As i have mentioned in a previous blog entry, i think rebecca has done amazingly well and she should be proud of her achievements for the rest of her life. Im sure she has a promising career in sport and on TV etc and i wish her all the luck in the world with it.
What really gets to me (and probably her) is that Mansfield seems to want to ride off the back of her success and rise from the ashes into the spotlight! Im sorry mansfield, but surely thats something Mansfield should achieve by itsself? If Mansfield brought up and trained some great swimmers who all went on to win at something like the olympics, then great – well done mansfield! But that aint the case is it. As far as im aware Becky Adlington didnt even train in Mansfield as the facilities were not good enough – iirc she said she now trains in Nottingham.
I live in Mansfield, i was born here, and have been raised here. We once had things to be proud of, the brewery.. err.. the brewery.. and now all we have to be proud of is a young girl who totally off her own back (with the help of friends and family of course) has trained and gone on to become the most successful female swimmer in great britain. We can only be proud that she was born here though. Not that Mansfield made her the olympian star she has become!
Anyway, rant over – let becky have all the spotlight as she deserves it. 🙂