While Britain may be a tiny island in the middle of the ocean, they’ve giving the world such gifts as Shakespeare, an addictively preppy take on fashion, and an incorgiable (see what we did there?) queen, making the United Kingdom a force to be reckoned with.
Additionally, the small-but-perfectly-formed United Kingdom has managed to create some of the greatest sports stars of all time, from some of the biggest football (or soccer, if you’re so inclined) names in the world – we’re looking at you, David Beckham – to cricket legends, to cycling whizzes, to internationally recognised track athletes, the UK has got them all. Alongside this, they have also managed to create talented swimmers who have shown off their talents in the pool and swam to victory in various Olympic Games. Want to know one of our favourites? Of course, it’s the UK darling and swimmer extraordinaire Rebecca Adlington!
Considering it’s very rare for us to have any sun or warmth at all in England, it’s no surprise they’ve managed to create some of the greatest swimmers of all time – because they probably go to their local swimming pools to get out of the rain! Luckily, budding swimmers have been able to look up to people like Mark Foster, Ellie Simmonds, Adam Peaty, and Rebecca Adlington in order to become full-fledged water babies in their own right. As one of the most successful female swimmers in the history of British swimming, it’s fair to say that Rebecca is a national treasure – and to be honest, we kinda love her, too.
Born on 17th February 1989, Rebecca Adlington may now be a retired freestyle swimmer, but that doesn’t mean she is any less important to us. In fact, we don’t think we’re going to forget her anytime soon. Throughout her professional career, Adlington brought attention to the world of British swimming after she won the UK’s first gold medal since 1988 and became the first swimmer in the history of British swimming to win two gold medals since 1908! Yet, that was just the start of her career. She later went on to win two Olympic bronze medals, as well as other notable medals from competitors within the World Championships, European Championships, Commonwealth Games and more. While we could talk about her swimming achievements for the rest of the day, we want to know more about the swimmer than just the amount of medals she owns. So, here are 20 juicy facts about Rebecca Adlington.
[post_page_title]She was a natural swimmer from a young age[/post_page_title]
As well as being your average British kid, Rebecca Adlington also had a pretty busy childhood – as she managed to incorporate her school life with her swimming life. While attending The Brunt’s School in Nottinghamshire, Rebecca also took swimming lessons with the Sherwood Colliery Swimming Club. Like a duck to water, Rebecca showed off her swimming skills in no time and was eventually chosen to swim for the Nottinghamshire County Elite Squad. From the get-go, her coaches knew she would go far – and we don’t just mean to the other side of the swimming pool!
