During his professional swimming career from 1999 to 2003 he broke twenty-two world records, won eleven World Championship titles and ten Commonwealth Games gold metals. In his first Olympic games he collected three gold and two silver metals. In 2000, he was named Young Australian of the Year. He is also the only person to be named World Swimmer of the Year four times by Swimming World Magazine.
Thorpe was born on October 13, 1982, as the second child of Ken and Margaret, and the brother of three-year-old sister, Christina. He began swimming when he was eight, though he had an initial allergy to chlorine, which he dealt with by swimming with his head out of water.
When he was twelve, Thorpe began training twice daily for six days a week. At the age of thirteen he went to the National Junior Championships and won every event. The following year, he competed in the championships again and broke several national and state records.
Thorpe was soon selected to swim for the Australian National team in the 1997 Pan Pacific Championships held in Fukuoka, Japan. At fourteen, he became the youngest male swimmer to represent Australia and went on to win two silver metals.
In 1998, he swam at the World Championships in Perth where he became the youngest male World Champion with a win in the 400 meters freestyle.
During the four days of competition in the 1999 Pan Pacific Championships he broke four world records, and was presented with a $25,000 check for being the first person to break a world record in the pool that was later used for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. Thorpe donated the money to Lifeline and Children’s Cancer Research Institute in Australia.
Thorpe went on to the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games where he finished with three gold and two silver metals, and was selected to carry the Australian flag at the closing ceremonies in recognition of his outstanding feats.
At the end of 2000, he established the Ian Thorpe’s Fountain for Youth trust to help children live healthy and fulfilling lives. When he returned to Fukuoka Japan for the 2001 World Championships, he won six gold metals and broke four world records.
Thorpe swam at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England where he was once again given the honor of carrying the Australian flag at the closing ceremonies. Then he returned to Japan for the 2002 Pan Pacific Championship where he won six metals. In 2003, he swam in the FINA World Swimming Championships and won three more gold metals. At the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens he won three more metals.
Thorpe originally had plans to swim for the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, but was forced to withdraw due to a bout of glandular fever. On November 21, 2006, he announced his retirement from competitive swimming.
There has been some speculation about his sexual orientation, though in an interview with ABC National Radio’s Monica Attard, he confirmed he is a straight male. Though, he added, he found it flattering to be considered part of a minority group, as it shows "strength in your character."
Thrope has strong ties to America and considers New York City his second home, taking part inmany fashion events, particularly for Giorgio Armani. He has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and fought unsuccessfully to bring the Summer Olympics to New York City for 2012.
Thorpe's interests have also seen him involved in television, starring in a reality television show in 2002 called Undercover Angels, which imitated the Charlie's Angels series, which originally featured Farrah Fawcett, Kate Jackson, Jaclyn Smith, and Cheryl Ladd.
Ian also appeared as an extra in the American sitcom Friends, along with the shows regular stars, Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc, and Lisa Kudrow.
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