’t even tell you how proud I was, and why I cried I just don’t know.’
Mavis Williams (pictured), 78, said she is ‘so proud’ of her grandson Adam Peaty after he won the gold for 100m breaststroke at the Tokyo Olympics Monday
‘Proud’ retiree Mavis, who lives in Uttoxeter, said she had to close her eyes when Adam jumped into the water because she was so nervous
A poster on Mavis’ window says: ‘Uttoxeter supports Adam Peaty, good luck in Tokyo Adam!’
Adam Peaty pictured with his gold medal after winning the 100m breaststroke at the Tokyo Games – he is the first British swimmer to defend an Olympic title after winning the same event in Rio in 2016
Mavis has plastered flyers on the outside of her house which read: ‘Uttoxeter supports Adam Peaty, good luck in Tokyo Adam!’, alongside a picture of the Olympic champion.
The beaming gran said she phoned her daughter following Adam’s victory – who told her to have a shot of whisky.
Mavis said: ‘So I phoned my daughter and she said “make yourself a cup of tea, put a tot of whisky in and go to bed.”
‘Well I didn’t do that, I had a cup of tea and that was it.’
Peaty is the first British swimmer to defend an Olympic title after winning the same event in Rio in 2016.
It comes amid a stellar day at the Games for Team GB, which has seen three golds and two silvers.
Tom Daley and Matty Lee won gold in the synchronised diving 10m platform event, just beating out China, while Tom Pidcock rode to victory in the men’s cross-country mountain biking.
Meanwhile in taekwondo, Lauren Williams took silver after a closely fought loss to Croatia’s Matea Jelic in the final of the women’s -67kg.
And Britain’s Alex Yee brought home a silver medal in the triathlon event.
The so-called ‘Magic Monday’ has left Great Britain fifth in the medals table.