Olympic and World Swimming Champion Ruta backs Plymouth's Ecover Blue Mile
Plymouth’s golden girl Ruta Meilutyte took time out from her busy schedule to explain why she’s backing an event which gets people active in the water.
Ruta, 16, has thrown her weight behind the 2013 Ecover Blue Mile which takes place off Plymouth’s historic Barbican on 14-15 September.
Lithuanian-born Ruta shocked everyone including herself when, at the age of just 15, she won the 100m breaststroke at London 2012. And she has just followed that up by winning the event at the World Championships in Barcelona, setting a new World Record in the semi-final.
Yet she revealed that she only took up swimming initially because she wanted to be “water safe” and said she had to overcome her fear of the open sea when she completed the Ecover Blue Mile in September last year – just weeks after becoming Olympic champion.
Ruta is a big supporter of the mass participation event which aims to encourage more people to get involved with watersports, saying that learning to swim isn’t just good for you, it can also be a life-safer. More than 30 swimmers from Ruta’s Plymouth Leander Swimming Club made a splash at the 2012 Ecover Blue Mile off Plymouth’s historic Barbican – and they’re hoping to have a similar number this year.
“It’s a great event,” said Ruta. “The purpose behind it is really good and all the swimmers from Plymouth Leander are really proud to do it.
“I’m actually quite scared of the sea – it’s totally different to a swimming pool. I started swimming when I was seven-years-old. Where I lived in Lithuania, I grew up with my grandma and we have lots of rivers and lakes and we always used to go to the seaside every summer. Being water safe – for me especially, being the youngest in the family – was very important. My family wanted me to learn how to swim, to be water safe so the idea really was for me to learn not to be afraid of the water.
“I have friends who have been swimming since they were two or three-years-old and have been swimming ever since, so I think the sooner children start to learn the better. Knowing how to swim and how to move in water will give you the confidence. One day you might fall in the sea and you won’t know how to swim. You’ll panic. But if you’ve been to swimming lessons in a pool and you’ve been taught how to swim, then you’ll have the confidence – and it might save your life.
“For me, I really fell in love with the sport. There are so many benefits. If you look at swimmers, they all have lean muscles and very strong bodies.”
The Ecover Blue Mile, which was first held in 2010, is raising money for the Marine Conservation Society and hopes to increase awareness about the threats to our Blue environment, something which Ruta is passionate about: “The less trash in the sea the healthier everyone is, and the healthier the environment will be. The sea is a really important part of our lives. And it’s not only for humans, it’s really important to have clear seas for all the animals in the sea too.
“If I can’t do the Blue Mile this year I’ll definitely be down there supporting it,” added Ruta.
Ruta’s coach, Jon Rudd, is also coach to the 50+ performance group of swimmers at Plymouth Leander. Eight of his swimmers – including Briton Ben Proud – were selected to represent seven different countries at the World Championships in Barcelona.
Jon wants as many Leander swimmers as possible to take part in the Ecover Blue Mile: “It’s great that this takes place in Plymouth and it’s at a great time for us. It’s the start of the season and it enables our athletes to use their skills, but in a different environment, on the open water. It’s also a great team-building exercise and it’s a fun day. It’s also raising money for an excellent cause.”
Jon is a big supporter of the event’s aim of getting more people swimming. And he said: “The biggest issue is that primary school physical education doesn’t do a good enough job. We are doing what a lot of primary schools should be doing. It’s not the teachers’ fault; they’re being asked to do too much and sport and physical education ends up a poor relation.
“We also have a dearth of pools in the country. They don’t have to be 50m pools like the one we have here at the Plymouth Life Centre. But every town and every large village needs a 4-5 lane 25m pool for people of all ages to use. The swimming pool should be seen as an important part of the community. Swimming is just so good for you. It uses lots of muscles and it takes the weight off the bones and the joints. It’s a fun way to stay fit, healthy and active so it’s important for our society.
“We’re very happy to support the Blue Mile because it’s getting people involved.”
