It’s About Saving Lives

For gold medallist Rebecca Adlington, school always came second to swimming. Not every child can follow in her wake, but she insists learning to swim 25 metres by the end of primary is the bare minimum...

Teach Primary: What do you remember about school?

Rebecca Adlington: I preferred primary school – I had the best time. There was always more going on. I remember doing cross country, netball and playing rounders. It was a lot more creative and active, and less about writing essays – I’m not very good at sitting down and doing that kind of work.

TP: Were you always a natural athlete?

RA: Oh, no! I was crap at every other sport – absolutely rubbish. I just loved playing. I didn’t care whether or not I won. It wasn’t about the competition; I just liked being active.

TP: What about the academic side of things?

RA: My parents knew a good education was important so I didn’t sack off school. I got As, Bs and Cs at GCSE and I always tried to maintain a high standard, but I wasn’t the most academic child; it was a hard balance and, ultimately, I wasn’t willing to sacrifice swimming for the sake of my education. I was very lucky to have two older sisters who were a lot more academic than me. They were extremely clever and they’d help me with my my homework when I came home.

TP: How did your teachers describe you as a student?

RA: As a talker! I used to sit next to my friend Kelly and we were always threatened with being separated for talking too much.

The teachers all knew my sisters and how smart they were. When I came along they’d think, ‘Yes! We’ve got another Adlington!” But I think they were a little disappointed when they found out I wasn’t quite as clever. That said, I was careful to make the best use of my time in school – if I didn’t work in lessons then I’d only have to work harder when I got home. I’d often be away on swimming camps, so it was important to get as much help from the teachers as possible while I was in the classroom.

TP: How much time did you spend in swimming camps?

RA: The older I got, the more time I spent away. When I was 11 or 12, they’d always make sure the camps were outside of school time – during half term. But when I was a little bit older, 15-16, I started going away to complete abroad and in senior competitions. As a result, my attendance slipped down to around half of what it probably should have been.

TP: Did the teachers ever give you a hard time?

RA: Not really. Mansfield was such a small place and our local paper, The Chad, was always writing little articles on me, so staff knew I was doing well. Some of the teachers thought my education should come first, which is totally understandable. My parents felt exactly the same, but they realised how much I loved swimming – that it was my passion, my dream – so they never held me back. I think they recognised that I wasn’t as clever as my sisters and I had different interests. My sisters studied graphic design, business and maths, but I was more into textiles and PE – subjects that involved more ‘doing’.

TP: Did your school offer swimming lessons?

RA: There wasn’t a swimming pool at school, but we were taken to swim at two pools in Mansfield. We didn’t have galas or anything, but I loved it, even if we could have gone more often. It’s why I am looking forward to the Legacy Games Day event in Basildon tomorrow where local pupils are getting free swimming lessons.

A lot of schools think it’s the parents’ responsibility to teach children to swim, while the parents’ think it’s down to the school. As a result, it’s something a lot of children miss out on.

TP: Should schools spend more time teaching children to swim?

RA: When I visit schools now, I don’t understand why children are playing games like dodge ball. I haven’t played dodge ball since I left school, whereas swimming is a life skill.

Children’s access to swimming pools in very dependent on where they live. In London, it can be much more difficult to find a local pool because so many of them are part of health clubs. However, I know a lot of pools that offer school lessons from 9-12pm, which is great to see. If I can’t get in the pool because the kids are in there, that’s good! It’s how it should be.

TP: How do you get a reluctant swimmer into the pool?

RA: I never had a fear of water because I used to watch my sisters jumping straight into the pool. They weren’t scared. But it can be daunting for kids to see a big swimming pool for the first time – especially when you’re just used to your bath! It’s about building up confidence. In my experience, children are anxious during their first lesson and there are often a few tears, but after a few visits most are fine. The ones that remain a bit wobbly tend to have had a bad experience – they might have swallowed some water, for instance. Kids who are really scared might have a parent who is frightened of water – so you have to try and break that barrier.

TP: Why do you think all children should leave primary school being able to swim at least 25 metres?

RA: It’s a life skill; it’s about saving lives. Most people take their kids out of swimming lessons once they have learnt to float. They don’t continue to a point where the children can confidently swim 25 metres unaided – not just front crawl but backstroke, too. If you’re on a boat and the shore is 25 metres away, can you save yourself if it sinks? It’s no good just being able to float, especially in rivers that have a current. If you can’t swim confidently, you panic – which is when people are in greater danger of drowning. Learning to swim is about building up the confidence to know you can do it on your own. Then if children want to go on and compete, or swim to stay fit, they have the tools to do that. It’s something you’ll use for the rest of your life.

TP: Do you think the legacy of the 2012 Olympics has made a significant impact in schools?

RA: Legacy is something that’s really difficult to measure. We’ll have to wait 10-15 years to find out if a future medallist cites the London Olympics as his or her inspiration. I get a lot more invitations to give talks in schools across the country, and other athletes I speak to say the same. Ten years ago you’d probably only visit schools in your local area. At the same time you hear about venues closing due to lack of
funding and people who want to play sport being stuck on waiting lists…

TP: Did you ever dream of Olympic success as a child?

RA: No. I didn’t even know what the Olympics were until I was about 12. Being from Mansfield, we’d never had an Olympian and it’s not a particularly sporty town, either. Our football team, the Stags, aren’t exactly flying high in the Premier League. I never thought about winning a medal until I’d actually won one. You don’t think it’s going to happen to you, do you?

Rebecca was talking from the Basildon Sporting Village where she joined Fit For Sport and Everyone Active to deliver a Legacy School Games Day of activities to 1,000 local primary school children. For more info, please go to: everyoneactive.com