Rebecca Adlington: Swimming 'one of the most important things you can do'

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We know her as the golden girl of the Beijing Olympics, but to many young kids, Rebecca Adlington is now a swimming teacher! Adlington has been running a p

Rebecca Adlington believes learning to swim is “one of the most important things you can do” as she continues her new career as a swimming instructor.

She shot to fame with two gold medals at the Beijing Olympics and two bronze medals at London 2012 made her Britain’s joint-most decorated female Olympian.

But after retirement, Adlington opened her ‘Swim Stars’ schools to help the next generation – inspired by the Amateur Swimming Association’s belief that 1.1 million children can’t swim when they leave primary school.

Adlington is aiming for 100 schools across Britain for the next Olympics in 2016, and wants to dramatically increase the amount of children – including the child she’s expecting – that can swim.

She said: “It's absolutely one of the most important things you can do. It baffles me when parents say it's expensive - it's the same price as a Big Mac meal. 

“It baffles me that over one million kids leave school not able to swim. It's so shocking – it could not only save their life but they could save someone else’s by just having that confidence to know how to swim.

“I think cultures are definitely an issue – a lot of places don't do girls only.  But I also think that it's not compulsory for schools when a lot of other countries have it as part of their school system.  It's a generational thing.”

Fun

Adlington remains keen to stress that she is not aiming to find the next Olympic talent but something far simpler.

“I think everyone thinks the programme is about making Olympians, but not at all,” she continued. “The programme's about having fun because that's what I had growing up, I absolutely loved it. I constantly wanted to be in the water. Even if people just have one percent of the fun I had they'll have the best time.

“I think a lot of athletes take that responsibility. It literally makes my day when someone comes up to me and says ‘I got my daughter into swimming and she learned to swim because of you’.  That is the biggest compliment and the nicest thing anyone could say to me.”

Adlington is also believes that it has never been easier for young women to access the sport with perceptions changing due to empowering, female Olympians.

“As a woman it's so difficult because you're body's changing,” she said. “It's very difficult in the swimming world to then put a swimming costume on every single day, you can't get your hair done, you can't put on make-up.

“At school all the girls had their hair and make-up done – I would come running into school with wet hair and everyone would say ‘what's that smell’ and I’d say ‘sorry it's chlorine!’”

“I've definitely noticed a change since the Olympics with Jess Ennis-Hill being on the front of magazines. Celebrities are getting into sports and doing triathlons and marathons, it gives kids inspiration.

“First of all you need to engage kids.  Most gyms I go in, they have hair straighteners, hair dryers, swimming costumes with tummy control.  It’s for older women too.  There’s so many different activities . Go with your mates, it's more fun!”