SwimOut

Our fourth podcast of this SwimOut season is all about diving in with our swim Buddies, the people who keep us coming back for another dip. These are the swimmers that push us, inspire us and look after us when the swims don't go to plan, the pals who become part of your swimming journey. We catch up with Hunter, my English Channel swimming and podcasting buddy. We have a fun morning with Girly Dips enjoying Pilates as well as a welcome splash and some giggles in the heatwave. We meet Naomi who tells us about all the groups she is part of which inspire and drive her to success in sport. I have a luscious dip at West Reservoir with a fabulous group who support each other through their mental health challenges. I go on a swimcamp in Jersey with Sal Minty-Gravett and record the delighted thoughts of my swim buddies for the week at the end of the trip. Finally I chat with Monica who will be my support swimmer for my Catalina challenge.Find out more: ⁠@swimoutpodcast ⁠or ⁠⁠swimout.net⁠ #swimming#openwaterswimming#doverchannelswimming#iceswimming#Channelswimming #EnglishChannel

Mikey and Vicki go down Deep, diving under the water, swimming in it and listening to its sounds. Halani Moss-Vete tells us about her epic swim across the Molokaʻi Channel in Hawaii, where the water is very deep and the currents are strong. Dee Newell tells the story of her swims under the ice in Päijänne In Finland. This piece was created by Dominique Ferraton for SwimOut. Charlie Stewart tells us all about why he loves scuba diving and the peaceful world he finds down there. Amorina Kingdon, in contrast, shares with us the songs of fish singing under the water, which led her to write her book Sing Like Fish. We also discuss the TV programmes that ignited our love of swimming.Find out more: ⁠@swimoutpodcast ⁠or ⁠swimout.net⁠

Vicki delves into History in this edition and also finds swimmers who are making history today. She meets Sarah Thomas who made history most notably with her 4-way English Channel crossing. Anna Maria Mullally shines a light on Irish swimmers at the turn of the last century. Todd Balf, whose book Three Kings explores the lives of 3 unlikely Olympic heroes, tells us the stories he has uncovered. George Townsend looks at the history of river bathing in Oxford. Vicki and Kathryn Ferry discuss how Billy Butlin got involved in Channel relay races in the 1950’s. We also find out about a historic reservoir featured in the film Wild Water and meet Wen Erh Hsu, the first Taiwanese swimmer to cross the English Channel. There’s heaps of historic action! Find out more: ⁠@swimoutpodcast ⁠or ⁠swimout.net @sarahswims04 @seasideferry @time_for_a_bath @alphacarla @wen_swim_the_channel @wildwaterfilm @jojodaleo ⁠

The topic of this episode is grief and how the open water can help to soothe you at this time of crisis and turmoil. Vicki starts by chatting with Shannon House Keegan from Marathon Swim Stories about their stillborn sons. Then Dr Catherine Kelly shares with us the turmoil she felt after her mother died and talks about her book Blue Spaces that explains why and how water can help with grief. Kate Steels joins Vicki to talk about the son she lost to suicide and how swimming the Ice Sevens Challenge helped her to recover. Lastly Vicki talks to Cat Joy White about her beautiful film 54 Days and how taking up open water swimming was a major solace to her after the death of two people she loved. Find out more ⁠@swimoutpodcast ⁠or ⁠swimout.net⁠ @catherinejoywhite @fiftyfourdaysfilm @international_ice_swimming_association @bluespaces_uk @intrepidwater

Amy Ennion and Vicki explore training for the big swim. They discuss their approaches to training and talk to Shannon House Keegan who works with people remotely. Vicki goes to meet Ray Gibbs who films you in his tank Swim Canary Wharf. Amy discusses training camps with Anna McCarthy, a regular at the infamous Irish swim camps and Mandy Bodemeaid from Dover Channel Training tells us all about their training weekends. Plus we hear from Mark Sheridan about a pool based group which provides support and inspiration and Jonathan Cowie tells us about his struggles with his sofa.

Mikey and Vicki bring you a cornucopia of tales about Mercedes Gleitze, the first British woman to swim the English Channel. With a dramatized section and interviews with her grandson Andrew Pember and bathing historian Anna Maria Mullally the program celebrates this iconic swimmer. We also find out all about the “Swimming a Long Way Together” project, a tribute to Mercedes created by Vanessa Daws. We bring Mercedes' story to life and delve deeper into who she was and the legacy she has left.

In this episode Vicki meets Chloe McCardel who is the Queen of the Channel - she has swum the English Channel forty four times which is more times than any other person. Also she holds the record for the longest ever sea swim at 124.4 kilometers, taking 41 hours in the Bahamas. She is swimming royalty but also a passionate supporter of Women's rights, always ready to call out injustice. Vicki spends a day with Chloe in Weymouth finding out about her swimming, her past and what she is up to in Dorset this summer with her new boat Channel Queen.

In this edition of the SwimOut podcast we explore the challenge of swimming in cold water. Join Vicki and Jonathan as they talk about thier swimming exploits in Morocco and Cheltenham. Vicki talks to Ger Kennedy about swimming in Antarctica and how it feels to be in water that cold and how to recover. Plus Jonty Warneken and Michelle Lane talk about competing in Team Ice GB.