‘I’ve left school – I feel so old!’

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Last Updated: 04/07/19 8:22am

Freya Anderson is fully focused on the pool after finishing her studies Freya Anderson is fully focused on the pool after finishing her studies

Freya Anderson is fully focused on the pool after finishing her studies

The study books are gone and it’s time to be a full-time athlete!

These are crazy times for GB’s rising swimming star Freya Anderson who can now pump all her energies into preparing for a World Championships and an Olympics next year.

The 18-year-old Sky Sports Scholar reveals all….


I have just finished school (forever!) and I am now a full-time swimmer, which is crazy to think.

I studied two A Levels as I couldn’t manage three with swimming as academics aren’t my strong point! I sat a 15-hour art exam and then four geography exams.

I want to say they went well but I honestly couldn’t tell! They were all pretty hard, but now I’ve got them done, it feels so good.

I think I struggled a bit with training around my exams as I was so tired – you wouldn’t think a few exams would make you tired, but they really take it out of you, physically and emotionally.

That’s why once I got them done I was super happy to just concentrate on swimming.

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Freya Anderson takes you behind the scenes at the British Championships in Glasgow

Freya Anderson takes you behind the scenes at the British Championships in Glasgow

It definitely feels strange to say I’ve left school – I feel so old!

I don’t plan on going to university as I don’t see myself belonging there and I would like to focus on swimming. You can always go back to education too! But for now, I just want to focus on swimming and see how far it gets me.

Me and my best friend, who also swims, moved into our flat near the swimming pool at the start of June which was exciting and scary at the same time!

I didn’t get the chance to stay over there because after my last exam in June I was leaving for Canet for the Mare Nostrum series.

This is a series of three competitions – in Monaco, in Canet and in Barcelona. I went there as part of the Worlds team for British swimming as a preparation meet and a short two-day camp in between the racing.

At Canet, the first day was cloudy and rainy – not something you would expect for the south of France!

I didn’t swim too well so I had a chance to redeem myself on the second day at Canet, which went much better – and it was sunny!

Then we had a short camp in Canet and set off for Barcelona on the Friday. Barcelona was better for some of my swims but I still wasn’t happy, but I am in heavy training so I shouldn’t even be swimming fast at this point.

It’s hard because you always want to impress the coaches and boost your own self confidence by swimming well.

Now that I’m back I went straight back to the new flat and back into training!

I have the World Championships in just under a month in Korea and I can’t wait! We fly to Japan for the holding camp and then racing starts on July 21. Bring it on!

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