Anna Hopkin: Chorley Olympic gold medal winner awarded her MBE by Princess Anne

Anna Hopkin, 26, who now lives in Loughborough, received her award earlier this month when she was awarded the prestigious title for her services to swimming. She has swam her way to win numerous medals such as competing for England in the women's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay at the 2018 Commonwealth Games winning a bronze medal. In May 2021 at the European Championships in Budapest she won gold medals in the women's 4 × 100 metre freestyle, women's 4 × 100 metre medley, mixed 4 × 100 metre freestyle and mixed 4 × 100 metre medley relays. She was named as a member of the British team to go to the postponed 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. She then swam the anchor freestyle leg in the Mixed 4 x 100 metre medley relay and won gold in a new world record time of 3 minutes 37.58 seconds together with Adam Peaty, James Guy and Kathleen Dawson.

She was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to swimming, but she has only recently received it recently due to delays with Covid. Her MBE medal was presented by HRH Princess Anne at Windsor Castle on Monday, November 7 which she describes as "crazy" and something she "never thought would happen to her".

She said: "It all felt a bit crazy as I never thought I would have an MBE. When I went to receive it a year after the Olympics it lets you reflect on what you have achieved. I love swimming and I am very close with everyone as you spend so much time together and go through a lot of ups and downs.

"I started competing when I was eight and then I took quite a long break from 13 to 17 to try other sports as I didn't want to be pigeonholed as just a swimmer. Then at 17 before university I got back into it again.

“When I was younger, I was a fly swimmer, 100, 200 fly, then when I got back into competing, I knew I couldn’t really do the longer distances and stuck to 50 fly, and when I went to university, they got me in the relays doing the 50 free and I kind of realised I was better at that, and it was a natural progression to train up to the 100. I realised I was more of a freestyler than a flyer. I think I have already achieved a lot on relays so would like to succeed more as an individual and eventually got into a mentorship role of balancing a lifestyle with training."

Although her training regime leaves not much time for anything else with nine swimming sessions, three gym workouts and Pilates in a week, when she does get a spare moment she enjoys baking. Her next event is the World Short Course Championships 13-18 December in Melbourne Australia which she will be leaving for next week.

Anna, whose first swimming club was Chorley Marlins, added: "I will be out there for the next couple of months so will be celebrating Christmas and the New Year on the beach."