Main content

Rebecca Adlington

Kirsty Young talks to Rebecca Adlington, former competitive swimmer and Olympic gold medallist.

Kirsty Young's castaway this week is Rebecca Adlington - Britain's most successful female swimmer.

A multiple medal winner and record breaker she's packed a lot in at a young age, first grabbing the nation's attention by winning two golds at the Beijing Olympics and breaking a world record into the bargain. When she got back home she was granted the Freedom of Mansfield and the Mayor gave her a pair of golden shoes. The Queen opted for the more conventional approach, bestowing an OBE.

She went on to win two more medals at the London 2012 Olympics and when all the cheering and flag waving had died down and the games were over she announced her retirement. She's hardly been a slouch since - appearing regularly on TV, getting married and in recent months getting ready for the birth of her first child, a daughter, who was born Monday 8, June, 2015. She's only 26.

One of three sisters, family life was dominated by early morning training session at the local pool and it wasn't long before little Becky was out of the shallow end and heading for the fast lane ... The Sherwood Baths are now renamed The Rebecca Adlington Swimming Centre.

Producer: Sarah Taylor.

Available now

35 minutes

Last on

Fri 19 Jun 2015 09:00

Music Played

  • The Drifters

    Saturday Night at the Movies

    • Atlantic Gold.
    • Warner.
  • Spice Girls

    Wannabe

    • Bad Girls.
    • Sony Music tv..
  • Brad Kane & Lea Salonga

    A Whole New World

    • Aladdin Soundtrack.
    • Pickwick.
  • Eric Carmen

    Hungry Eyes

    • Dirty Dancing soundtrack.
    • RCA.
  • Shannon Noll

    Shine

    • Lift.
    • Sony.
  • Florence + The Machine

    Dog Days are Over

    • Lungs Florence and the Machine.
    • Island.
  • Elbow

    One Day Like This

    • Seldom Seen Kid.
    • Fiction.
  • CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE

    • Ed Sheeran

      Thinking Out Loud

      • HitDisc: HA201446.
      • Mr Entertainer.
  • BOOK CHOICE

    The Famous Five Collection by Enid Blyton

  • LUXURY ITEM

    A pillow

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Kirsty Young
Interviewed Guest Rebecca Adlington
Producer Sarah Taylor

Broadcasts

  • Sun 14 Jun 2015 11:15
  • Fri 19 Jun 2015 09:00

Featured in...

The Desert Island Discs podcast

The Desert Island Discs podcast

Subscribe or download individual episodes.

Listen to over 2,000 programmes

Click above to browse castaways, from 1942 to today.

Articles

Read the surprising things we've learned about some stand-out castaways.

Podcast