E31 Alys Thomas, finding longevity and purpose through the eyes of an Olympian

About this episode

Alys Thomas shares her journey as an Olympic swimmer and coach, discussing athlete development and the importance of enjoyment in sports.

In this episode, Olympic swimmer and coach developer Alys Thomas shares her journey from early swimming days in Kingston to competing in four Commonwealth Games, transitioning into coaching, and her role in developing Wales' swimming talent. She discusses longevity in sport, athlete development, coaching strategies, and the importance of enjoyment and individual pathways. It is a fascinating insight into the rollercoaster of the athlete journey and how Alys has taken lessons from her own sporting journey to support the next generation of Welsh swimmers. You can connect with Alys via her instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alys_thomas/ Don't forget we have a wide range of resources on our coaching website including recommend books, podcasts and links to our CPDs. You can also sign up for our free wellbeing check in there too. ⁠⁠https://aprace.club/pages/coaches-community⁠⁠ For coaches looking to explore AP Race Plus, our club support platform that offers digital access to world class information for swimmers, parents and coaches, please email the team via ⁠⁠and we will be able to help support club, big or small, wherever you are located. You can also get a feel for the platform…

People in this episode

Guest: Alys Thomas

Topics covered

• Olympic swimming
• coaching
• athlete development
• longevity in sport
• enjoyment in sports
• individual pathways

Keywords

• Alys Thomas
• Olympic swimmer
• coaching strategies
• athlete journey
• Wales swimming
• Commonwealth Games
• longevity in sport

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Wales, Kingston

More episodes of The Coaches Lane

• E33 Ian Wright. Building a team and taking people on a journey · May 22, 2026 · 56 min
• E32 Kevin Brooks. Exploring the coaching journey and the development of Wycombe District Swimming Club · May 15, 2026 · 56 min
• E30 Ross Nicholas, from Swimmer to Coach to National Performance Director for Swim Wales · May 1, 2026 · 50 min
• E29 - Milorad Čavić. Olympic Podium to Coaching and Parenthood - A life in swimming! · March 27, 2026 · 57 min
• E28 - John Szaranek. From Scotland to Ireland and beyond. Two careers, one fascinating journey. · March 20, 2026 · 55 min
• E27 - Pernille Blume. Finding enjoyment on the journey to becoming Olympic Champion... and what comes next? · March 9, 2026 · 52 min