Olympic swimmer Rebecca Adlington got candid on Instagram this week, opening up about the emotional wave that's hit her as her eldest daughter, Summer, wraps up primary school.
The 37-year-old, who shares 11-year-old Summer with ex-husband Harry Needs, posted a heartfelt message urging others to check in on parents going through the same milestone. "To anyone who knows anyone with kids leaving primary school… check on them. They are not ok," she wrote, adding that she'd been tearing up all week, with the final school assembly pushing her over the edge.
Alongside a photo of Summer on her first and last days of primary school, Adlington reflected on just how much has changed over the past seven years, from the pandemic to a school move, and Summer becoming a big sister twice over, first to four-year-old Albie, and more recently to baby Thea, born in February.
"I am so proud of her," she wrote, closing her post with a message of solidarity to other parents going through their own goodbyes: "Sending you all big hugs."
The post comes just months after Adlington welcomed Thea following two difficult miscarriages, and after she spoke out earlier this year against unfair "mum guilt" narratives directed at parents. Fans have continued to praise her openness about the highs and lows of motherhood.
It's a relatable moment for any parent who's watched their child hit a milestone that felt both proud and painful at once.