Freestyle Media

Rival Inter County team managers from Surrey (Laura Kerrigan) and Hampshire (James MacTavish) take on the 'Inter County Christmas Cup', a new podcast game show devised without any rules or a scoring system. Helen Gorman asks the questions and Joe Malone is called in work out who wins. This Christmas special covers training traditions as well as a review of what happened in 2025. We put forward nominations for the Freestyle Media masters swimmer of the year and look ahead to 2026. See you all in the new year, thanks for listening! Follow us on Instagram for video clips and https://www.instagram.com/freestyle_media_swimming/. Visit https://www.allensswimwear.co.uk and use the code ‘MastersPod’ to access discount on non-sale items.

Hear from Jane Asher following her induction into the Swim England Hall of Fame. Jane has broken over 100 master’s swimming world records and won numerous world titles. Now she’s preparing for the next age group with a laser focus on the record books! Even in her 90s, her swims are a master class in technique and pacing and her approach to training is a lesson in longevity (assuming no one gets in her way!) Hear stories from Jane’s childhood, including moving from Zambia to South Africa to get treatment for malaria, a life-threatening condition at the time, and how that move enabled a celebrated swimming career to begin. Follow https://www.instagram.com/freestyle_media_swimming/ to access video footage and some bonus interview snippets. Visit https://www.allensswimwear.co.uk and use the code ‘MastersPod’ to access discount on non-sale items.

This week, we meet Glen Christiansen, a Swedish Olympian and Masters World Record holder. We discuss Glen's journey from elite swimmer to coach, his heart breaking experience at the 1980 Olympics, why he attended the first ever World Masters Championships in Tokyo, and his recovery from a serious accident that resulted in him needing to relearn how to walk, talk and eat. Glen shares insights on the evolution of Masters swimming, his coaching philosophy, and the significance of his recent induction into the Masters Swimming Hall of Fame. The conversation highlights the challenges and triumphs of a life dedicated to swimming, both in competition and coaching.

Imagine doing just five months of training and breaking 50 seconds for the 100m freestyle? That’s exactly what Arran Francis did and he’s now one of the most exciting new faces on the masters swimming scene. Helen Gorman tracked him down to find out more.Arran talks through why joining Trafford Swimming Club was the best decision he’s made this year and what he hopes to achieve from here.He’s also a high achiever in the business world, managing three YouTube channels and commentating daily on eSports and Formula One. Arran explains his work and discusses the similarities and differences between gaming, motor sports and swimming.

This week, we meet Reg Lloyd, who shares his journey from elite swimming to managing type 1 diabetes and finding unexpected joy in masters swimming.He discusses the highs that earned him a stunning personal best time of 1 minute 46.1 for the 200m freestyle and securing a place at the National Performance Centre in Stirling to the significant health challenges that ended his elite swimming career. He discusses the training methods that have shaped his mindset and underlines the importance of good friends.As a key part of relay teams with TheSwimSuitGuy (Sonny Trigg), Reg has broken multiple masters world records, but the most important dynamic has been the fun and motivation that comes from being part of a team.Hosted by Helen Gorman.