Son of swimming legend David Wilkie chases Olympic legend's record
The son of Olympic swimming legend David Wilkie has quit his job to focus on breaking his father's iconic record.
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Adam Wilkie, 33, has handed in his notice as a senior global brand manager so he can spend an entire year training full-time to beat David's 200m breaststroke personal best.
The time of 2 minutes 15.11 seconds won David Olympic gold at the 1976 Montreal Games and set a new world record.
Half a century later, David's son is looking to better this time, despite never having been an elite swimmer.
"He would think I am mad because he knows how hard it was," Adam says. "He knows how hard swimming is and how much work he put in to get to that time."
David, one of Britain's most celebrated Olympians, passed away from cancer in 2024 at the age of 70.
His great moment came at the age of 22, when he smashed the world record by more than three seconds to win Olympic gold.
The win ended a 68-year-wait for a British men's swimming gold medal.
By the time he retired, David held British, European, Commonwealth, American NCAA and Olympic titles simultaneously – something nobody has managed before or since.
Duncan Goodhew, who won Olympic gold in Moscow in 1980, called him "a swimming god" upon his death.
Adam hopes his efforts to break David's record will raise £215,000 for SportsAid while honouring the man he lost far too soon.
He never saw his father compete professionally, having been born 17 years after David retired.
Since his father's death, Adam says swimming has felt like the most "natural way to feel close" to him.
This is my way of processing the grief of losing him and making sense of what he left behind," he says. "It's my way of having one last conversation with him."
As part of his full-time training, Aquatics GB has said it will provide access to world-class coaching, cutting-edge sports science and elite training facilities.
Duncan Goodhew is backing the challenge too, saying: "Adam isn't just chasing a record. He's trying to understand his father, his mindset, and his journey."
The £215,000 fundraising target for SportsAid is no random figure – it mirrors that iconic 2:15.11 time.
The charity means a lot to the family, as it gave David its very first recognition award back in 1976.
Adam's journey will take him through his father's life, from the Scottish pools where it all began to Miami, where David became a three-time NCAA champion, and finally to Montreal itself.
Adam hopes this challenge will demonstrate just how extraordinary elite swimmers truly are while bringing his father's legacy to a new generation.
"I think he would be proud that his son is trying to do something to remember him," Adam says.
Drew Barrand, Aquatics GB Chief Executive, said: "By chasing his father's 2:15.11 record, he's not just honouring history – he's shining a light on the next generation of swimmers."