This special edition of the SwimOut podcast pays tribute to Captain Matthew Webb who, in 1875, made history as the first person to swim the English Channel. Our dramatisation brings his story to life: A village lad who ran away to sea, saw the world and was inspired to make the impossible happen.

The story recounts the many challenges he had to overcome - from shifting tides to jellyfish. It details what kept him going during his gruelling feat of valour, from beef tea to brandy and more importantly, his friends and family onboard the support vessel. His motto “ Nothing great is easy” is testament to his grit, endurance and bravado. Join us on this heroic swim to France, with Captain Webb, The Channel Conqueror.

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Vicki facilitates a conversation between experts and swimmers planning to do the swim. Expert Kevin Murphy is acknowledged as one of the world’s greatest open water swimmers. He has 28 solo Channel swims and three doubles to his credit. He has also swum the North Channel three times and is known as King of both the English and North Channels. Also with bags of expertise is Kathy Batts who has completed many relay crossings of the English Channel and a solo, as well as many other swims across the globe. She and Kevin also look after the paperwork for a large number of the Channel swims and lead the The King’s Swimmers which runs swim camps and regular training in Dover. Our aspiring swimmers are Bryony Rowe who swam as child then took up triathlons and now has refound her love of sea swimming, and Christophe Donot who loves to swim and make ceramics and as a French man is keen to swim to France, although London is now very much his home.

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⁠@ The King Swimmers⁠

@christophe_ceramics

@Bryony.eve.swims

Vicki explores why so many Indian swimmers come to swim the English Channel. She starts by chatting to Anshuman Jhingran who she met on the beach in Dover in 2025 when he was waiting for his Channel crossing and who now has 6 of the 7 Oceans Severn Swims. Next up we hear from Bula Chowdhury who swam the English Channel twice in 1989 and 1999 making her the 21st Indian swimmer to achieve this feat. Sal Minty-Gravett talks about her work helping Indian swimmers to acclimatise for their cold water swims. Lastly we talk about swimming many Channels with Prabhat Koli and his father and coach Koli Koli. Prabhat was the youngest swimmer to achieve the Oceans Seven challenge in 2023. We also delve into the history and future of Openwater swimming in India.

Find out more: ⁠@swimoutpodcast ⁠or ⁠⁠swimout.net⁠

Link to Podcast is in the Bio

@Anshuman Jhingran

@Bula Chowdhury

@Sal Minty-Gravett

@Prabhat Koli

#swimming

#openwaterswimming

#doverchannelswimming

#iceswimming

#Indianswimmers

#indianlongdistanceswimmers

Vicki sets out to follow in her father’s footsteps and swim down the River Avon from Bath to Bristol. She is joined on this adventure by her wife Oonagh. Along the way she meets up with her family for some reminiscing about her father, and talks to Johnny Palmer, a passionate swimmer and “disrupter” who inspires and enables many swims around Bristol. We also discuss swimming in the Avon with Luke and Charlie from All-Aboard Watersports who organise swimming in the Bristol docks. Vicki gets help from CK SUP and Paddle at Newbridge outside Bath, and then has a refreshing swim with Bart, one of her father's rowing friends. Becca Drazin from the group Conham Bathing tells us about how much she likes her swim spot on the River Avon. To end we hear a beautiful poem about the river by Mrs Meg Avon. Find out how the swim goes….

Find out more: ⁠@swimoutpodcast ⁠or ⁠⁠swimout.net⁠

@johnny palmer

@all-aboard watersports

@conhambathing

@CK Sup &Paddle

@mrs_meg_avon

In this episode Vicki meets musician and singer BE who has written the beautiful song Swim Through. The song is inspired by the women BE met whilst swimming, and hearing their stories. Vicki has a dip with BE at Hampstead Ladies Pond and a chat about how swimming helps us to get through stuff. We also hear from the women who helped to make the video of the song. Find the song, it's very catchy and has a great rhythm if you want to sing along as you Swim Through your swim.

Find out more at ⁠SwimOut.net⁠ and ⁠@swimoutpodcast⁠

Find the video and song

@Creating_Be

BE - Swim Through (Official Music Video)

Link to song on Spotify

In this episode Vicki meets Neil Agius, an ultra endurance marathon swimmer who has set world records with his swims near his home in Malta. Vicki and Neil go for a swim at West Reservoir and discuss how you get from swimming a 400 meter race in the Athens Olympics to a 142 kilometer swim round Malta, Gozo and Comino. We talk about how you can manage such long swims physically and mentally and cope with the doubts and the jellyfish. He talks about his swims and the mental framework called the Ocean Mindset, which he has developed. This combines strategies like breathwork, ice immersions, and community to build resilience and focus and get him through his super long swims. He also talks about how a plastic bag gave him a big idea and a new charity.

Find out more at SwimOut.net and @swimoutpodcast

Vicki explores pollution in our rivers and swim spots and how this affects us as swimmers. It's quite a grim tale. The episode gives you heaps of great information about identifying and dealing with pollution, so you can be better prepared for your swim. Yvette Tetteh who has swum down the River Volta in Ghana, talks about her swim, the river and the clothing waste from the global north that is clogging it up. She also talks about her charity The OR Foundation which is campaigning for change. Rebecca Duncan from The Rivers Trust talks about different types of pollution, how to spot them and what action you can take. Henry Shepherd from the charity River Action and Honor Teare from Friends Of The Thames meet up with me to test the river Thames and talk about testing and how the data is key for campaigning. Lastly I talk to Claire Robertson from Thames 21 in Oxford about how to get Designated Bathing Water Status for your swim spot.
Find out more: ⁠@swimoutpodcast ⁠or ⁠swimout.net⁠

Vicki explores the glorious world of older women swimmers, highlighting their achievements, dreams and passions. Sal Minty-Gravett MBE, who has swum the English Channel in each decade of her life since she was a teenager, talks about her Channel swims and co-hosts the programme. Almost Synchro, open water synchro swimmers, try to set a World Record for the longest cold water routine. Deborah Vine, a Team GB Ice swimmer, explains her love of cold water swimming. Listener Nickie Gore discusses the extra challenges of swimming with Parkinson's disease and Laura Reineke tells us about her love of the River Thames and her challenge to swim the Oceans 7. Kari Furre shares how she loves to teach Butterfly and her passion for teaching older swimmers.

Find out more: ⁠@swimoutpodcast ⁠or ⁠swimout.net

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