Freestyle Media

#189: Aberdeen Awaits: Previewing British Masters 2026 with Charlie Harris 09.06.2026 46min

Join Charlie Harris and Helen Gorman for a preview of the 2026 British Masters Championships in Aberdeen. As the host of Scottish Swimming’s Aqua Pod and a member of their media and marketing team, Charlie brings a unique insider perspective on the championships, the venue and the Scottish masters swimming scene. From athletes and stories to watch, to practical tips for navigating the weekend, Charlie shares his knowledge from attending numerous national events in Aberdeen. Find out which swi...

#188: Sam Lawman's Pre-Race Routines That Work 02.06.2026 31min

In this episode, super sprinter and sports scientist Sam Lawman lays out exactly how to nail the final 30 minutes before you step onto the blocks. From smart priming techniques to mental cues and race-ready routines, Sam shares practical, science-backed strategies to help swimmers feel sharp, focused, and ready to fire when it matters most. Visit our Instagram channel @freestyle_media_swimming for video content (priming video available soon!) If you’d like to try bicarb, visit htt...

#187: Jo Corben’s Training Camp Tales 26.05.2026 47min

Back from a week training with Trojan SC in the Lanzarote sunshine, masters world record holders Helen Gorman and Jo Corben discuss everything from tough morning sets to celebrity selfies, sightseeing and cheese. The pair discuss why Lanzarote has become the unofficial spring gathering point for masters swimmers, the atmosphere of training alongside international squads, and whether there were any swimmers left in the UK - apart from Kirsty Johnson, who stayed home and broke a world rec...

#186: Nicola Charlesworth on Masters Swimming, Deaflympics and Determination 19.05.2026 40min

Nicola Charlesworth shares her remarkable journey as a deaf swimmer, her return to the pool after a 17-year break, and the record-breaking performances that have made her a name to look out for in masters swimming. Her path back to success has been anything but straightforward - from representing Great Britain as an elite junior swimmer with Olympic ambitions, to navigating progressive hearing loss and recovering after being hit by a bus. Nicola shares the unexpected challenges she faces as a...

#185: Swimming Pool to Sofa: Rehab Reality with Chris Malpass 12.05.2026 37min

Trafford Metro’s Chris Malpass chats about life in the early stages of recovery from knee surgery. Confined to the sofa rather than the pool, he shares the realities of rehab, adapting training, and the mental resilience needed to stay motivated when everything stops. Helen Gorman digs into the bigger picture; what it really means for masters swimmers to keep pushing limits in their 40s and beyond and uncovers that this is far from Chris’s first setback. Listen in for honest reflections and a...

#184: Racing Through Olympic History 05.05.2026 45min

Join Olympic medallist and coach Brian Brinkley for a trip back to one of the most turbulent eras in sport. From the shadow of the Munich massacre at the 1972 Summer Olympics to the podium highs of 1976 Summer Olympics, Brian shares what it was like inside the Olympic Village when history and controversy unfolded. We dive into the rise of East German dominance, the realities behind doping, and what it meant to race in the era of David Wilkie, when British swimming was making waves on the worl...

#183: Masters Making Waves at Aquatics GB Championships 28.04.2026 41min

Helen Gorman catches up with masters swimmer John Wood following his standout performances at the Aquatics GB Championships in London, where racing shoulder-to-shoulder with the country’s elite pushed him to a lifetime best in the 100m butterfly at age 40. We also shine a light on other masters swimmers racing at the very top level, including Rebecca Guy, who powered her way into two finals, and Martin Bennell, who made history as the oldest ever competitor at the championships at 49. From wa...

#182: The Science of Altitude Training & Elite Insights from Mike Peyrebrune 21.04.2026 52min

Mike Peyrebrune, coach and sports scientist at Loughborough University, joins us to share expert insight into altitude training and warm weather camps. Drawing on his experience working with Olympic swimmers, Mike explains how elite athletes use these environments to fine-tune performance - and what that really looks like in practice. We explore the science behind altitude training, from the physiological adaptations to the realities of living and training in a low-oxygen environment. What be...

#181: Inside the British Masters Decathlon 14.04.2026 36min

We sit down with 2025 British Masters Decathlon champions Michelle Ware and Mike Hodgson to unpack one of swimming’s most intriguing competitions. They break down what the Decathlon actually is, how it works, and how any masters swimmer can get involved - whether you’re chasing points or just looking for a new challenge. We also dive into how it can keep you motivated across the season and push you beyond your usual comfort zone. Along the way, we tackle the mysterious age-adjustment formula ...

#180: From Tradition to 20.88: A New Way to Train? 07.04.2026 53min

We discuss the radical training behind the fastest man in the world. Sonny Trigg shares what he learned from spending time in Brisbane with Cameron McEvoy. Fresh from witnessing the build-up to McEvoy’s world record-breaking 50m freestyle (20.88), Sonny gives a unique behind-the-scenes look at a programme that’s turning traditional swim training on its head. We explore the relentless focus on marginal gains, the team and environment that support it, and the mindset shift that allowed McEvoy t...

#179: Siân Clement and the Art of Extreme Swimming 31.03.2026 45min

Meet Siân Clement, an intrepid open water and ice swimmer dividing her time between South Wales and Orkney and rarely choosing the easy path. In this episode, we learn about her remarkable journey from swimming alongside penguins in Antarctica to taking on the iconic Manhattan Island Marathon Swim and becoming the first woman to complete the Original Triple Crown of open water swimming: the English Channel, Bristol Channel, and the formidable North Channel between Ireland and Scotland. Siân s...

#178: The Art of the Taper 24.03.2026 44min

Jamie Ingram joins us Helen Gorman to discuss his tapering strategy ahead of the Aquatics GB Swimming Championships this April. He’s one of Britain’s top butterfly swimmers and a Commonwealth Games medallist from 2022. Jamie explains what goes into preparation for a major event, what changes in the final weeks before competition, and the signs swimmers look for to know they’re ready to perform. He breaks down his 100m butterfly, from kick counts, pacing and strategy to handling pressure...

#177: Can Baking Soda Make You Faster? 17.03.2026 43min

This week we dive into the science of lactate, that familiar burning sensation you feel in the closing stages of a hard race, and explore why bicarbonate of soda – baking powder – is being used by elite athletes to slow down lactate acid production. We look at how athletes can train to improve lactate tolerance, considering diet, lifestyle and age as a factor. We consider why elite athletes across different sports have experimented with taking bicarb supplements and whether it can genuinely h...

#176: From Olympic Heartbreak to King of the Channel 10.03.2026 41min

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...

#175: New age group. Same obsession. 03.03.2026 45min

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.

#174: From Sequins to Swimscape 24.02.2026 46min

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...

#173: I Used AI to Break a British Masters Record 17.02.2026 38min

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...

#172: Brad Price's 3,100 Pull-Up Challenge 10.02.2026 26min

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...

#171: Two Swimmers, One English Channel, Very Different Outcomes 03.02.2026 50min

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 ...

#170: Can AI Make You A Faster Swimmer? 27.01.2026 42min

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.