An Open Water Swimmer's Podcast

Episode 7 is with the lovely Emma France. Emma runs the famous DCT group and has been instrumental in helping heaps of swimmers achieve their goals of swimming The English Channel. An Accomplished swimmer herself with three solos and twenty EC relays shew knows her onions... Was a pleasure chatting to someone with such a wealth of experience to share. Season 4 is in collaboration with Ocean Lube, the Ocean friendly anti-chafing skin cream that saves your skin and protects our oceans.

The legendary Phillip Rush joins me for episode six... He had an illustrious career as an elite athlete and in 1987 he famously swam a three way of the English Channel: on that swim he broke 5 world records. He still holds the fastest two and three way crossings; his two way was a staggering 16hrs and 10mins (7.55 / 8.15) and his three way was 28hrs and 21mins. He now coaches and mentors many a marathon swimmer in his native New Zealand.

Episode 5 of Season 4 is with the amazing Amy Ennion. Among her achievements are Lake Geneva (28 hours), the English Channel, Guernsey to France (becoming the first person to ever swim that route) and she is not done yet with more swims planned for 2025. We chat about training, mind-set and the importance of keeping the fun in swimming. Season 4 is in collaboration wit Ocean Lube the ocean-friendly anti-chafing skin cream that protects your skin and saves our oceans...

Episode 4 of is with the one and only Neil Gilson: fresh from his record breaking 72km Lake Geneva swim, which he swam in a staggering 22hrs and 9mins. We chat about how he trained for such a long and fast swim, and how his delayed success on that swim got him over the finish line. eason 4 is in collaboration with Ocean Lube the ocean-friendly anti-chafing skin cream that protects your skin and saves our oceans.

Episode three of the podcast is with the youngest ever English Channel Swimmer, who swam the Channel in 1988 aged 11. A record he will have ad infinitum as the rules now stipulate that a swimmer must be over sixteen years old... His story is immortalised in his book "Boy in the Water", an incredibly moving coming-of-age story about his relationship with his coach and how he prepared for this swim so young. This was such a delight to record: a wonderful chat... enjoy. Season 4 is in collaboration with Ocean Lube the ocean-friendly anti-chafing skin cream that protects your skin and saves our oceans...

Episode 2 of Season 4 is with a remarkable Australian swimmer, who in 2024 became the first person to swim the 77km from Italy to Albania, crossing that channel in a staggering 33 hours. She also became took the mantle of "earliest female Channel Swimmer" in the same year, making the crossing in early June, on D Day, in fact, in some very chilly water... Hope you enjoy. Season 4 is in collaboration wit Ocean Lube the ocean-friendly anti-chafing skin cream that protects your skin and saves our oceans...

Excited to bring you the opening episode of Season 4 with Team GB's Hector Pardoe, fresh from his fantastic sixth place in THAT 10km swim... we chat about training and what it's like being at the sharp end of the sport. He's a remarkable athlete with a very bright future ahead of him. I hope you enjoy. Season 4 is in collaboration wit Ocean Lube the ocean-friendly anti-chafing skin cream that protects your skin and saves our oceans...

Bonus Episode! Sarah Thomas came to Sea Lanes in July 2024 for an interview in front of a live audience, hosted by me. It was such an honour to be able to speak to her face to face and hear first-hand her story and her recent epic swim around Maui... Apologies for the sound during the interview, I think you'll forgive me as it's a really great chat. I had the microphone placed next to a speaker and it's ever so slightly distorted. Happy Swimming and enjoy!

The final episode of Season 3 is with the Triple Crown and Original Triple Crown Swimmer, Martyn Webster. Martyn has completed numerous marathon swims over his illustrious time in the sport and is someone I am about to share a swimming holiday with in a matter of weeks... It was great to close the season chatting to someone who knows so much and had a plethora of knowledge to impart! Enjoy!

My guest today is a former elite swimmer - having held Danish and Nordic Records in the pool and representing Denmark at various European and World championships over the years; but you may know him more from a new brand of goggle that is being seen more and more on pool-side: he launched The Magic 5 with his business partner a few years ago and they are going from strength to strength - a custom bespoke moulded goggle that fits your face and your face alone. It was my pleasure to welcome to the podcast and hear his swim story: Niklas Hedegaard… Happy Swimming!!

Episode 8 is with the super human Kate Steels. Kate is widely regarded as one of the toughest and most skilled OW swimmers on the planet. She was the third person to complete the Ice Seven (an ice mile on all seven continents); she is also a Triple Crown Swimmer and was WOWSA Woman of the Year 2021, and nominated again in 2022... Kate has overcome a number of devastating significant challenges in her life and yet continues to be a trailblazer in the sport. It was a real privilege to have her own the show. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did. Happy Swimming!

I loved talking to today’s guest - she is an author, editor and podcaster. She co-hosts the "Postcards From Midlife" podcast and her first book 'Mum what's wrong with you: 101 things only the mothers of teenage girls know" was a Sunday Times top 10 best seller. She is a former editor of Cosmo, ELLE and Sunday Times Style and a mum of four children aged 10 to 19. She is currently writing a new book about the experiences of women in midlife… and she is an avid swimmer and cold water dipper; and as you’ll see, uses the water as part of her mental health tool-kit. It was a great privilege to chat to Lorraine Candy. Enjoy!

Episode 5 is with the incredibly inspirational Jessica Hepburn. This was such an awesome chat and I really don't want to give too much away on here. Jessica is an author ("In Pursuit of Motherhood" and "21 Miles") ... She is a Channel Swimmer and her swim story is a thing of beauty, that resonated with me on a very personal level. Enjoy!!

I so enjoyed this talk with the legendary Steven Munatones: he has written about the sport since the 60’s and is one of the most influential people in the world of Open Water Swimming. He founded the World Open Water Swimming Association, the Oceans Seven and is a marathon swimmer, water polo player, commentator, race director, coach and recent winner of the annual SCAR race held in Arizona (more of that anon in the chat). He needs no introduction to anyone connected to the sport. It’s an honour to welcome him onto the show. Enjoy!!

Episode Two of Season Three is with fellow podcaster and marathon swimmer Shannon Keegan. Shannon is the host of the awesome "Marathon Swim Stories" so it was terrific to be able to interview her as opposed to her asking all the questions! Shannon is also a swim coach and has completed a gruelling 22 hour lake swim... I hope you enjoy this one! Happy Swimming!

It's the final episode of the season and what better way to close it than with one of the most well known marathon swimmers, Chloe McCardel. Chloe has swam The English Channel 44 times, surmounting Alison Streeter's record last year, in 2021 (those swims included a triple crossing and three double crossings!!) She also holds the record for the longest Ocean Swim at 124km in 42 hours, and is a total inspiration. It's Chloe McCardel!!

It's Episode 10 of Season 2, and I have the brilliant Caroline Saxon to share with you. She is a former GB swimmer turned GB Ice Swimmer... in fact, after we recorded this podcast she went to the Ice Swimming World Champs in Poland where she won medals and broke records. She has her own podcast "The Swimmer Tribe Podcast", where she may air this chat too. We talk about the Journey rather than the goal: "Becoming is better than Being", swimming being the glue that holds some relationships together and Cold Water Swimming being part of a larger toolkit for mental health. Enjoy...!

Episode 9 of Season 2 is with the awesome Ray Gibbs of "Swim Canary Wharf" Fame... Ray set up his coaching facility in response to watching GB swimmers swim at his local club and the lack of really concise technique coaching available to swimmers - especially distance swimmers. As a swim coach he teaches a whole range of swimmers and top athletes, and also competes as a distance swimmer himself. We chat about never regretting a swim, how fear can help you . . . and also the Posidonia 10km race in Ibiza which Ray swam in 2021, where he got stung a staggering 37 times by jellyfish: a race I will be swimming with Ray in 2022, so it was awesome to pick his brains about my most feared stretch of water anywhere in the world (as well as ask him the 6 questions!). Enjoy.

Episode 8 (S2) of An Open Water Swimmer's Podcast, with Will Ellis... today's guest is known as "The Adaptive Athlete", having lost full use of her legs in a cycling accident on her way to swim training as a triathlete. Not to be deterred, she began swimming again and recently completed a double Windermere crossing (similar distance to The English Channel). She also is a force advocating change in our sport to make Open Water abets more inclusive, and there are some important conversations that need to happen, which hopefully will result in action being taken by organisers really soon...  This chat was absolutely riveting and I have deliberately left it virtually unabridged in the edit as it was beautifully rich in content. Welcome to the podcast Sophie Etheridge!

Episode 7 (Season 2) of "An Open Water Swimmer's Podcast" and it was a real treat to chat to everyone's favourite editor Jonny Cowie. We chat about Cold Water Swimming being a bit daft, getting your fix behind Dulwich Picture Gallery, Windermere in the winter and lots of other things... Loved this one: Enjoy!!