Latest news with #Adlington
Wales Online
3 days ago
- Sport
- Wales Online
Rebecca Adlington in heartbreaking admission after baby loss and split from husband
Rebecca Adlington in heartbreaking admission after baby loss and split from husband The two-time Olympic champion and Team GB icon has opened up on a 'devastating' time in her life Adlington has opened up on suffering two devastating miscarriages Former Team GB swimming hero Rebecca Adlington has opened up on the immense heartbreak she experienced after going through two devastating miscarriages. The 36-year-old - who shot to fame as a teenager by winning two gold medals in the pool at the 2008 Beijing Olympics - is now a mother of two, but she and husband Andy Parsons have also experienced tragedy in their efforts to raise a family together, with the swimmer suffering two miscarriages just a year apart. The first occurred in 2022 and was discovered during a hospital visit for her 12-week scan, with Adlington requiring emergency surgery and treatment for sepsis and a kidney infection in what she told her Instagram followers was a "devastating time". However, there would be more heartbreak just a year later as she suffered another miscarriage at 20 weeks pregnant, with her daughter Harper stillborn in October 2023. At the time, the "truly heartbroken" couple released a statement saying they would "forever love" their daughter, with Adlington writing: "I don't really have the words right now but unfortunately we went for our 20-week scan this week and they found no heartbeat "I gave birth to our angel, Harper, on Friday at 7pm. We held her, and had time with her. We will forever love her and remember her always. I don't have the strength or words right now and don't feel ready to share this news Article continues below "However, I can't pretend to be ok or fake a smile. I can't have people ask me how pregnancy is or when I am due as I still look pregnant. I don't have the strength to tell this news individually," she added. "We are so truly heartbroken. Our beautiful girl. Rest in peace." Adlington has now opened up on the heartbreaking losses during an appearance on This Morning, explaining how she cried for days following the loss of Harper and began to "hate" her body in the aftermath. "We were a mess," said the former Olympic champion as she appeared on the ITV show alongside her husband. "I could not stop crying for three days. I couldn't process it. "As a woman, you blame yourself, the guilt, what have I done? There was no rhyme or reason. I followed every single rule you get told to do. You can't help but feel it's your responsibility." "I was angry at my body, my body let me down," Adlington added. "I had no symptoms, that was really hard to get over. The fact you give birth and the baby isn't alive and you go home and look in the mirror as a woman and still look 20 weeks pregnant... It's incredibly hard. I hated my body." The Team GB icon now shares son Albie, four, with Parsons, while she is also mum to daughter Summer, 10, from her relationship with ex-husband Harry Needs. It is now 17 years since Adlington burst onto the scene and became a household name at the age of 19, with her wins in the 400m and 800m freestyle races seeing her become the first woman to win swimming gold for Team GB in nearly 50 years, as well as the first British swimmer to win more than one gold medal at a single Olympics in a century. The Mansfield swimmer went on to add Commonwealth, European and World Championship golds to her tally, as well as two bronze medals at the London Olympics in 2012, while she has gone on to have a successful career in punditry with the BBC and tried her hand at reality TV, starring on shows including I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, Celebrity MasterChef and The Jump. However, while she has experienced career success, Adlington's personal life has seen her go through some difficult times of late, having split from her first husband and received a life-changing diagnosis either side of her heartbreaking miscarriages. Adlington married Needs in 2014, five years after they met as young professional swimmers, and they welcomed their daughter Summer less than a year later. However, the following year, their 18-month marriage came to an "amicable" end, with a statement from the couple reading: "It's after much thought and sadness that we confirm our separation. It is on amicable terms and we still remain close friends. "We move forward with respect for one another and our focus and commitment is on parenting our gorgeous daughter Summer." Four years later, Needs publicly came out as bisexual, explaining that he had "never had the time to explore his sexuality fully" before his marriage to Adlington. Admitting that this caused him to suffer with anxiety and depression, the personal trainer told GuysForYou: "I didn't say a thing. For me personally, my journey with Rebecca was a destination to love. "I think as an unconfident bisexual man it was extremely difficult back then to admit it even to myself, especially considering I had zero experience with the same sex. Once I knew I loved Rebecca, I was committed to that relationship and its journey for the rest of my life." Explaining how Adlington supported him after he came out to her a year after they separated, he added: "I never felt I deceived her, because I loved her and like I already said, I never had the time to discover my full sexuality." Adlington went on to find love with facilities manager Parsons, with the pair dating for three years after meeting on dating site Bumble, before tying the knot in 2021. Earlier this year, the Olympic champion won widespread praise after revealing that she had been diagnosed with coeliac disease, an auto-immune condition in which your immune system attacks your own tissues when you eat gluten, causing damage to the small intestine and causing symptoms including stomach pains, bloating, indigestion, constipation, fatigue and diarrhoea. Sharing her diagnosis in a video on Coeliac UK's Instagram page, Adlington urged ollowers to support the "vital" cause for gluten-free prescriptions, in order for those with the condition to be able to manage it appropriately. Article continues below Making an appeal to followers to sign a petition to avoid these prescriptions being cut, she said: "Hello everyone. As someone newly diagnosed with coeliac disease, I have definitely quickly learnt how vital gluten-free prescriptions are for managing this condition. "But in some areas, these prescriptions are totally being cut. Coeliac UK is handing a petition to Number 10 to make sure we're heard, so please sign and share the petition today." The petition received a remarkable 22,826 signatures and was delivered to Downing Street earlier this year.
Scotsman
28-07-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Commonwealth Games star bids to emulate Scottish feat last achieved 71 years ago
After waiting eight years to defend title, Sarah Adlington eyes hat-trick at Glasgow 2026 Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Sarah Adlington is already a history maker but the Scottish judo player is aiming to bow out in style at next year's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The Edinburgh athlete wants a golden swan-song and is looking to equal a record that has stood for over 70 years. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad No Scottish woman has won three Commonwealth Games gold medals since swimmer Elenor Gordon achieved the feat in the 1950s. Adlington has two already and would dearly love to add a third next summer. Sarah Adlington, the Commonwealth Games judo champion, practises her moves on official mascot Finnie the Unicorn during a Glasgow 2026 photocall at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. | SNS Group She will be 39 by the time the Games begin and the sport has taken its toll on her body but she believes she has it in her for one last tilt at glory. A wee swan-song in Glasgow 'I'm training hard and I think it will probably be the last time I compete if I make it to Glasgow,' she said. 'And what a good way to end, to be honest.' Adlington will have to qualify - there are no free passes, even for double gold medal winners - but she is prepared to put herself through the wringer one last time. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Qualification runs until the end of May but yeah, I think a wee swan-song in Glasgow, it's too good an opportunity not to.' The city holds special memories for Adlington and her sport. When Glasgow hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2014 the sun shone and judo basked in the glory of a golden summer. It delivered more precious metal for the host nation than any other sport, including six of Scotland's 19 gold medals. There were also two silvers and five bronzes, meaning that 13 of the 53 medals secured by the hosts in 2014 were won on the mat. 'It was all a bit of a blur,' says Adlington. 'It was just a fantastic week. The weather in Glasgow was amazing and then, as soon as you stepped outside the village, the people of Glasgow were amazing. Scotland's Sarah Adlington with her gold medal after her win in the +78kg category at Glasgow 2014. | SNS Group 'And then obviously there was the competition, and in judo we competed over the first three days and then got to enjoy Glasgow and everything about it for the rest of the time. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Scotland went judo daft 'So it was absolutely amazing. We had really successful games in Glasgow and the buzz around the team then was absolutely amazing as well.' Adlington won Scotland's penultimate judo gold of 2014, beating England's Jodie Myers in the +78kg division at the SECC. Two sisters from Lanarkshire, the Renicks, had led the way for Scotland on the mat, with Kimberley and Louise both winning gold on the first day of competition. There were triumphs too for Sarah Clark, Euan Burton and Chris Sherington and it seemed that for those three days in July, Scotland had gone judo daft, with 'Pyjama party' headlines dominating the tabloids. 'I think the team was full of world-class players that had achieved results on the world stage. So I think everyone was confident that they could go out and get a result,' said Adlington when asked to explain the extraordinary success which saw 13 of Scotland's 14-string judo team win medals. 'And then obviously the crowd of Glasgow just made it phenomenal. The Renicks sisters started us off on that first day, and then on the second day Sarah Clark won and it was fantastic. The momentum just kicked in.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Judo led the way for Scotland at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow with 13 medals, including six golds. | SNS Group It was a special time for judo but they were not able to build on it at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast because the Australian hosts decided not to include it. At that point, judo was an optional sport but since 2022 it has been a core sport. It returned three years ago when Birmingham was host city and Adlington made light of the eight-year gap, defending her title by beating Tulika Maan of India in the final to become the first Scottish judoka to win two Commonwealth Games gold medals. In Birmingham, the pressure was on 'I felt the pressure in Birmingham,' she said. 'I think, because you've done it once, people just expect you to do it again. I kept saying, 'it's sport, it's judo and there's no should have, would have - anything can happen' but to come away and make history and win that second medal for Scotland….' The sentence is left unfinished and it was clearly an emotional moment for Adlington. Originally from Shrewsbury, she moved north to be part of the Judo Scotland set-up at the age of 17 and has embraced fully her adopted nation. 'I actually remember hearing Flower of Scotland more in Birmingham than I do in Glasgow because it was the first time, I think, the crowd had heard Flower of Scotland, so they were absolutely buzzing to sing it. So, standing on top of the podium in Birmingham and hearing that was pretty epic, to be honest.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Sarah Adlington (in white) won gold again, beating Tulika Maan of India (in blue) in the judo +78kg final match at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. | Getty Images Adlington's longevity in such a brutally physical discipline is a testament to her determination to overcome the setbacks that inevitably present themselves in elite sport. She failed to qualify for the London Olympic Games in 2012 and missed out again in Rio four years later but she made it to the delayed Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Covid meant my body could reset 'I think a heavyweight player's experience comes into it,' she explained. 'Also, we couldn't do judo in Covid time, so that maybe gave my body a bit of a reset and I had a lot of injuries when I was young, so we learnt better how to manage my body. 'The cycle between London and Rio was terrible. I had a couple of operations, a couple of bad knee injuries, so I think, after that, we learnt that we had to manage my body and I guess that's why I'm still standing here today.' She's the last judoka still competing from the golden generation of 2014 and now hopes for a final fling in Glasgow and the opportunity to emulate Elenor Gordon, the only Scottish female athlete to win three golds. The Hamilton swimmer's medals came when it was still known as the Empire Games, with success in the 220-yard breaststroke in 1950 and 1954 and also a relay triumph in '54. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Adlington's Commonwealth victories in 2014 and 2022 have already secured her place in the history books, regardless of what happens in Glasgow next summer.
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'I go to my local pub naked - the experience is liberating'
A naturist has revealed how he attends his local pub naked - and says the experience is "liberating". Colin Unsworth, 55, says he has gone completely nude to his closest watering hole alongside his partner Sadie Tann, 35, for some of his favourite musicians since 2022. The wild foraging teacher, who is from Adlington, has been a naturist for over a decade, first getting involved aged 42 with the sponsored World Naked Bike Ride in Manchester in 2012. Colin said that he strips down to spread the message of body positivity and also raise awareness for mental health. Though he says he received some backlash from strangers he has revealed "most of the time" he is met with "positivity" and "admiration" for being "comfortable" in his own skin. He said: "We strip down in the car and go inside without clothes on. "There are four pubs we go to and we had to build up relationships with the owners and staff to let us do it. Colin and Sadie regularly visit their local pub in the nude. (Image: Colin Unsworth/SWNS) "At the shows people always ask questions saying I must be 'super confident' but mainly I accept and am comfortable in my own skin. "Body shame has done a lot of damage to people - modern society holds a moral shame over a naked body but that should never be the case. "I don't do it for attention, I do it to spread the word of body positivity." Naturism is the act of going outside without clothes on in a non-sexual manner, which is legal in the UK even if it causes offense. Though it can be seen as illegal if the person is acting in a way which causes harassment, alarm, or distress to others. Colin says that throughout his childhood he was "hypersensitive" to touch and didn't like the feeling of clothes on his body. He says this continued into his adult life but it wasn't until he parted from his wife of 20 years he decided to step into the world of naturism which started with him going wild shrubbing in just an apron. Colin and Sadie regularly visit their local pub in the nude. (Image: Colin Unsworth/SWNS)Read more: Mystery naked cyclist identity revealed as retired professor Read more: Shock for onlookers as naked man cycles through village Read more: Nude cyclists spotted on tandem bike reveal reasons for 'cheeky' ride Colin has revealed he goes to the pub naked once a month alongside Sadie mainly to catch some live music. They arrive at the venue nude saying it saves the "awkwardness" of being clothed and then getting undressed. He has told he had to spend time getting to know the owners and staff before he was allowed inside nude. Colin said: "It took time before we were able to. Colin and Sadie regularly visit their local pub in the nude. (Image: Colin Unsworth/SWNS) "I became a regular at the places and got to know the staff and the owner really well. "We only did it when the owner agreed to it." He says after entering for the first couple of minutes he feels "exposed" but after buying a drink and having a few conversations it becomes "normal". Colin said: "All conversations happen with eye contact and after a few minutes you forget you are naked. "When the music starts playing we feel vibrant and free and also feel accepted. "People at the gig also tell us that it is better for their experience, they feel part of something that is liberating even if they themselves aren't naked. "In a normal sense we are just there to enjoy the evening and music just like everybody else, making sure we are having a good time. Naturist couple Colin and Sadie, in clothes. (Image: Colin Unsworth/SWNS) "It seems to add a positive vibe to pub - you find people often talk about it long after the occasion." The naturist also says that he rarely runs into issues with people once inside. Colin said: "People come up to us all the time and ask us questions. "We find ourselves talking about body acceptance and positivity and most of the time they find themselves coming to terms with their own bodies after our conversations. "People often say that they feel that we've made them feel that they can also be accepted as themselves." Though he says when they do get abuse they "shrug it off" and continue saying they "aren't doing anything wrong". But for Colin he says the angry words are a result of him challenging the narrative and spreading body positivity which is his main goal.
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
HKS star Mahoney wins title at G Camp
A young martial arts fighter from HKS Thaiboxing Club in Horwich has won a British title belt. Libby Mahoney, who hails from Adlington, also has the role of instructor at the club off Emmett Street. The 20-year-old made the short trip to G Camp, in Manchester, to compete alongside another HKS competitor, Bolton's Alexia Moores. Advertisement Young Alexia was unlucky to lose against a tough opponent, but Mahoney won her contest. It was a tough five rounds but she got the decision to make her parents and all her clubmates at the gym proud. Mahoney has been training at HKS Thaiboxing for 11 years and teaching for five. She did a few inter clubs when she started Thai boxing, then decided she did not want to fight but enjoyed the sport. However, in February this year she decided to get back into the ring and her British belt proves it was the right move.
Scottish Sun
03-07-2025
- Health
- Scottish Sun
Warning for parents about colors your children should NEVER wear at the beach – certain swimsuits make them ‘invisible'
An organization is sharing a petition to ban these three popular colors SAFETY FIRST Warning for parents about colors your children should NEVER wear at the beach – certain swimsuits make them 'invisible' EXPERTS are warning parents to think twice before buying their child's bathing suits, as certain colors are more dangerous than others. Research found that parents are unknowingly putting their children in danger by buying colors that may be invisible underwater. 2 Parents are being warned not to dress their children in certain colors (stock photo) Credit: Getty 2 Parents should avoid blue, gray and white colors Credit: On the Beach Parents should avoid dressing their children in blue, white, or gray swimsuits, according to On the Beach. Those three colors were found to be nearly invisible underwater, even if you're child is just a few feet below the surface. If the child were to be in any sort of danger, it may be harder for a lifeguard to spot them. 'I've swam my entire life and I've only recently become aware that there are certain colours that can't be seen underwater,' Olympic gold medalist Rebecca Adlington told On the Beach. 'As a parent, I should have been aware of this sooner.' On the Beach is launching a petition to ban clothing companies from producing children's swimwear in those colors. 'Alongside On the Beach, I'm urging the government to review the legislation around selling blue, white and grey swimwear to children,' Adlington said. 'They must make sure retailers are being safe and looking after our children by not selling unseeable swimwear that could put them in danger.' According to the organization, about 66% of children still wear plain blue, white or grey swim apparel. The UK-based Royal Life Saving Society found that there was an 85% increase in the number of child drownings in England between 2019 and 2022. Parents warned 3 common summer foods are dangerous to toddlers - and eating a specific fruit can cause nasty sunburn "It is essential that water safety education and experience for children should be taken forward regionally and nationally,' the RLSS director, Lee Heard, said in the report. "There is a requirement to nationally revise and reform the current approach to swimming and water safety education.' Colors such as pink, yellow, red, black, purple, and green are all safe to wear while underwater. 'It is vital that the Government takes action now so that children can be seen at all times in the water,' On the Beach's petition reads. Colors to wear and avoid ❌ Blue ❌ White ❌ Grey ✅Pink ✅Yellow ✅Red ✅Black ✅Purple ✅Green ✅Fluorescent colours [Source: On the Beach] 'Lives are at stake. 'Please help us end putting children's lives in unnecessary danger and sign this petition for change.' Supporters of the petition backed the organization's mission, mentioning their own anecdotes. 'As a lifeguard myself, when families come swimming in these particular colours, it becomes a lot harder to make sure all children are safe,' one supporter named Megan wrote. 'It's a small request to ask retailers not to sell swimwear to boys and girls in those particular colors if it's going to save children's lives,' another commenter wrote. The petition has 3,903 verified signatures so far.
