Becky Adlington: Baking’s been giving me something to focus on

Rebecca Adlington is reflecting on lockdown. “I can’t keep looking at screens,” she declares with a laugh. “First lockdown, people were having like four or five Zoom quizzes a week. It was like, ‘I can’t do another quiz! I just can’t for my own mental health!’” Adlington, 31, shares. “It’s all been about balance,” she adds. “Staying in touch but also not making it feel like a chore. Just checking in, because we all have good and bad days, don’t we? Some days it’s like, you know what, I’m staying in my PJs today.”

It’s been a busy start to

2021 for Manchester-based Adlington, who is expecting a baby boy with boyfriend Andy Parsons in February. “Neither of us was furloughed, so Andy and I have been working the whole time, and lots of stuff was booked in for January before I go on maternity leave – and then schools closed,” says Adlington, who also has daughter Summer, five, with ex-husband Harry Needs. The former Olympic swimmer (Adlington scooped four medals during her swim Olympic career, including two golds, before retiring at 23 to focus on TV work and other projects) now keeps busy with her SwimStars and Training programmes, part of the Olympic-led Sporting House group.

How have you been finding homeschooling with Summer?

“Summer’s only five, it would be very different if she was older – I don’t envy those carers sat there doing algebra and long equations! I’d struggle with that. It is really hard though. But Summer is ace, we read with her, do writing and spelling – and I can actually do her maths, so that’s fine!”

How have you been keeping active?

“To be honest, when I wasn’t so pregnant, I managed to stay on top of things, doing home workouts. There was so much online, it was brilliant. I was going out for runs, we taught Summer to ride a bike and were going for bike rides as a family, just staying really active. And I kept up the gym right up until before Christmas when they closed again.

There’s been a lot of extra anxiety for people going through pregnancy during the pandemic – how have you found it?

I think it’s hard for everyone. It’s been hard for partners too – I feel really sorry for Andy, he’s not been allowed to come to one appointment, not one scan or midwife appointment, so I think it’s harder for dads to feel involved. I’ve booked us some online antenatal classes because I just want him to be involved, and so he can ask the questions he wants to ask, so that will be nice.”

To find out more about Becky Adlington’s SwimStars, visit beckyadlingtonsswimstars.com.