On Tuesday 15th April, Freya Anderson MBE will be competing at the British Swimming Championships, which run until Sunday 20th and will act as qualifiers for the World Championships in Singapore in July. In December, Freya won Silver in the Women’s 4x100m Medley Relay alongside Abbie Wood, Angharad Evans and Eva Okaro at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships (Short Course) in Budapest, and in 2023, she became the European champion for individual and relay events at the European Championships in Romania where she won two Golds and two Bronze. Freya made her Olympic debut for Team GB at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games (which were held in 2021), becoming Olympic champion with teammates Kathleen Dawson, Adam Peaty, James Guy and Anna Hopkin after she swam in the heats of the Mixed 4x100m Relay, and she became an MBE in the 2022 New Year Honours awarded by Princess Anne. Having been out of competitions for many months due to illness, Freya once again represented Great Britain when she was selected to compete at her second Olympic Games in Paris last summer. Also representing Team England, Freya competed at the 2022 home Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and came away from the Games winning four medals, and she has recently changed her training base and now trains in Stirling, Scotland. Answering our questions, Freya speaks about winning Silver in the Women’s 4x100m Medley Relay at the World Aquatics Championships last year, representing Team GB at the Olympics in Tokyo and Paris and competing for Team England at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022.
In December, you won Silver in the Women’s 4x100m Medley Relay alongside Abbie Wood, Angharad Evans and Eva Okaro at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships (Short Course), can you tell us about your time competing in Budapest?
Budapest was so much fun. I had been doing a different kind of training in the lead-up – mainly gym-focused and speed in the pool so I didn’t really know what to expect at the meet. We’ve competed a lot in the Duna Arena so it’s nice to go to a familiar pool. Racing was fun and I was pretty happy with my performances but the stand-out has to be that Silver medal with the girls. I was a little disappointed with my individual swims but to do my 200m final and then 20 minutes or so later, win a World medal with the team was amazing.
You represented Team GB at your second Olympics last summer in Paris, how did you feel being selected for the swimming team after being out of competitions due to illness and how was it getting back to training?
It felt like a relief. It wasn’t the most ideal run up to the Olympics. My three years of work leading up to it came crashing down when I got ill. I had such a great team around me that got me through and back on track. Qualifying and being selected was a tick in the box but then I had to go and compete in the Olympics! The return to training plan went smoothly, thankfully, so I was able to race fairly well. Again, I have to credit that to my team in the background!
How different did you find the atmosphere at the Paris Olympics opposed to the 2020 Games in Tokyo during the pandemic, and what was it like staying in the athletes village?
The atmosphere was amazing in Paris, the crowd was electric, especially for the French swimmers! It definitely added that extra fuel. Tokyo was a world away – you could hear a pin drop walking out, but knowing your teammates were up in the stands made up for it. The athletes village was great and it was like a little bubble. We could mix with other countries and sports and, of course, the free coffee was a highlight!
What did you enjoy most about being part of Team GB in Paris and competing with your British teammates?
I enjoyed being part of the team, whether that was the swimmers or Team GB, everything just felt so cohesive and supportive. With such a big arena and crowd, it felt like you were walking out to battle with the girls. It was amazing!
What are some of your favourite memories from making your Olympic debut in 2021 and what was it like becoming Olympic champion alongside Kathleen Dawson, Adam Peaty, James Guy and Anna Hopkin when you won Gold having swam in the heats of the Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay?
It was amazing to play my part in that race. I always find it difficult to call myself an Olympic champion but I’m proud that I did one of my best swims to get the guys the prime lane for the final and it was so amazing to see them on top of that podium and doing the lap of honour!
After your success in Tokyo, you were awarded an MBE in the 2022 New Year Honours, how did you find the experience receiving the title at Buckingham Palace from Princess Anne?
It was really nerve-racking for me! I could swim infront of 15,000 people no problem, but receiving an honour from Princess Anne had me at my most nervous probably! My family got to come along and I could tell they were so proud and it was so nice to go together and celebrate as they’ve had to put up with a lot over the years!
At the end of 2023, you won two Golds and three Bronze at the Short Course European Championships in Romania, what were these Championships like to compete at and how was it becoming European champion in both individual and relay events?
I always love European racing and I won the short course title in 2019 so I really wanted it back in 2023. I had to stick to my race plan and it paid off. I was super happy and to get Freya Colbert on the podium as well was really promising leading into the Olympic year. The relay was awesome too, to be on such a stacked team with the likes of Ben Proud, Anna Hopkin and Lewis Burras was amazing. The 50 is completely out of my comfort zone so I knew I had to dig deep and get my hand on the wall for those guys!
What was it like competing at a home Commonwealth Games in 2022 in Birmingham for Team England and coming away with four medals?
Amazing. The crowd was awesome and my family were there. That year we had Commonwealth Games, Worlds and Europeans so it was a hectic season. I was able to keep my times consistent throughout which I was proud of, but winning medals with my teammates in front of a home crowd was pretty special.
Can you tell us about some of your further stand-out highlights from your swimming career so far at both junior and senior level, and what do you remember from representing Great Britain at a major competition for the first time?
I remember my first World Championships, I was 16! That feels crazy to say because I was such a baby and so naive, on top of that, the arena was a sell-out – 15,000 fans. I’d never experienced anything like that and that could throw a lot of people but I loved the atmosphere and I think that really ignited my love for swimming and being in the arena.
What are relays like to prepare for and compete in opposed to individual races and what do you enjoy about each?
I love relays and I’ve always been able to bring something special. I’m not sure what it is – whether it’s that I’m racing for a team or I’m hunting someone down, but relays always get me so fired up. I love the experience of going through the motions together as a team – prepping together and going down to the call room, then doing the race and shouting for each other. Nothing gets my adrenaline going more than seeing a teammate swimming in and knowing I’m next to go!
How did you originally get into swimming and was it always something you wanted to do competitively?
I got into it just as a life skill, to be confident in the water. I hated it at first and would always try and stand on the bottom of the pool so I’m not sure how I ended up here! But in all seriousness, swimming has opened so many doors for me and given me so much confidence so I love it. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.
Can you tell us about your typical training day and how does your training change in the lead-up to a competition?
A typical training day includes a swim in the morning, usually 8am-10am, followed by an hour of gym. Then I head home to rest and eat, then I’m back to the pool again for another session. Around the sessions I’ll have pre and post pool – important for prepping the body and activating muscles ready to swim. I’ve recently changed training bases to Stirling in Scotland!
Have you been given any advice over your time as a swimmer so far that has stuck with you, and what advice would you give a young swimmer hoping to compete internationally?
Advice I’ve been told is that a happy swimmer is a fast swimmer. This really strikes home for me because over the years I’ve noticed how true it is. My physical wellbeing is tied to my mental wellbeing so when one is off the other will follow and vice versa. I’ve learnt a lot over the years about myself and what works for me, I think it’s about trusting yourself as you know yourself best!
Do you have any favourite sports to watch, and were there any swimmers that inspired you when starting out?
My favourite sport to watch is rugby. I also love Formula 1. They are such high-paced and exciting sports so I think that’s why I like watching them. When I started out swimming I was actually a breaststroker so Rūta Meilutytė was my inspiration after seeing her win Gold aged 15 in London.
How do you like to spend your time away from sports?
I love hanging with my friends, going for coffee, food and reading! I love having time to switch off as I think that’s really important. I also spend a lot of time working on my business, FAST and Female, which is focused on educating and supporting girls in sport and building their confidence to inspire enjoyment and longevity. While it’s still sports-centred, it’s a different side to it and I’m still learning a lot!
Do you have any competitions coming up that you can tell us about or that you are targeting?
I have the British Swimming Championships coming up 15th-20th April in London. These act as qualifiers for the World Championships, which are held in Singapore in July. So hoping all goes well there, Singapore will be the target!
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