It doesn’t get much better than the chance to sit with an Olympic athlete and talk at length about their career, their fear of failure, their mental health stability, their attitude to food and body image – and the joy of motherhood.

Wednesday’s Child is thrilled to have had the very special opportunity to get a window into the world of one of Britain’s most successful ever swimmers, Karen Pickering MBE.

In this podcast, she opens up about her own challenges, how she feels (and felt) about her weight, her body and food – and how she found a way to master the frustrations of seeking recovery from something which felt beyond her control.

Among the areas you’ll hear discussed in this episode are:

How does a female athlete maintain a healthy relationship with nutrition and exercise, while pushing herself to the absolute limits?

Does the poolside environment lend itself to more risk of eating disordered behaviours?

What role does courage and confidence play in recovery – be it from an illness, or accident?

Can you ever learn to manage the demons of perfectionism in a realistic and constructive way?

Please do let us know what you think of the episode, and get in touch if you’d like to pose more questions to Karen when we catch up with her again soon.

Find out more about Wednesday's Child at https://wednesdayschild.co.uk/