00:00Rebecca Allington first captured the world's attention at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
00:06At just 19, she stunned spectators by winning two goals in the 400 and 800 metre freestyle,
00:13becoming Britain's first female swimmer to claim multiple Olympic goals at a single Games.
00:19Her triumphs not only made her a household name, but also inspired a generation of young swimmers
00:24to believe that international success was achievable, establishing her as one of Britain's most iconic athletes.
00:32Yeah, something, you just get into the sport.
00:36Swimming is not one of those you're not getting into for fame or money or anything else.
00:41It is just hobby-based, and it was exactly that for me.
00:45It was hobby-based. I absolutely loved it.
00:48My family were brilliant. We were from a very small town, so in Mansfield.
00:53There wasn't much to do, but we had two swimming pools, and we were very, very lucky,
00:58because I do know a lot of places across the UK don't have access to a swimming pool,
01:03and yet we actually had a few, so we were very, very fortunate in that aspect.
01:08So it became the thing that we did as a family.
01:10It was at weekends. We would go swimming. I wanted my birthday parties at the swimming pool.
01:15It just became a lifestyle thing for just the family.
01:20My sisters both swam and trained. They both stopped when they were mid-teens, but I carried it on.
01:27So, yeah, they were really supportive. They got it. They were just my biggest cheerleaders.
01:32Four years later, Addington returned to the Olympic pool in London with the weight of expectations on her shoulders.
01:41The 2012 Games were pivotal not just personally, but for British swimming and women's sport more broadly.
01:48Competing in front of a home crowd, she finished fifth in the 400 metre and fourth in the 800 metre freestyle.
01:54Whilst she didn't replicate her Beijing success, her presence and determination became a symbol of resilience and professionalism,
02:03showing the nation the dedication required to compete at the highest level
02:08and cementing her role as a figure of inspiration for aspiring athletes.
02:12Yeah, I think we really needed it at that period.
02:16I think it really brought the country together, if I'm being totally dramatic about it, because it really did.
02:24And I think there was a bit of negativity around it beforehand, going the traffic's going to be a nightmare,
02:30nothing's going to be finished, and there's always this negativity.
02:32And then it happens, and it's incredible.
02:36Like, it all came together perfectly.
02:39The venues were amazing.
02:41The volunteers were amazing.
02:43The athletes' performance, Super Saturday, was amazing.
02:47Like, it just came together.
02:49And you know it's good when some of the Australian team are coming up to you going,
02:53this is a good Olympics.
02:54I'm like, for them to admit it's a good Olympics, you're going, yeah, we're doing something right here.
02:58But it was great to see Jess Hennis on the front of magazines and on posters everywhere
03:06and kind of being this amazing role model, because that's the thing about Olympics.
03:12Even if you aren't a sport fan, a lot of people watch the Olympics.
03:17So many young girls that were sat at home watching or got their parents and family got tickets to go,
03:23had this opportunity to see something in this country of that level.
03:28Like, we just don't have that in this country, apart from football and a couple of other sports.
03:35So it was so great to highlight these sports as well that you didn't know much about.
03:40Like, I got watching BMX and all these, like, these sports that you go,
03:46I've never watched all them before.
03:48And then all of a sudden, you're like, I love BMX.
03:51And I love these sports.
03:52And I love watching diving and these things that aren't on telly all the time.
03:56And that's what it was really about.
03:58And that's what every Olympics is about.
04:00And it's fantastic to showcase because it does pull in.
04:04I think if you're an avid sport fan, you will watch all the sports all the time.
04:09Whereas the Olympic Games, that's what's really special about it, because people outside of sport watch.
04:14And then actually, they start to go, well, actually, I'm going to get active or I'm going to do this.
04:19And it just then flows.
04:20And it's a very powerful thing, the Olympics.
04:24From Beijing to London, Allington's journey reflects the evolution of a sporting icon.
04:29Her achievements in advocacy have contributed to a greater appreciation for women in sport,
04:35encouraging participation, raising visibility and ensuring her legacy
04:39as a true inspiration in British athletics.
04:42Thanks.
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