A Pioneer in the World of Swimming In the summer series of Ballsy Women, we'll be delighted to welcome a true sports pioneer into our studio. international champion and GB swimmer, Alice Dearing. Alice has been swimming competitively since she was 8 years old. She didn't start with lofty ambitions: her younger years in the water began as a simple way to keep her and her brother entertained. But eleven years later, at the age of nineteen, she was crowned World Junior Open Water Champion in 2016. Since that early success, she's represented Great Britain at three World Championships and three European Championships, placing 17th in the 2019 World Championship – just 14 seconds away from an Olympic qualification.
Alice is currently the only woman of colour swimming for Great Britain, and only the second woman of colour ever to do it. If she qualifies for the upcoming Olympic Games, she'll be the first woman of colour to represent Britain at an Olympic swimming event.Outside the pool, she's in her fifth year of study at Loughborough University, where she completed an undergrad in Politics, and is now studying an MA in Social Media and Communication.And it looks like she's already using this academic background to start making positive changes in the world.
‘SOUL CAP" Founders, Michael & Toks, pictured above.
Together with specialist swimming brand SOUL CAP,( Alice is currently running a nationwide social media campaign, #BlackGirlsDontSwim, to promote inclusivity and diversity in the world of swimming, with plans to host a series of coaching sessions at local clubs across the country.After the 2020 Olympics were recently postponed due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, Alice has been eagerly looking forward to the opportunity to qualify for the 2021 event.
Alice Dearing, appears on Sky's Ballsy Women, talking to Olympic medal winner, Gail Emms
Her main focus now is on getting back to her training as soon as possible to continue her Olympic journey – with the hope of qualifying and delivering a strong performance at the next Olympic Games.
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