Double Olympic gold medallist Rebecca Adlington has described the poor swimming ability of children in England as "devastating", after new research found that nearly a third of primary school leavers in Greater Manchester cannot swim 25 metres. The findings, based on data covering the 2024-2025 period, also showed similar proportions of children unable to perform a self-rescue or tread water for 30 seconds, with those on free school meals faring worse than their peers.
Adlington, who won two gold medals at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, told BBC Radio Manchester that swimming is a fundamental life skill that too many children are missing out on before leaving primary education.
Why does Adlington see this as such an urgent problem?
She linked the lack of swimming ability directly to a rise in drownings during periods of hot weather this year, arguing that basic water competence could prevent tragedies. She said the situation had not improved despite years of concern.
It's a sad thing but unfortunately it's been the same way for so long.
It's just a shame it's not getting any better.
It is really, really devastating especially this year after we've had so many glorious heatwaves.
But that has brought so many drownings.
I think in the month of May we had 19 drownings in the UK alone.
We now have to make a difference.
Why does she consider swimming a life skill rather than just a sport?
Adlington argued that swimming stands apart from other sports because it can be the difference between life and death, particularly for children who live near open water such as lakes, rivers or reservoirs.
This isn't abut swimming being an amazing so It is such an amazing life skill.
It is the only sport that's a life skill and we have to make sure these children are learning it in primary school.
This is when the main danger is, especially if you live near any sort of open water.
What obstacles do schools face in teaching swimming?
Adlington acknowledged that many schools struggle to deliver swimming lessons because of the cost and logistics involved, particularly when pupils must travel by bus to reach a pool.
I really feel for them. If you have to get on a bus, then transport is often more expensive that the swimming.
How has Adlington tried to address this since retiring?
When she retired from competitive swimming, Adlington said her ambition was for every child in Britain to be able to swim 25 metres by the time they finished primary school, according to an earlier profile. She has continued to focus on encouraging more children to take up swimming through her own initiatives, according to a later profile of her post-retirement work. In 2022 she launched the "Girls Let's Swim" campaign to tackle a drop in participation among girls aged 11 to 18, according to a report by the Independent. More recently, her Swim Stars programme has been teaching around 30,000 children a week to swim, though she has said this still amounts to only "a small dent" against the estimated one million-plus children who leave primary school unable to swim 25 metres, according to a 2024 interview.
The concerns raised by Adlington echo wider calls for action on water safety. The City of Southampton Swimming Club has previously urged expanded school swimming and water safety lessons amid pool closures and rising costs, stressing the importance of survival skills beyond basic swimming. Separately, Maxine Johnson, whose son Reuben drowned in a reservoir due to cold water shock, has campaigned to warn parents about the dangers of open water during hot weather.
What happens next?
England has since launched a national strategy aimed at reducing drowning deaths following a rise in water-related tragedies, with plans that include expanded swimming lessons, safety education and public awareness campaigns, as detailed in a report on the newly announced national drowning prevention strategy. It remains to be seen whether such measures will close the gap highlighted by Adlington's research and campaigning.
Key Facts
- Roughly three in 10 children in Greater Manchester left primary school unable to swim 25 metres, according to research covering 2024-2025.
- The same proportion could not perform a self-rescue or tread water for 30 seconds.
- Children on free school meals recorded worse outcomes than their peers.
- Adlington said 19 drownings occurred across the UK in May alone.
- Her Swim Stars programme reportedly teaches about 30,000 children a week, though she says this addresses only a fraction of the problem nationally.
