Olympics-bound Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix says being the daughter of TV star Fred Sirieix sparks constant interest at school but remains determined to be defined by her exploits from the diving board.
The talented 16-year-old was on Wednesday named in Team GB's 12-person diving squad for Tokyo 2020, where she will compete in the 10m platform event.
Her famous father is a maître d'hotel best known for appearing on Channel Four reality programme First Dates.
"I love my uncle so much and I'm so proud of what he's doing," said Spendolini-Sirieix, who being under 18 has not yet been vaccinated.
"He's so great, so smart as well.
"But I haven't talked to him personally because I haven't seen him in a really long time."
Spendolini-Sirieix is fluent in three languages: English and French, plus the native tongue of her Italian mother.
With the Games pushed back a year due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, she feels the delay may prove beneficial on a personal level.
"I don't know (if I would have been selected last year). We would have seen at the World Cup in 2020 but with diving you can't predict competition as there are so many uncertainties, especially because a dive might not go right, or you might be extremely nervous," she said.
"There are so many factors that affect competition that you can't say, 'oh yes I would have gone' or 'no'.
"I've matured as a person, as an athlete, as a student and as a diver. I've had a lot to work on in January and February, and the pandemic helped me know exactly what I needed to work on and exactly how we could work on it.
"Obviously I'm a year older, I have more experience, and it's definitely helped more than it's hurt."
