Taking on the World's Waters - Record Breaking Ultra Swims

About this episode

A conversation with marathon swimmer Andy Donaldson about his extraordinary swims and the deeper mission of community and environmental advocacy.

Welcome to a conversation that goes far beyond distance, endurance, or athletic achievement. In this episode, I’m joined by marathon swimmer Andy Donaldson , whose journey from Scotland to Australia has taken him across some of the most remarkable waterways on Earth and into a deeper mission shaped by community, environmental advocacy, and personal renewal. What unfolds is not just a catalogue of extraordinary swims , but a powerful reflection on why water matters: how it heals, connects us, and can become a platform for meaningful change. From the serendipitous thread of the Thames Swim, linking campaigners, citizen scientists, and world-class athletes, to the vast sweep of Maui, Manhattan, and Ibiza, Andy shares how purposeful swimming has become a way to galvanise people around the urgent need to protect the places we love. We examine the emotional and psychological aspects of endurance, the importance of preparation and resilience, and the simple truth that some of the most meaningful experiences start with a community uniting in service of something greater than themselves. This episode is an invitation to see open water differently: as a space for adventure, advocacy, and…

People in this episode

Host: Dave Wallace

Guest: Andy Donaldson

Topics covered

• marathon swimming
• environmental advocacy
• community
• endurance
• personal renewal
• open water
• adventure

Keywords

• ultra swims
• water
• healing
• connection
• endurance
• preparation
• resilience
• advocacy

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Scotland, Australia, Thames, Maui, Manhattan, Ibiza

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