In the small Welsh village of Resolven where Dan Jervis grew up, it was rugby that ruled the roost.

But from the moment that Dan’s grandparents took him to the local pool, it was clear that swimming was the sport for him.

Dan dreamed of being an Olympian – and last year, he made that happen at the Games in Tokyo, when he finished 5th in the 1500 metres freestyle final in his debut Olympics.

Throw in a pair of Commonwealth medals in Glasgow and the Gold Coast respectively, and you can see why Dan is feeling so upbeat heading into next month’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

But before then, Dan wanted to open up publicly for the first time about the fact he’s gay – so when he dropped us a message, asking to come on the pod for a chat, we were delighted to have him on.

As always, this isn’t Dan’s ‘coming out’ story – as his friends and his family have known for a little while now.

But it is the first time Dan has shared his story with the wider world – and in doing so, he hopes to be the role-model that he perhaps didn’t see growing up.

And so, that’s what this conversation is all about – Dan’s journey in the pool, training in a pandemic, that first Olympics experience, understanding his own sexuality, his faith, and why now is the right time to share his story.

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@jack_murley
jack.murley@bbc.co.uk