Olly Espinasse - a lifelong Basingstoke Bluefins swimmer, British and European record-holder, and former coach - joins Julie Howe to share training sets spanning three decades of his swimming life.

We look back to Olly’s teenage years, when he trained for everything from the 200m to the 1500m freestyle, tackling high-volume sets at high heart rates. It was a grind that taught him to hold his form under pressure, long before pace work became the buzzword it is today.

We then turn to the sprint work that has helped define his successful Masters career. From lactate-inducing fast 50s to technical race-pace work using the tools of the sprinting trade, Olly shares the sets that have shaped his speed.

If you lack back-end speed, Olly’s final set could be the one for you! Built specifically to train the second half of a race, it targets the part of the race Olly believes many front-end-strong swimmers neglect.

Throughout the episode, Olly returns to one central idea: you have to train the discomfort you’ll face in a race, or you won’t be able to produce it when it matters on race day.

He also reflects on how his relationship with swimming has changed - from something that was once a childhood obligation to an adult source of community, competition and joy.

Thanks to Julie Howe for continuing our series bringing training sets to life. If you try any of these sets, let us know on social media @freestyle_media_swimming.

What’s it like to compete at your first European Masters Championships - and come home with gold?

European champions Katie Rees and Ben Winter join Helen Gorman to share their experiences from this year’s championships in Šamorín, Slovakia. Both making their European Masters debuts - and their first appearances on the podcast - they take us behind the scenes of the racing, the venue and the unique atmosphere of an international Masters meet.

Katie, racing in the 25–29 age group, came home with double gold in the medley events, but says it was the camaraderie, friendships and atmosphere around the pool that made the experience particularly memorable.

Ben also struck gold in the 55–59 backstroke events, and compares his European experience with racing at the World Masters Championships in Singapore last year. Together, they look at how the Brits performed, the international swimmers who caught their eye and what makes competing against swimmers from across Europe so special.

And, of course, no trip to Slovakia would be complete without exploring Bratislava, sampling the local food and finding out whether the post-race celebrations lived up to expectations!

With both swimmers already looking ahead to the rest of the season, Katie and Ben reflect on their European adventure - and reveal what’s next.

Visit our Instagram Channel for additional content via @freestyle_media_swimming and please leave us a rating or review on your podcast player.

US Masters swimmer and distance swimming World Record holder Kelly Palace joins Helen to share her fascinating journey through swimming - from coaching NCAA Division I athletes and writing books to hosting more than 300 episodes of the Champions Mojo Podcast, where she has interviewed over 50 Olympians.

Kelly and Helen compare the Masters swimming scenes in the US and UK, exploring what makes them different, what they can learn from each other, and why Masters swimming continues to thrive. They also dive into the secrets of longevity, recovery, training and competition, as well as the mindset required to keep performing at the highest level.

One of the world’s leading distance swimmers in the 65–69 age group, Kelly shares fascinating insights into her training, racing and approach to staying competitive - and reveals what she has learned from a lifetime in the sport.

Visit our Instagram Channel for additional content via @freestyle_media_swimming and please leave us a rating or review on your podcast player. Also check out @kellypalacepodcast on Instagram and Champions Mojo Podcast.