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Karen Pickering MBE

Karen-61

• Great Britain’s most decorated female swimmer

• 4 x World Champion
• 2 x World Record Holder
• 13 Commonwealth medals – 4 Gold
• 14 x European medals
• 4 x Olympian (92 / 96 / 00 and 04)
• 5 x Olympic finalist
• 73 International & National titles
• British Olympic Association – Executive Board
• Chairperson – British Athlete’s Commission
• English Institute of Sport – Executive Board
• LOCOG – Sports Advisory Group
• Ipswich Ambassador for Sport
• BBC Radio 5Live Commentator
• Motivational speaker

Karen Pickering was an outstanding member of the British Swimming squad from 1986 to 2005 and has a collection of winning medals that include 8 World Championship medals (4 gold), 14 European Championship medals, 38 National Championship titles, and a Commonwealth Games medal haul of 13 including 4 Gold.

For her services to swimming Karen was awarded an MBE in the 1994 New Years Honours List.

After retiring from competition Karen took her 20 years of experience as an international swimmer and her passion for the sport and founded her swim school, Karen Pickering SWIM. She now has lessons running in over 20 venues across the UK covering all ages and abilities.

Her aim is to inspire as many adults and children as possible to learn to swim so that they can get the same enjoyment and health benefits as she did from the sport.

She would also love one day to see a swimmer on the Great Britain team who started out at Karen Pickering SWIM.

Karen's website