Matt Richards & Adam Peaty Join Forces At AP Race, Nine Years After First Meeting At Swim Clinic
Less than a decade after 12-year-old Matt Richards met Adam Peaty at a coaching clinic at Repton School, the pair have joined forces with the Welshman investing a significant sum into AP Race.
Richards just about came up to Peaty’s shoulder on that day back in 2015 when Mel Marshall hosted the clinic in Derbyshire, England.
Peaty was wearing his Team England tracksuit from the 2014 Commonwealth Games where he announced himself on the international stage with two golds and a silver.
Adam Peaty: Photo courtesy: Giorgio Scala/Deepbluemedia
He was at the start of a trajectory that has seen him break through barriers few had even contemplated and swept Olympic, world, European and Commonwealth titles.
Richards was swimming with Droitwich Dolphins and at 13 would go to the Royal School Wolverhampton where he was guided to the 2019 European junior 100 free title by Marc Spackman and Tom Elgar.
Now 21, Richards has two Olympic and two world titles and was within 0.02 of winning gold in the 200 free in Paris, finishing a sliver behind David Popovici.
The pair joined Oli Morgan and Duncan Scott in the men’s medley relay in the French capital where they finished fourth.
Now they’ve cemented their working relationship with Richards pouring more than the minimum investment of £25,000 into AP Race, the brand created by Peaty and Ed Baxter in 2019 and which is valued in the multi-millions.
It delivers swim meets and clinics for all levels of swimmers in Great Britain and Saudi Arabia.
Richards told Swimming World about the impact made by the Repton swim clinic and he in turn wants to inspire other young swimmers.
“For a very long time it’s been really important to me in my career and my journey within the sport, not just to achieve my personal goals but also try and have an impact on the sport in some way or another,” he said.
“To be able walk away eventually in hopefully 10-plus years’ time and retire and know that I’ve made a difference to the landscape of the sport.
“About nine or 10 years ago I went to one of Adam’s first swim clinics when I was still just a little tiny kid.
“That had a real lasting impact on me and that really made a difference to me on my journey and realising that my dreams and my goals were very much attainable.
“So then as I got later on into my career, I’ve run my own swim clinics under my name and I’ve loved doing that and I’ve put my effort and my team into trying to make a difference for younger kids.”
Matt Richards: Photo Courtesy; Morgan Harlow, GB Aquatics
He added: “For a long time now me, Adam and Ed have been discussing how we can work together and how we join forces together and try and make a real lasting impact on the sport in the country but also the sport globally and try and make a real difference.
“And so, when this opportunity presented itself, it was very important to me that I didn’t just want to work as one of their athletes, I wanted to work alongside them. I wanted to be a real part of the business and the only way to do that was if I was a part-owner.
“I’m very excited to be a part of it and put my money where my mouth is.”
Baxter said: “Just hearing Matt speak in this interview reaffirms the relationship we have built. I could shut my eyes and genuinely everything he is saying could be myself or Adam speaking, that’s how aligned our visions are.
“When Matt called me to say that he wanted to move forward with our proposal, it was one of my proudest moments in the brand’s history.
“Myself and Adam have huge respect for Matt and for him to show us the trust he has in us with his own money is an honour. This is the start of an amazing relationship.”
Inspiring The Next Generation
Richards wants the young swimmers to realise their potential and to learn lessons they can apply across all areas of their lives from resilience through goalsetting and commitment.
He also knows the impact and influence of athletes on others, recalling how Peaty and 23-time Olympic champion Michael Phelps were among his role models.
“From my perspective, I was massively inspired growing up by what Adam did.
“Seeing a British lad from not far away from where I grew up doing the things he did showed a youngster it’s all doable, it’s real and attainable.
Matt Richards: Photo Courtesy: Andrea Masini / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
“People like Michael Phelps growing up, being able to see him, watch him in his prime.
“Obviously that’s hugely inspiring but it’s a little bit less close to home. It’s more like a superhero on the screen whereas when you see those people in person and you get to meet them, it just makes that difference, it makes you feel like that person is real and therefore you can become like them.
“The idea that one of those kids could go on to become Olympic champion, could be the next Michael Phelps for all we know and we could have played a tiny, tiny role in that is amazing.
“I think that’s something that’s far bigger than an individual within the sport or myself winning medals at an Olympics or Adam winning medals at an Olympics, having that impact on the next generation and moving the sport forwards.”