Rebecca Adlington: “I’ve made peace with my body since becoming a mum”
Former Olympic swimmer Rebecca Adlington opens up about finding confidence, being a good role model, and the mood-boosting benefits of swimming
She was one of our country’s finest athletes, racking up four Olympic medals, including double gold at Beijing in 2008, but Becky Adlington admits to struggling with self doubts about her body.
“I’m 32 years old and I’ve never once said, ‘I really want to put on a swimsuit today’. It’s never happened!” laughs Becky, who started swimming competitively at the age of nine.
“We’ve all got our hang-ups and I’ve never wanted to parade around in a swimsuit, but it’s part of the sport I’m in.”
But the mum-of two admits having children has finally helped her to accept her body, and she’s stopped giving herself a hard time.
“Once you have kids, you have a whole new appreciation for what your body can do,” says Becky, who welcomed baby boy Albie in March with her partner, property manager Andy Parsons, and also has a five-year-old daughter, Summer, with ex-husband and fellow swimmer, Harry Needs.
She explains, “I have so many stretch marks on my tummy from having kids, but they’re a nice reminder that I’ve had children – you just feel different about them. I can’t say I’m 100 per cent body confident but, at the same time, I feel more at peace with my body.
“I’ve gone up and down in weight for different reasons – from stopping sport, to having my first child and then my second child. But, as I’ve got older, I’ve realised I’ll have insecurities whether I’m a size 12 or a size 16, so why beat myself up when my body has given me four Olympic medals and two kids? I appreciate it in a different sense and I’m not caught up on anything any more.”
Becky, who split with her ex-husband Harry in March 2016, and met Andy two years later on a dating app, says the benefits of swimming far outweigh the fear of getting into a swimsuit. Since having Albie, she’s been swimming once a week to ease herself back into postpartum exercise.
She says, “I may have cellulite and stretch marks and I’m certainly not skinny, but when I’ve been swimming I feel way better. My energy levels are better and my mood is better because I’ve been active. So I feel those positives outweigh anything else.
Each week I’m feeling progressively fitter and I’m developing confidence.”
EATING WELL AND EXERCISING
Becky is also keen to ensure her daughter Summer grows up with a positive body image and sees her eating well and exercising.
“For my daughter I try my hardest not to pull my body down. I think women can be quick to say, ‘Oh, I look fat in that’. It’s just the language we use,” Becky explains. “She often says to me, ‘Mummy, it looks like you still have a baby in your tummy’, so I say, ‘Well, that’s what happens when you have a baby, Summer’. I want her to know it’s normal.”
One of the things Becky is passionate about is helping girls to break through the body-confidence barrier to take up swimming and enjoy the benefits into adulthood. She’s fronting the “Girls Let’s Swim” campaign to encourage girls into the sport, following research that found 79 per cent of them are swimming less and 53 per cent of parents blamed body changes, puberty and lack of confidence. And Becky admits to struggling with the same issues as a teenager.
She says, “It’s extremely hard in your teenage years because your body changes rapidly and insecurity is at its height. In swimming, you can’t put on a bit of make-up or do your hair because it’ll just get wet, so I understand the barriers.
“But take a friend, go with family – people you feel confident with – rather than on your own and make it fun. Once you get over the first hurdle of getting to the pool, you realise that no one is going to stare at you and no one’s bothered.”
FOND MEMORIES
Since retiring from competitive swimming in 2013, Rebecca has worked as a TV pundit and has recently been covering the Tokyo Olympics for the BBC. But would she rather be in the pool going for gold than behind the camera?
“God, no!” she says without hesitation. “I’m more than happy being on this side. I loved my time, but my life feels very far away from that now. This year there are no fans, so it’ll be hard for the athletes. But everyone loves the Olympics – you get engrossed in the athletes’ stories and their journeys. It’s come at the right time to pick everyone up.”
● Becky has launched the Girl’s Let’s Swim campaign to inspire more girls to keep on swimming and reach their true potential. Visit thesportinghouse.co.uk
HAVING A BABY IN LOCKDOWN:
“Andy wasn’t allowed to any of my scans or appointments, which was hard on him, but I’m grateful he was at the birth, as a lot of people didn’t have their partner there. It was tough not seeing friends and family, but it was nice to have a period at home together to get to grips with it.”
SHARING THE PARENTING
“Andy has been back in the office more but, when he’s home, he’s brilliant, especially through the night. He’s great on not much sleep, so he’s fine to get up a few times in the night with the baby. It’s lovely to see their little bond.”
SIBLING LOVE
“Summer has been brilliant and she always wants to help out, so I get her involved in things like changing Albie’s nappy. And he adores her – he’s constantly laughing and smiling at her.”
‘I’m more than happy where I am now’