Money

'I didn't become a competitive swimmer for money'


Name: Liz Johnson
Age: 34
Income: £22,000-£45,000 from earnings and personal independence payment (PIP)
Occupation: Former GB Paralympic swimmer, speaker, broadcaster, managing director of The Ability People

I didn’t become a competitive swimmer for the money. The first National Lottery funding I received when I was 15 was £184 a month. At its peak it reached £2,000. Your income varies depending on performance – if you aren’t world number one or don’t break a world record, you could literally go from being in the top bracket to zero in a year.

But that didn’t matter – I loved swimming. I joined the Dragons swimming group when I was eight and by the time I was 13 I was competing for Great Britain.

I was fortunate that my swimming journey coincided with a focus on the Paralympics. I competed internationally and won three medals for 100m breaststroke: silver at Athens in 2004, gold at Beijing in 2008, and bronze at London 2012.

An injury meant I was forced to retire from international swimming in 2016. But the stars aligned because, at the same time, I was offered the chance to join Channel 4’s broadcasting team for the Paralympics in Rio.

Now my earnings come from broadcast work, corporate speaking, consultancy and athlete mentoring. As a freelancer, money is sporadic and fluctuates. My income ranges from between £22,000 to £42,000 a year. Additionally, I receive a personal independence payment (PIP) of about £300 a month.

In 2018 I founded The Ability People, a disability recruitment consultancy. We work with organisations to help them become more inclusive. This can range from testing their application process to redesigning their office building. My team is paid but I haven’t taken anything directly, though I’m hoping I can take a sum out this year.

I spend about £50 a week on petrol for my mobility car. It enables me to be independent. I can’t carry shopping and, because of the way my cerebral palsy affects the whole of my right side, I can’t utilise a wheelchair effectively. I wouldn’t be able to work, get anything I need, stay fit or do any activities if I didn’t have a car.

I spend about £400 a month on flights. My partner is a Brazilian international swimmer and we split our time between there and the UK. I’m really fortunate that swimming has enabled us to see each other regularly. I give myself a budget of £4,000 a year for travelling. I try to visit one new country every year.

I do spend a lot on clothes and their maintenance. I often spill stuff and it never comes out, or I fall and tear them. I used to think I was careless, but it’s just the way I move. I have to buy two pairs of shoes at a time as I wear a splint on my right foot, so I need different sizes.

I spend £500 a year on gym membership. I know I could get a cheaper one, but it’s the service as a whole I need. I rely on the community within the gym – they know me well and make everything comfortable. Membership and physio costs are excessive, but essential to maintain my mobility.

I don’t live on a shoestring but I’m not frivolous. I always make sure I have a financial buffer – firstly, because I’m freelance and, secondly, because I don’t have anyone else to rely on. My partner is financially non-existent in the UK – yes, he could transfer money, but in terms of borrowing, it’s just me, and I have a younger sister who needs me.

I never save for anything specific but I continually save. So when we decided to book our wedding in Brazil for later in the year, I had money in the bank. My parents taught me how to look after money. My finance degree has also helped.

When I was 19, I received both lottery funding and a student loan, so I put down a deposit on a house in Swansea. After my mum died, I used my inheritance to help buy a house in Bath, where I was training. I now own four properties: in Swansea; in Newport, where I live; in Manchester; and one in the Valleys. I don’t always make money – I sometimes think I’m a generous landlord – but ultimately everyone needs a bit of a break. I don’t have a pension, so I see them as enabling me financially when I retire.

As told to Suzanne Bearne



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