My Double Life
Our October 2026 Book of the Month is “My Double Life” by five time Olympian and Inspirational speaker Mark Foster.
ABOUT THE BOOK
As a five-time Olympian, six-time World Champion and eight-time World Record holder, if anyone was going to be openly gay at the height of their sporting career it should have been swimmer Mark Foster – a confident, laid-back guy who doesn’t care what anyone thinks. So why did it take him half a lifetime to come out?
From a Southend Jack-the-lad expelled from one of the most prestigious schools in the country to becoming the fastest man through water on the planet and a television favourite, Mark’s journey is extraordinary. With humour and honesty, he takes readers through his unprecedented 20-year career in the pool and shows how he hid his sexuality for so long – and convinced himself he was happy doing so.
Alongside his sporting achievements, Mark recounts his glittering appearance on Strictly Come Dancing, his growing broadcasting career and the other-worldliness of being an Olympian in the public eye. But his experience makes us stop and reassess where we really are in terms of society’s approach to homosexuality and diversity in sport.
Inspiring and moving, My Double Life is the tale of one man’s pursuit of sporting prowess and finding the freedom to live his truth.
ABOUT MARK FOSTER
Mark Foster is one of the UK’s most recognisable swimmers of his generation and is an inspirational and motivational speaker who speaks on winning, improving performance and diversity in sport.
Representing his country for 23 years, Mark became Britain’s most decorated male swimmer after winning a record 47 major international medals.
His achievements include –
- 6 x World Champion Swimmer,
- 5 Time Olympian,
- 8 World Records,
- 11 x European Champion,
- 2 x Commonwealth Champion.
Mark has enjoyed a successful TV career and was a fixture on BBC’s coverage of the Olympics, and he cemented his position as a household name after covering swimming at London 2012 from the commentary box and gaining headlines for his coverage alongside Rebecca Adlington and Helen Skelton at Rio 2016.
Mark has taken part in a number of TV shows, including Strictly Come Dancing and in 2016 launched his range of swimwear, with respected brand Zone3.
It was in 2017 that Mark made the brave decision to come out as gay to the world. His revelation has seen him voted Man of the Year by Winq Magazine in the same year and in 2018 he became LBGTQ+ ambassador for Barnardo’s.
For more information on his speaking work please visit his webpage and to order copy of his book please visit the amazon webpage.