Olympic swimming champion Rebecca Adlington has disclosed that her earnings have fallen significantly since the pandemic. The 34-year-old, who won gold medals at Beijing 2008 and London 2012, told The Times that her income is 'nowhere near' pre-Covid levels.
Adlington attributed the decline to a larger pool of former Olympians competing for opportunities. 'A lot of that side of my income has definitely dropped,' she said. 'I'm nowhere near what I used to earn pre-Covid because that was in that era of London 2012, when I was one of a small group of Olympians, whereas now that group is obviously much bigger so the demand isn't there.'
The 34-year-old, who retired from swimming in 2013, now works as a director of the swimming business 'Swim!' which she co-founded with fellow Olympian Steve Parry. She described her current earnings as 'slightly more stable' due to her full-time role.
Adlington's most lucrative television appearance came on 'I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!' where she earned approximately £70,000. She recalled being 'apprehensive' but described the experience as 'amazing'.
Despite the drop in income, Adlington lives in a five-bedroom 'dream home' in Cheshire, though she admitted it lacks a swimming pool as she does not 'quite have the bank account for it'. Her most extravagant purchase was a set of custom-made engagement and wedding rings costing £6,000, shared with husband Andy Parsons.
