'My MBE means elite sport pain is all worthwhile'

A Paralympic swimmer has spoken of how receiving a King's honour has made her feel the challenges she overcame on the way to success have not been in vain.

Rebecca Redfern, 24, from Droitwich, was awarded an MBE for services to young people and the community in Worcestershire at Windsor Castle.

Ms Redfern was diagnosed with a condition that limits peripheral vision, retinitis pigmentosa, when she was aged seven.

She said: "Not every day is easy, and there are challenges that I overcome, and there are still more challenges for me but knowing that days like this are possible, and there's light at the end of the tunnel, it makes those challenges easier."

Ms Redfern said the day included tours of royal rooms and learning about the history of Windsor Castle but could not help "shaking the whole time."

"We waited around in these amazing rooms that had swords and guns plastered on the walls... the royalty presence was just insane," she said.

She described feeling stiff with nerves as she went to the ceremony, but the moment she spoke to Prince William, who was conducting proceedings, the nervousness went away.

"I was so nervous, my hair was covering where my badge was going and he asked me to move it, but I couldn't, because my hands were shaking," she joked.

"Prince William put me at ease... he's just like a normal human, you expect royalty to be on a pedestal, but he was so down to earth."

Aged 16, Ms Redfern competed in her first Paralympics in Rio, bringing home a silver medal.

She then qualified for the Tokyo games, held in 2021, just nine months after giving birth, having feared swimming might have to come to an end, amid the stresses of parenthood.

Before she took to the international stage however, she swam at Worcester Swimming Club with her siblings.

Ms Redfern praised her family and swimming coach, Mark Stowe, for the support they had given her throughout her sporting career.

"It was really special to have shared this moment with the most important people in my journey. [Having] my mum, dad and coach there was special because without them, I wouldn't be here.

"To be able to share that with them was the most special part about the day."

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