Podcast Library

Series 4 2023

Series 4 Episode 3:

Chloe McCardel- Queen of the Channel

In this edition of the SwimOut podcast Vicki talks to Chloe McCardel- Queen of the Channel.

Chloe has swum the English Channel 44 times, more times than any other person. Also she holds the record for the longest ever sea swim. 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 finding out about her swimming, her past and what she is up to in Dorset this summer with her new boat Channel Queen.


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Anchor is now part of Spotify.

Link to Chloe’s website

Series 4 Episode 2:

The Relay swim

In this edition of the SwimOut podcast we explore the joys of swimming in a Relay team.

Join Mikey Tees and Vicki as they talk about Relay swimming and the fun of it. Observer Deborah Vine answers listeners’ questions about the big day and the rules and Team Bits Missing discuss their North Channel swim. Plus we hear from Catherine Stefanutti, Dirk Gewert and more listeners about the joys of Relay swimming.


Listen here on Spotify

Anchor is now part of Spotify.

Longer Version of the Interview with Deborah Vine about the Relay rules

Deborah Vine answers Out To Swim Channel Relay 2023 team questions

Longer Version of the Interview with Team Bits Missing

Team Bits Missing longer chat- sorry for poor line quality

Here is the link to the Facebook page mentioned in this interview- you will need to become a member and answer some questions to see the content.

Series 4 Episode 1:

The challenge of cold water swimming

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


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Longer Version of the Interview with Ger Kennedy

Ger Kennedy Long Versioon

Special Editions 2022

THE TEAM episode – extra special edition

In this edition of the SwimOut podcast we explore the team behind big swims.

Join Vicki and Jonathan as they chat to Padraig Mallon – North Channel Pilot, Ros Bailey partner of Hells Mouth Swimmer Frank Chalmers and Elaine Howley who likes to give back to the open water community. Plus listener and amazing swimmer Jaimie Monahan tells us where she likes to swim as does Fiona MacDonald, previous presenter of SwimOut.

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Longer Versions of the Interviews

Ros Bailey and Oonagh Gormley Chat long version
Elaine Howley Interview long version
Padraig Mallon Interview long version

Link to Infinity Channel Swimming

Thanks to Meerkat films for the photograph of Ros and Frank on the boat with the crew.

PEACE episode – a very special edition

In a very special episode we introduce our exciting new presenter Jonathan Cowie.
Our main guest is Lynne Cox, iconic swimmer and writer who swam the Bering Strait for peace between Russia and the USA in 1987 and still campaigns for Peace.
Plus we hear from Jackie Cobell who tells us about her Facebook page, Swimmers For Peace in Ukraine.

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Ukrainian Facebook Links
Swimmers For Peace in Ukraine
Melanie’s appeal for animals in Ukraine

Lynne Cox
Link to her Openwaterpedia page

Available from all bookshops

Longer versions of interview with Lynne Cox

Lynn Cox in full

Series Two – Starting Spring 2021

Episode 6 – THE BIG ONE

In the final episode of this series Hunter and Vicki are joined by the founder of WOWSA, Steven Munatones, and Gareth Jones who recently completed an EPIC 60 kilometre swim over Wales’ wildest water. We’re also joined by the the legendary Jackie Cobell who has the impressive (if undesirable) accolade of the longest ever channel swim. Plus, we catchup with our favourite fan Rick Cipolla. 


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Steve Munatones from WOWSA – World Open Water Swimming Association
Find his work here Website Instagram & Facebook

Gareth JonesNofio Adre – swimming home
Find the programme on S4C here
– you need to sign in to watch but this is possible even from outside the UK, you also need to select English language
Gareth also has a Website and Instagram and Facebook

Longer versions

Jackie Cobell in full

Episode 5 -ACCESS

This month Hunter is joined by guest presenter Omie Dale to discuss access and inclusion in aquatics. We hear from bathing historian George Townsend about sociological barriers to water, such as race and gender, in the the 19th century. Omie talks to the founder of Swimunity and Vicki delivers a special report on disability in open water swimming, including input from Susie Rodgers MBE


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More information

@omiedale
@time_for_a_bath
@swimunity
@susierodgersmbe

Also a great resource for disabled open water swimmers can be found at the Adaptive Athlete Open Water Group hosted by Sophie Etheridge

Instagram – @sophie_adaptive_athlete

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/SEadaptiveathlete

ADOWS group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/adows

Plus Sophie’s website – www.sophie-adaptive-athlete.com

Longer versions of some interviews below

Above a longer version of the interview with Rosalinda Hardiman

Episode 4 – The Mind

Hunter and Vicki delve into The Mind. The mind can be your best friend and your worst enemy on a long swim. It can soothe and wash away your troubles; it can also disrupt and ruin your flow.

In this episode we meet Cliff Golding; after 5 years and 6 failed attempts Cliff finally tamed his demons and successfully crossed the English Channel – he tells us his secret. Sarah Kennedy Norquoy lives in the Orkney isles and tells us how swimming helped her recover from grief and we catch up with Mental Health Swims about raising mental health awareness. Plus we speak to two Paralympian’s about their mental health journeys in the lead up to Tokyo.


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Longer versions of some interviews :

Above a longer version of the interview with Sarah Kennedy Norquoy
Here is Sarah’s book which you can order from most booksellers
Above a longer version of the interview with Rachel Ashe and Omie Dale from Mental Health Swims
Here is the link to their website

Episode 3 – JOURNEYS

Vicki and Mikey explore Journeys

We hear from Cath Pendleton, who holds the Guinness World Record for the Most Southerly Ice Swim (female) in Antarctica, but also likes Mermaiding and chitty chatting.  Mikey leaps out of his sound booth to present this week and speaks to Sal Minty-Gravett, the oldest woman to do a 2-way English Channel swim. John Coningham-Rolls from SwimQuest tells us all about his passion for empowering people to start their swimming journey and stop punching below their weight. Pier to Pier’s are featured and Hunter tells his story of swimming to the Buoy.


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Longer versions of some interviews :

Above
Longer version of the Interview with Cath Pendleton– The Merthyr Mermaid

Here is the link to her BBC TV programme The Merthyr Mermaid – available in the UK

Above
Longer version of the Interview with John Coningham-Rolls

Here is the link to the beautiful SwimQuest site

Episode 2 – THE ENVIRONMENT

Vicki and Fiona – our guest presenter – explore The Environment.

We hear from Owen Hayman, a man who loves swimming in Reservoirs, on his mission to open up more water for us all to swim in whilst being kind to the environment. We catch up again with Calum McLean in the highlands of Scotland who finds awe in this magnificent scenery and is desperate to preserve it. We also bring you reports about the health of the sea from Papua New Guinea, a re-wilding project from East London and a Channel swimmer with a passion for collecting litter. Plus loads of ideas for great environmental projects to follow.


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Longer versions of some interviews :

Above
Longer version of the Interview with Owen Hayman of SOUP – Sheffield Outdoor Swimmers
Above
Longer version of the interview with Abigail Woodman from East London Waterworks Project
Above
Longer version of the interview with Halani Foulsham Channel swimmer and plastic collector.

Top sites for this edition 

Episode 1 – UNCERTAINTY

Everything has been so uncertain! We hear from Jaimie Monahan doyenne of Ice swimming, about how she coped. We catch up with Steve and Norma talking about their fabulous Webinar which kept us entertained
and Emma France from Dover Channel Training about how to cope with the uncertainty that IS the English Channel


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Links and long versions are here:

Jaimie Monahan long version of interview

Find out more about Jaimie Monahan

Steve and Norma long version of interview

Find out more about Immersive Hebridies – Norma’s swimming holiday company
and there are links to the Webinars there
Find out more about H2O Training – Steve’s Watersport site

Emma France Long version of interview

Find out more about Emma France and Dover Channel Training

Also the link to the Immersive Experience in your very own bathroom with Sylvia Mercuriali

Series One – Spring 2020 to Winter 2020

Episode 8 – ICE

It’s ICY out there, so we went in search of the Ice Swimmers. We hear from Jaimie Monaghan doyenne of Ice swimming, Ram Barkai who set up International Ice Swimming Association and Rostislav Vitek the fastest ice miler. We also meet Attila Manyoki, the fastest man to complete the Oceans Seven challenge who was hospitalised with hypothermia.

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Plus
The beautiful Attila film “Oceans Seven – The Hell of the North” can be found here
Sarah Kennedy Norquoy’s “Salt on my Skin” book is available from bookshops or here in the UK

Episode 7 – The Wellness Factor

We cast our net far and near. Finding happy swimmers donning Burkinis in Sydney and wetsuits in Lake Geneva. Plus we visit top London swim spots at Hampstead and the Serpentine.
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Bonus Audio: Hunter and Vicki discuss their journeys and the part Channel swimming has played in their lives.

Episode 6 – The Pioneers

A veritable history of swimming, including Beowulf’s sea adventures and celebration of the true pioneers of open water swimming who have smashed down gender and racial stereotypes. Plus the history of the Speedo and the swimming professor.

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Episode 5 – The Adventurers

Learn all about Maelstroms with a Wild Brother, amazing endurance feats from women and a knife wielding Crocodile Dundee. Also sea swimming tips from Dan and what swimmers do for their 70th birthday treat.

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Episode 4 – The Lifesavers

Find out about a charity which is saving Cambodian children from drowning. The RNLI give us some home truths about staying safe and the extraordinary story of an Icelandic Fisherman who took 6 hours to swim to shore after his boat sank and his colleagues drowned.

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Episode 3 – The Limits of Obsession
What does it take to swim the Channel 34 times? Why would anyone swim across the treacherous Pentland Firth (Otherwise known as Hell’s Mouth)? One thing we found out this episode is that takes a lot more than just grit! 

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Episode 2 – Stepping Back into the Water

After the lockdown, how are people like Keri-anne Payne and Calum Maclean getting back to swimming

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More info…

Episode 1 – The English Channel

Hunter Charlton interviews Sarah Thomas who made a historic 4-way Channel crossing in 2019. And Vicki Carter talks to Freda Streeter MBE, celebrated trainer of hundreds of Channel swimmers.

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More info…