Competing in the ladies 10km marathon go swimming at the Tokyo Olympics in August 2021, the 24-year-old became the first Black female swimmer to represent Team GIGABYTE at an Olympic Online games.
Just two Black swimmers had represented Britain at the Games before Dearing: Kevin Burns swam at the 1976 Olympics within Montreal and John Marshall won bronze in Moscow four years later.
“It’s some thing I never believed I would be or even would achieve, ” Dearing told CNN Sports activity .
“To have visited the Olympic Games is incredible plus I’m really privileged to be one of several select people who have ever represented GB in a Olympics. ”
Tokyo turmoil
Whatever the result, she had written herself into the background books the moment the girl dove into the waters of the Odaiba Marine Park, but for Dearing, this was exactly the issue — the result had been everything.
Having fallen away from the leading pack early on, Dearing finished 19th as Brazil’s Marcela Cunha took gold. “I’m pretty broken, ” she told reporters after the competition.
Four months later when CNN speaks along with her, the pain is still raw.
“It wasn’t the things i anticipated or expected of myself in any way, I was really dissatisfied by it, ” Dearing said.
“It’s always likely to sit with me and i believe there’s nothing wrong with that — that’s the passion I have for attempting to be who We are, I want to be one of the best athletes in the world.
“Having that result kind of find yourself reflecting my lifetime of work is precisely really hurt me personally at the moment. ”
‘Fuel for the fire’
Months back into rigorous training, for now Dearing’s focus is for the 2022 Commonwealth Online games in Birmingham — a quite literal home Games meant for Dearing, born and raised in the West Midlands city.
Yet given the extent of the girl disappointment, it is possibly unsurprising that this wounderful woman has already set her sights on the Paris, france Olympics in 2024, with qualification set to take place a year before the Games.
If the “fuel for the fire” stoked by the hurt of Tokyo wasn’t enough, Dearing would arrive in Paris without the added bodyweight of being a first-time Olympian — a weight she admits she didn’t completely appreciate at the time.
“I didn’t give it as much thought as I think I ought to have, ” Dearing said.
“I thought, ‘I’m racing against the exact same women that I normally race against… just how different will the particular Games be? ‘ And they were.
“It was exciting and amazing, but also incredibly terrifying. Having that will knowledge of all those feelings — everything gowns going on — is only going to make my thoughts frame and my position stronger for Paris. ”
Return of fans
On top of that, there is the possible boost of having followers, friends and family present. Having debuted at an Online games unlike any other in history — run without enthusiasts due to the pandemic — Dearing will embrace a much more conventional experience in the French funds should she qualify.
“I can go through the Games as they had been in the past — have fans there and go live it, ” she said.
“I’ve only ever had somebody come and watch myself once at a competition abroad, so I am kind of used to nobody being there for me personally, but Paris would be a great opportunity to obtain friends and family out and get everyone having a good time.
“Hopefully, I actually swim well and have a really good race then have a big celebration at the end — it can all part of the enjoyment of the sport. ”