Four strokes, the English Channel, a hospice fundraiser and a world record. In September, Nik Haynes, Olly White, Ross Szender and Adam Tapp set a new world record for a medley relay crossing of the Channel. We catch up with Olly and Ross to hear the stories behind their swim.

And what stories! There’s a unicorn, giant jellyfish, a burning building and a bout of appendicitis — and that’s before we get to the tides and weather that can make or break any Channel crossing.

The team was supported by masters swimmer Heidi Bell-West, whose family DNA has a remarkable connection to Captain Matthew Webb, the first person to swim the Channel. Heidi was there to provide motivation, massage therapy and a steady hand amid the chaos.

Plus, Heidi joins Helen to round up some of the other intriguing Channel swimming attempts that took place around the same time the Devon Dads were making their way to France.

Visit the Devon Dads on Instagram @channelmedleyrelay2026. And visit @freestyle_media_swimming for video content.

Dan Mills joins Helen Gorman to preview the National Masters Short Course Championships in Sheffield. Last year, 17 world records fell - could we see even more this time around?

We pick out the races to watch, including a mouth-watering men’s 50m freestyle showdown between Aaron Francis and Tom Cahoon, with Commonwealth Games medallist Jamie Ingram in the mix.

The men’s 100m freestyle could see as many as six swimmers break the magical 50-second barrier, while 50-year-old Fleur Turner could be on course to dip under a minute in the women’s event.

And is women’s backstroke the hottest event in British Masters swimming right now? After a string of record-breaking performances this year, could Sheffield deliver even more?

We also celebrate some of the remarkable performances in the older age groups, exploring why Masters swimming is so good for our health and wellbeing. Dan brings a unique perspective to this discussion through his work as a doctor and public health campaigner.

Plus, he shares some stories behind Trafford Masters’ success, his own approach to swimming and his ambition to challenge for a European record in Sheffield.

We want to hear from you! Why do you think Masters swimming is getting faster and faster; and how can the sport better manage the growing demand for championship entries?

Join the conversation on Instagram at @freestyle_media_swimming or request to join our private Facebook Group.

And please share the podcast with your swimming friends. Let’s get the whole Masters swimming community talking!

See you poolside!

How do you plan a training camp that caters for everyone, from 50m sprinters to open water swimmers? Julie Howe chats to Mike Hodgson from Woking Swimming Club - he has tackled that challenge four times, organising the club’s training camp in Cyprus.

Mike shares what he learned from getting it wrong in year one, how he structures training for such a diverse squad, and why race-pace work becomes a key focus in the four weeks leading up to the National Masters Short Course Championships in Sheffield.

He also shares practical sprint and distance sets you can try in your own training, plus tips on land-based work, recovery and how to plan a successful Masters training camp of your own.

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

How much can you really achieve in the gym if you only have 40 minutes a week?

Strength and conditioning coach Nathan Oxford works with some of the best Masters swimmers in the world, helping them make their time in the gym count.

In this episode, Nathan shares practical advice for fitting effective strength and conditioning around a busy schedule - from fundamental movement patterns and supersets to making training more specific to your events.

We look at how a small, consistent investment in the gym can complement your swimming, helping you build strength and power, reduce injury risk and become a more resilient athlete - and human - as you get older.

If you think you don’t have time for strength training, this episode might change your mind. If you’re already doing strength work, there’s still plenty to learn by listening to Nathan’s advice.

Contact Nathan at hello@oxolt.com or visit https://www.oxolt.com.

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

Nick Parkes shares the remarkable story of his return to swimming after suffering a cardiac arrest at the National Open Water Championships in 2023. Clinically dead for around 20 minutes, Nick has since dedicated a series of fundraising challenges to the air ambulance service that helped save his life.

Now he has taken on his biggest challenge yet: swimming the full 22.5 miles of Loch Ness.

Nick completed the epic swim in the dark, cold waters of the loch with fellow Masters swimmer and doctor Rebecca Lennon providing medical support… Rebecca having recently set a world record for swimming across the Bristol Channel.

Nick and Rebecca talk about the physical and mental demands of a swim of this scale, the medical considerations of spending hours in cold water, the importance of teamwork and support, and what it takes to keep going when things get tough.

We hear about Rebecca’s own attempt to swim Loch Ness, which was abandoned because of poor weather and her world record-breaking swim, and, of course, the question everyone wants answered…

Did they see the Loch Ness Monster?

If you’d like to support Nick’s fundraising, visit nickparkes.co.uk.

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

After an eight-year break from competitive swimming, Tom Cohoon has made a remarkable return to sprint swimming.

Inspired by watching his younger brother Alex compete at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Tom took on board lessons from the world’s best sprinters - and he has since broken a British Masters record in the 50m freestyle and found himself lining up alongside Olympic swimmer Alex at National Championship finals.

And the most intriguing part? Tom is doing it while working full-time - chasing down his full-time-swimmer brother, with the gap getting smaller.

Tom talks about maximising his sprint speed after years away from swimming, overcoming the lack of mobility that came from playing rugby, and trying to train and race at the highest level without the facilities many elite swimmers take for granted - including limited access to starting blocks and sharing busy public lanes.

It’s a story about talent, curiosity, family rivalry and discovering just how fast you can go when you decide to give swimming another shot.

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

Jane Hansom’s story is one of transformation, resilience, and rediscovery. Once a promising swimmer in Scotland, Jane took a 20-year detour through the vibrant world of marketing and nightlife before returning to her athletic roots to become a world triathlon champion.

Jane gave up swimming at 16, and returned to sport almost by chance - first as a runner, then as a triathlete - and went on to become an Ironman triathlon world champion. Now living in the Caribbean, she swims in the beautiful open water around Nevis every day, and her story has come full circle. She talks about how consistency, determination and her swimming background gave her the platform to reach the very top of her age-group triathlon career, while simultaneously pursuing a successful career in advertising and marketing.

Jane shares her inspiring journey, her insights into training and longevity, and, drawing on her marketing experience, gives her pitch-perfect thoughts on how we could elevate the profile of masters swimming.

And if you’re tempted by the idea of swimming alongside turtles and rays, check out the Nevis to St Kitts Cross-Channel Swim: https://www.nevistostkittscrosschannelswim.com

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

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.