Rebecca Adlington has launched the Girls Let's Swim campaign, hoping to encourage children to continue swimming into their adult lives, as reports revealed girls tend to stop swimming as they grow up for reasons including costs, personal concerns, and facility issues.

The Olympic gold medalist commented 'It’s a sad fact that many girls give up swimming and drop-out rates tend to be much higher than for boys. I remember the biggest thing for me growing up was putting a costume on, especially as a teenager. It’s not nice when you’re going through puberty and periods. I was also overweight as a child - my mum used to call it puppy fat, but swimming is a sport which bears all, and it can make you feel self-conscious. But on the flip side, these hang ups also made me more confident as I was good at something. I found something I loved and which gave me confidence'.