Deakins specialised in the
backstroke and represented Great Britain at the
1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona and the
1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. She represented
England in the 100 metres and 200 metres backstroke and won a
silver medal in the 4 x 100 metres medley relay, at the
1990 Commonwealth Games in
Auckland,
New Zealand. Four years later she swam in the 200 metres backstroke event at the
1994 Commonwealth Games and repeated the achievement a further four years later in her third Games, which was the
1998 Commonwealth Games. In addition to her Olympic and Commonwealth Games success she won the bronze medal in the 200 metres backstroke at the
1995 Universiade. ==International competitions==