Olympic Swimmer Grant Hackett Reveals Surprising Inspiration Behind Daughter's Name

Olympic swimmer Grant Hackett and his wife Sharlene joyfully welcomed their baby daughter in August, and now Hackett has revealed the unexpected tale behind their choice of name. During an appearance on The Morning Show, Hackett explained that the name "Olympia Grace" was not influenced by his remarkable swimming career, but rather by a character from the Sandra Bullock movie, Bird Box. It was love at first sight for the couple when they heard the strong and beautiful name of the little girl, Olympia, in the film.

Interestingly, Hackett jokingly mentioned that the name "Commonwealth" didn't make the cut from their baby name list, as it lacked enough countries. This humorous insight plays on Hackett's successful Olympic career, which includes three gold medals in the men's 1,500m freestyle swimming events at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics. However, the couple's decision to name their daughter Olympia Grace was purely motivated by their love for the name itself.

The proud father also stated that they initially considered the name Grace but ultimately decided to combine it with Olympia, resulting in Olympia Grace. The newborn's nickname is "Oly," and she is already displaying remarkable development skills, attempting to talk, sit up, and reach other milestones.

This darling addition completes the family of the Olympic champion and his fiancée, Sharlene, who welcomed their second child together in August. Hackett is also the father of twins named Jagger and Charlize from his previous marriage to Candice Alley.

Grant Hackett, known as one of the most accomplished long-distance swimmers in history, achieved multiple world records during his prime. However, the inspiration for his daughter's name originated from the silver screen, demonstrating that sometimes even Olympic champions find inspiration in unexpected places.