Story
My swimming story started in my hometown of Bury where I grew up. I always had a passion for swimming, and as soon as I was in the water at a young age with Trafford Metro Swimming Club, I felt at home and loved training and racing. I won my first National Championship at only 11 years old and due to these early performances; I was fortunate enough to earn a scholarship at Millfield school where I started boarding at the age of 12 years old.
I have always been a family orientated person and after a period of time boarding my family decided to relocate to Millfield so I could move back into the family home. Once I was settled and training, this is when my swimming career really went to the next level. By the age of 16, I was selected for the World Junior Swimming Championships and the following year I was ranked 5th fastest in the world at only 17 years old.
I kicked started my senior international career when I made my first World Championships team in 2013, and won Gold and Bronze at the Commonwealth Games in 2014. In 2015 I made history winning Gold at the World Championships in 200m Freestyle, the first British swimmer to ever win this event. After also winning gold in the 4x200m Freestyle relay, I was crowned double World Champion.
The following year in 2016, my first Olympic campaign as part of the relay teams, I came home with two silver medals from the 4x200m Freestyle relay and the 4x100m Medley relay. After my first Olympic cycle I felt a move was required. I moved to Bath National Training Centre with the aim to go one better during my next Olympic charge. Between the 2016 and 2020 Olympics I won more Commonwealth, European and World titles.
At a delayed Olympics in Tokyo my dreams finally came true… I was crowned a double Olympic Champion in the 4x200 freestyle relay and 4x100 mixed medley relay while breaking the World Record in this event as well. The end of 2021 also saw me feature in the New Year’s Honours list, gaining an MBE for services to swimming; a true honour as I am a hugely patriotic person – every time I walk out with the GB flag on my chest I’m hugely motivated.
I am so grateful to have had such an incredible career and I am so humbled to still be able to perform on the world stage after over top years of standing on the podium. I have racked up a medal count that 15 years ago I would have only dreamed of. But for me, the biggest motivation is sharing these medals and this journey with the people around me and the next generation of swimmers. I still remember being that young kid who looked up to the Olympians the generations before me and I want to make sure I am the best role model I can be for the next generations.