Swimming as an escape from work in a war zone - with Dr Victoria 'Rosie' Rose

In this debut episode of In At The Deep End, host and swim coach Salim Ahmed welcomes his first guest, Dr Victoria Rose - or 'Rosie' as he knows her - a consultant plastic surgeon whose life is defined by two remarkable worlds: the operating theatres of London hospitals and the war-torn hospitals of Gaza.

Rosie shares her journey from dedicated runner to passionate swimmer, how a serious knee injury changed everything and why swimming has become a lifeline - not just physically, but mentally and emotionally - as she processes the harrowing work of treating children with blast, burn, and bullet injuries in one of the world's most dangerous conflict zones.

Key themes in this episode:

• What plastic surgery really involves and why it has such an unfair reputation
• The IDEALS charity and its decades of work supporting surgeons in conflict zones
• Life in Gaza before and after October 2023 - the contrast between restaurants and rubble
• The friendship and responsibility that drives humanitarian volunteers back into danger
• The physiological magic of cold water and the body's response to immersion
• Swimming as community, fitness and mental health support
• Open-water swimming at Shepperton Lake, and the eureka moment
• Swimming for body, mind and soul: resilience, mindfulness and showing up

Useful Links

Swimming & Open Water

• Shepperton Lake — open-water venue mentioned in the episode
• Swim England — Find a Club — find a Masters club near you
• British Masters Swimming
• Outdoor Swimming Society — open-water locations and resources

Swim with Salim

• SwimLab - Learn to swim with Salim

Organisations Mentioned

• IDEALS Charity — supporting surgeons in conflict zones

Dr Victoria Rose

• Follow Rosie on Instagram

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Produced by The Good Studio - thegoodstudio.co.uk