Alice Dearing

Alice Dearing is one of the most recognisable faces in British swimming having qualified to represent Team GB at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as an open-water swimming specialist. Having started swimming at just eight years old, she achieved one of her dreams becoming the 10km World Junior Open Water Champion in 2016. Highly sought-after as a speaker, Alice shares her story of how she reached the pinnacle of sport, and discusses diversity and inclusion in swimming, mental health, self-care, performance, hair and beauty, and fashion.

Alice grew up in Birmingham, UK but moved to the East Midlands where she began studying BA Politics with English before then studying her master’s in Social Media & Political Communication at Loughborough University – a university well-known for nurturing elite athletes. To this day, Alice is still coached at Loughborough University by Andi Manley and is continuing to perform at the top of the sport in her chosen events. At the 2019 World Aquatics Championships Alice finished 17th in the women’s 10km event, narrowly missing out on qualifying for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. This only served to motivate Alice more in her dream of competing at the Olympics.

In 2020 at the FINA Marathon Swim World Series which took place in Doha Alice achieved her best professional results to date, finishing less than 7 seconds slower than the winner in the event. Even though the Covid-19 pandemic put many people’s lives on hold, for Alice it was a blessing in disguise as in 2021 she managed to qualify for the Olympics, which had been postponed, by finishing fourth in the FINA Marathon Swim Qualifier, held in Portugal. Alice became the first black swimmer to represent Team GB at an Olympic Games. Outside of professional sports, Alice is committed to ensuring diversity in swimming and co-founded the Black Swimming Association. The charity works with communities to promote water safety.

Alice’s popularity is quickly increasing, having featured on the likes of Vogue and Wonderland, she has been using this platform to draw more attention to the lack of diversity in the sport she loves. In 2022 she was voted as the Sunday Times Changemaker of the Year. Alice, both inside and outside the pool, has been an inspiration for many people from ethnic minorities to pursue the sport they love. When looking for a relatable and down-to-earth speaker with an infectious personality, able to speak about her Olympic journey, diversity and inclusion, mental health and fashion and beauty, Alice Dearing will be an incredible addition to any event.

In November 2024, we sat down with Alice to discuss the role diversity plays in inspiring aspiring swimmers. Watch our Exclusive Interview with Alice Dearing.