Coming Up for Air

Anyone who has followed Daley’s career as a world-class Olympic diver knows he is not only talented but charming as well. His charm comes through these pages in abundance. The core of the memoir is divided into eleven chapters reflecting his values. They have titles such as Purpose, Endurance, Resilience, and Confidence. Some deal with aspects of his personal life. The tragic death of his father, his great cheerleader, from brain cancer is one of the sadder moments. Daley’s account of meeting Dustin Lance Black, the Academy Award–winning screen writer (Milk) who became his husband in 2017, is also a very touching chapter. Of course, Daley’s diving career is covered in great detail with the highs and lows of any champion. But the memoir’s ultimate events are the birth of his son through surrogacy and the winning of the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. What comes through clearly throughout the book is that Daley cares deeply about family and that his husband and son are the loves of his life.