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Weekly podcasts, all for the sport we love.
177 Episodes
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Michael Read MBE is a legend of British swimming. He has spent more than six decades pushing the limits of endurance in the water. Selected for the 1960 Olympic team before an accident ended that dream, he went on to carve out an extraordinary career in marathon swimming — including 33 crossings of the English Channel, earning him the title of "King of the Channel.” Now in his 80s, Michael is still competing at the highest level in masters swimming, recently winning multiple gold medals at th...
David Bryant is competing more than anyone we know right now - chasing records and rolling back the clock to his youth. From international racing in the 80s to masters globe trotting (with a possible side hustle in espionage), he’s proof that ambition doesn’t retire. We discuss the privilege and the challenges of reaching age 65 and having world record aspirations. This isn’t a story about slowing down. It’s about speeding up - at 65.
Mel Bardsley has never just “gone for a swim.” From representing her country in artistic swimming to winning BUCS university water polo championships and competing in National League Division 1, she’s spent a lifetime pushing limits in the water. She’s swum the English Channel in a relay, claimed Masters surf lifesaving titles, and now coaches open water swimmers from her base in Bude, North Cornwall after leaving school teaching to launch Swimscape Cornwall. In this fun episode, we div...
In December, Dom Wooldridge broke the British Masters 100m butterfly record in the 30–34 age group - with an unexpected training partner: AI. Unable to attend all his training sessions with City of Cardiff Swimming Club, Dom turned to AI-generated sessions to supplement his preparation. In this episode, he joins host Helen Gorman to share his firsthand experience of using AI to support his performance. Together, they explore how well this real-life experiment worked… and reveal some of the do...
We catch up with masters swimmer Brad Price after he’s just wrapped up an epic January challenge: 100 pull-ups every single day - 3,100 in total - in support of a charity that helps retired military and police dogs live out their well-earned retirements. Brad discusses the methods that kept him going, the moments that nearly broke him, and how grinding through thousands of pull-ups could translate into faster, stronger swimming in the pool. He also shares practical tips for anyone wanti...
Rebecca Lennon and Sarah Fitzgerald-Smith join Helen Gorman on the Master Swimming Podcast for a powerful conversation about the realities of attempting to swim the English Channel - where preparation meets uncertainty, and outcomes are never guaranteed. With significantly fewer people having swum the Channel than have climbed Mount Everest, they explore what draws swimmers to one of the world’s most demanding endurance challenges. The discussion covers the months of training, the mental and ...
Is AI the ultimate assistant coach or a step too far? Matt Gray, assistant head coach at City of Peterborough Swimming Club, joins us to unpack how artificial intelligence is shaking up swimming. From free apps and instant feedback to race-winning pacing strategies, we explore whether AI could transform the way we train, and what we might lose if we lean on it too heavily. We also tackle the ethical questions and look ahead to a future where data, coaching, and human instinct collide.
Do you wish you could race in one of those shiny rubber full body suits from 2009? Do you think you could smash your personal best times and look like a superhero in the process? Or are you glad that those days are gone? Helen Gorman and Conor Osborough, discuss bodysuits and there's a special guest opinion by Dean Milwain, 2008 Olympian, who is keen to dust off his old bodysuits and enjoy the extra buoyancy and speed they provided! Tapping into Conor's PhD knowledge, we explore the reasons w...
Backstroke ace, Lauren Quigley joins us at the start of a Commonwealth Games year to reflect on the medals she won at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and during an illustrious career at saw her crack the 60 second mark for 100m backstroke (long course). Hailing from a swimming family, we discuss the intense pressure she felt leading into the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Trials, and how her experiences as an elite swimmer have shaped her new career as a firefighter. Lauren talks about the sense ...
John Wood joins Helen Gorman to reflect on the European Masters Short Course Championships held in Lublin, Poland. We discuss everything from John's impressive gold medal and lifetime best performance in the 100m butterfly to the size of pizza slices available at the pool cafe. We review the world record breaking performances and highlight a few star performances by British swimmers. We also cover the organisation of the championships and the value of having a major international short ...
Rival Inter County team managers from Surrey (Laura Kerrigan) and Hampshire (James MacTavish) take on the 'Inter County Christmas Cup', a new podcast game show devised without any rules or a scoring system. Helen Gorman asks the questions and Joe Malone is called in work out who wins. This Christmas special covers training traditions as well as a review of what happened in 2025. We put forward nominations for the Freestyle Media masters swimmer of the year and look ahead to 2026. See yo...
Hear from Jane Asher following her induction into the Swim England Hall of Fame. Jane has broken over 100 master’s swimming world records and won numerous world titles. Now she’s preparing for the next age group with a laser focus on the record books! Even in her 90s, her swims are a master class in technique and pacing and her approach to training is a lesson in longevity (assuming no one gets in her way!) Hear stories from Jane’s childhood, including moving from Zambia to South ...
This week, we meet Glen Christiansen, a Swedish Olympian and Masters World Record holder. We discuss Glen's journey from elite swimmer to coach, his heart breaking experience at the 1980 Olympics, why he attended the first ever World Masters Championships in Tokyo, and his recovery from a serious accident that resulted in him needing to relearn how to walk, talk and eat. Glen shares insights on the evolution of Masters swimming, his coaching philosophy, and the significance of his recen...
Imagine doing just five months of training and breaking 50 seconds for the 100m freestyle? That’s exactly what Arran Francis did and he’s now one of the most exciting new faces on the masters swimming scene. Helen Gorman tracked him down to find out more. Arran talks through why joining Trafford Swimming Club was the best decision he’s made this year and what he hopes to achieve from here. He’s also a high achiever in the business world, managing three YouTube channels and commentating daily ...
This week, we meet Reg Lloyd, who shares his journey from elite swimming to managing type 1 diabetes and finding unexpected joy in masters swimming. He discusses the highs that earned him a stunning personal best time of 1 minute 46.1 for the 200m freestyle and securing a place at the National Performance Centre in Stirling to the significant health challenges that ended his elite swimming career. He discusses the training methods that have shaped his mindset and underlines the importance of ...
Host Helen Gorman chats to Fleur and Spencer Turner, a well-known and very high achieving couple in the British Masters swimming community. They discuss their experiences at the US Masters Championships in Federal Way this summer, their achievements (including world record breaking relays), and the dynamics of being a competitive family. We also look at the structure of their Basingstoke Bluefins club, and Spencer’s role as a coach and administrator. They share insights on training, the...
After coaching Trafford to the Top Club award for the fourth year in a row, Bob Bolton joins Helen Gorman to review the National Masters Championships in Sheffield. Discussion covers record breaking swims, notable performers and unique insight into training and racing. Don’t miss this fun and insightful look at the Championships, which saw 17 world records smashed. Bob also looks at the overall success and future of the event given his position on the Masters Working Group.
George Taplin joins the Masters Swimming Podcast to discuss his record-breaking end-to-end swim in Lake Windermere. George has a unique perspective on ecology and cleaning up our waterways given his full-time employment in the water industry. George grew up training with Olympic champion, Tom Dean in Maidenhead and now lives, trains and works full time in Leeds. He swam Windermere’s 10.5miles at an average pace of 1:09 per 100m to break the record for swimming the length of England’s lo...
Sonny Trigg, the one and only SwimSuitGuy, joins Helen Gorman to preview the 2025 National Masters Short Course Championships in Sheffield. From record contenders to legendary names and inspiring competitors, we explore the stories behind the swimmers who refuse to slow down. And even if you’re not planning to be poolside in Sheffield, there’s plenty of swim talk, insider gossip, and a splash of humour to keep you entertained from the first whistle to the final touch.
In this episode of the Masters Swimming Podcast, mother and daughter duo, Heidi and Vivien Bell-West, share their experiences along with their family legacy connected to Captain Matthew Webb, the first person to swim the English Channel. Preferring to sprint rather than swim long distances, Heidi has won global medals and set new national records this year in the 55-59 category. Vivien, a mum of nine children, relies on 80 years’ experience of participation and coaching, and regular gar...
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