#186: Nicola Charlesworth on Masters Swimming, Deaflympics and Determination

Nicola Charlesworth shares her remarkable journey as a deaf swimmer, her return to the pool after a 17-year break, and the record-breaking performances that have made her a name to look out for in masters swimming.Her path back to success has been anything but straightforward - from representing Great Britain as an elite junior swimmer with Olympic ambitions, to navigating progressive hearing loss and recovering after being hit by a bus.Nicola shares the unexpected challenges she faces as a deaf athlete, balancing training with a demanding career and young family, and the powerful role swimming plays in her mental wellbeing. We also explore what drives her to keep pushing boundaries in the pool.Visit our Instagram channel @freestyle_media_swimming for lots of great video clips from our weekly podcasts.

Trafford Metro’s Chris Malpass chats about life in the early stages of recovery from knee surgery. Confined to the sofa rather than the pool, he shares the realities of rehab, adapting training, and the mental resilience needed to stay motivated when everything stops.Helen Gorman digs into the bigger picture; what it really means for masters swimmers to keep pushing limits in their 40s and beyond and uncovers that this is far from Chris’s first setback.Listen in for honest reflections and a few philosophical detours covering snooker, camper vans and crocodiles.Visit our Instagram channel @freestyle_media_swimming for lots of great video clips from our weekly podcasts.

Join Olympic medallist and coach Brian Brinkley for a trip back to one of the most turbulent eras in sport.From the shadow of the Munich massacre at the 1972 Summer Olympics to the podium highs of 1976 Summer Olympics, Brian shares what it was like inside the Olympic Village when history and controversy unfolded.We dive into the rise of East German dominance, the realities behind doping, and what it meant to race in the era of David Wilkie, when British swimming was making waves on the world stage.Expect opinions, storytelling, a surprising gesture from Bernard Matthews, and a love for the sport that still burns strong.This is swimming history as you’ve never heard it before.

Helen Gorman catches up with masters swimmer John Wood following his standout performances at the Aquatics GB Championships in London, where racing shoulder-to-shoulder with the country’s elite pushed him to a lifetime best in the 100m butterfly at age 40.We also shine a light on other masters swimmers racing at the very top level, including Rebecca Guy, who powered her way into two finals, and Martin Bennell, who made history as the oldest ever competitor at the championships at 49.From warming up alongside Olympic champions to navigating the intensity of a high-performance environment, John gives an insight into the week - what he learned, and why more masters swimmers should consider stepping onto this stage.Plus, we explore how to qualify, the pathway to the Olympic Games trials in 2028, and John reveals his unusual side hustle.

Mike Peyrebrune, coach and sports scientist at Loughborough University, joins us to share expert insight into altitude training and warm weather camps. Drawing on his experience working with Olympic swimmers, Mike explains how elite athletes use these environments to fine-tune performance - and what that really looks like in practice.We explore the science behind altitude training, from the physiological adaptations to the realities of living and training in a low-oxygen environment. What benefits are swimmers actually chasing? How are altitude camps structured across a season? And where do the marginal gains really come from?Crucially, we bring the conversation back to club and masters swimmers. Is altitude training realistic, or even worthwhile outside the elite system? We discuss the trade-offs, the limitations, and the alternatives, including heat training and warm weather camps.

We sit down with 2025 British Masters Decathlon champions Michelle Ware and Mike Hodgson to unpack one of swimming’s most intriguing competitions.They break down what the Decathlon actually is, how it works, and how any masters swimmer can get involved - whether you’re chasing points or just looking for a new challenge. We also dive into how it can keep you motivated across the season and push you beyond your usual comfort zone.Along the way, we tackle the mysterious age-adjustment formula (yes, we try to make sense of it…) and explore why Jane Asher continues to set the standard as one of the toughest competitors to beat.The best part? You’re probably already in it. Every British masters swimmer is automatically included - so this might just be the nudge you need to broaden your events and give it a go.

We discuss the radical training behind the fastest man in the world. Sonny Trigg shares what he learned from spending time in Brisbane with Cameron McEvoy.Fresh from witnessing the build-up to McEvoy’s world record-breaking 50m freestyle (20.88), Sonny gives a unique behind-the-scenes look at a programme that’s turning traditional swim training on its head.We explore the relentless focus on marginal gains, the team and environment that support it, and the mindset shift that allowed McEvoy to completely reinvent how he trains - with remarkable results. We also look what other swimmers can take from this approach (and there’s more than you might think, whether you’re a sprinter or not).This is a fascinating, thought-provoking look at what it took to become the fastest in the world - and what elements of that journey might apply to you.Huge thanks to Sonny, aka TheSwimSuitGuy, for joining Helen Gorman on the podcast.

Meet Siân Clement, an intrepid open water and ice swimmer dividing her time between South Wales and Orkney and rarely choosing the easy path.In this episode, we learn about her remarkable journey from swimming alongside penguins in Antarctica to taking on the iconic Manhattan Island Marathon Swim and becoming the first woman to complete the Original Triple Crown of open water swimming: the English Channel, Bristol Channel, and the formidable North Channel between Ireland and Scotland.Siân shares insights into balancing life as a doctor with extreme endurance challenges, her recent experiences racing at the European Ice Swimming Championships, and her unexpected title as a world champion in bog snorkelling. It’s a conversation full of adventure, resilience, and humour, capturing not just the extremes of the sport, but the joy and connection found within the open water swimming community.Presented by Helen Gorman.

Jamie Ingram joins us Helen Gorman to discuss his tapering strategy ahead of the Aquatics GB Swimming Championships this April. He’s one of Britain’s top butterfly swimmers and a Commonwealth Games medallist from 2022. Jamie explains what goes into preparation for a major event, what changes in the final weeks before competition, and the signs swimmers look for to know they’re ready to perform. He breaks down his 100m butterfly, from kick counts, pacing and strategy to handling pressure as he targets another Team England selection. There are lots of takeaways for masters swimmers, highlighting what elements of elite training can be applied at any level. We also touch on Jamie’s own masters swimming experiences, the downsides of growing long facial hair before taper, and his race analytics and coaching business, https://www.jingramswimming.com

This week we dive into the science of lactate, that familiar burning sensation you feel in the closing stages of a hard race, and explore why bicarbonate of soda – baking powder – is being used by elite athletes to slow down lactate acid production. We look at how athletes can train to improve lactate tolerance, considering diet, lifestyle and age as a factor. We consider why elite athletes across different sports have experimented with taking bicarb supplements and whether it can genuinely help swimmers hold their speed when fatigue kicks in. Joining us are Jack Gray and Josh Elston-Carr from sports nutrition brand, FLYCARB. They bring scientific knowledge and performance experience to the conversation. We discuss how bicarb works as a buffering agent, why it’s been used across multiple different sports since the golden era of Coe vs Ovett on the track. We also look at the downsides and discuss whether supplementation has a placebo effect on performance. This episode breaks down physiology, training, and the practical applications in a way that’s (hopefully) easy to understand. If you’d like to try bicarb for yourself, visit https://www.flycarb.com and use the code FREESTYLE10.