Olympic swimmer Rebecca Adlington has spoken candidly about the emotional toll of losing two babies to miscarriage, her divorce, and a life-threatening battle with sepsis. The 35-year-old, who won four medals for Team GB, revealed she 'nearly died' after emergency surgery following her first miscarriage in August 2022.
Adlington and her husband Andy Parsons suffered the heartbreak of losing their daughter Harper in the second trimester last October, just weeks after announcing the pregnancy. The former athlete said she felt compelled to speak publicly because the pregnancy had been announced, and was overwhelmed by the response from others who had experienced similar losses but never spoken about them.
Reflecting on the silence around difficult topics, Adlington said: 'That really brought home the question of, "Why don't we speak to each other more? Why don't we feel comfortable talking?"' She has partnered with Interflora to encourage open conversations about miscarriage and emotional trauma.
Adlington, who has two children – Summer, nine, from her first marriage, and Albie, three, with Parsons – admitted that finding space to express her struggles is challenging amid the busyness of family life. She also revealed that her husband felt overlooked after her first miscarriage, with everyone asking 'How's Becky?' but no one checking on him.
The swimmer has sought therapy for anxiety and has been through divorce and single parenthood. She urged others to speak up, saying: 'How do you slip into a conversation about what you watched on telly that you feel really s**t about yourself?'
