Ian Thorpe's mythic rise from boy to hero had an ironic twist

Ian Thorpe is one of six celebrities interviewed for this season of The Assembly. (ABC iview)

When Ian Thorpe burst onto the international swimming stage at just 14, he became a world-champion swimmer and a household name.

It was the late 1990s and the national countdown to the Sydney Olympics was on.

Millions tuned in to watch the teen sensation with feet like flippers as he raced — and won — against adult men, often strokes ahead.

In the 200-metre freestyle final at the Athens Games, Ian Thorpe claimed his first Olympic gold for the event. (AAP: Dean Lewins)

Across a near-mythic career, he smashed dozens of race records and claimed nine Olympic medals — all while contending with intense national pressure and speculation about his personal life.

But pursuing success in his sport presented an almost cruel dichotomy for Thorpe; he craved silence over the spotlight.

Across his career under the media microscope, Ian Thorpe drew adulation and scrutiny in equal measure. (Getty: Robert Cianflone)

"I'm someone who is more comfortable in small groups, or by myself," the 43-year-old told ABC iview's The Assembly.

"I do usually find that after something like this, that I am more tired than most people are from doing it."

A self-described introvert, Thorpe selectively attends large or "extroverted" events and uses positive self-talk to calm himself.

"For me, it's occasionally taking a break and just going, 'I'm all right, I'm OK'.

"I give myself a bit of a pep talk before I do it, and usually it's OK — it's not as big of a deal as what I made it out in my head to be."

It's probably unsurprising that during his swimming career Thorpe favoured being underwater and escaping the din of the cheering crowds.

Olympic great Dawn Fraser leads the Australian Swimming Team in supporting Ian Thorpe during his 400m freestyle final at the Sydney Games. (Getty: Nick Wilson/Frank Seguin, AFP: Timothy Clary)

"I'll have a cheer of the crowd when I'm in flight," he said.

"When I depart off the blocks, I pierce through the water into a streamline position. I hear the noise that the water makes from the splash and then the way that water and air is moving off my body.

"It's like changing worlds in that moment. I really go into my sensory experience at that point."

Reflecting on his record-breaking swims at the Sydney Olympics — and winning three gold and two silver medals — Thorpe said it was an "amazing" time for him.

The Sydney Olympics was a career highlight for Ian Thorpe, claiming medals in multiple events in front of a hometown crowd. (AFP: Timothy Cary/Joel Sa