The Pullbuoy Podcast

Molly Renshaw recently announced her retirement from competitive swimming after a career, that included two appearances at the Olympic Games, and titles at European and World Short Course Championships.

In this episode, Molly opens up about her decision to retire and the emotions that came with it, as well as reflecting on some of the highlights of her swimming career. We delve into her training regime, the ups and downs of competing at the highest level, and the sacrifices she made to reach the pinnacle of her sport.

Molly also shares with us some insights into the mental and physical challenges of being an elite swimmer, and the strategies she used to stay focused and motivated throughout her career, especially when dealing with plateaus in performance.

---------------------

For more on retirement listen to our podcast special on retirement from swimming

---------------------

Review, subscribe, share on Anchor, Apple, Google, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts

---------------------

Connect on social:

- Twitter  @pullbuoy

- Instagram  @pullbuoyuk

- Facebook @pullbuoyuk

- YouTube

---------------------

Episode Artwork: Andrea Stacciloli/LEN/Deepbluemedia

Imogen Clark, the pullbuoy female swimmer of the year for 2022, occupies a bit of an unusual niche in British Swimming as a world class performer often locked out of the major meets by the focus on Olympic events. In this podcast she reveals the frustration that entails, but also how her focus has changed in response, while we also discuss a year that she feels was the best of her career.

It was a season that took Imogen to the Commonwealth Games, the European Championships and the Melbourne World Short course championships, giving her the taste for international competition. And it wasn't without success - with medals in Birmingham and Rome and British records both long and short course for the 50m breaststroke. We also talk about her return to Derventio Excel, the club where she first made her name, and how the ISL kept her swimming.

---------------------

Review, subscribe, share on Anchor, Apple, Google, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts

---------------------

Connect on social:

- Twitter  @pullbuoy

- Instagram  @pullbuoyuk

- Facebook @pullbuoyuk

- YouTube

---------------------

Episode Artwork: ISL/Deepbluemedia

If you've listed to the pullbuoy podcast at all over the past few years you will have often herd debate about why, for all its success in the pool, GB has been flagging in distance events and isn't currently living up to the standards of the past. In an effort to find out why this is and what is being done about it, Steve and Bob went to he man charged with turning the tanker around - British Swimming distance lead Kevin Renshaw. A 3 time Olympic team coach who coached David Davies to 10km silver in Beijing, Kevin knows a thing or two about distance swimming and shares with us some of the initiatives being put in place to try and return Britain to the distance podium.

---------------------

Review, subscribe, share on Anchor, Apple, Google, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts

---------------------

Connect on social:

- Twitter  @pullbuoy

- Instagram  @pullbuoyuk

- Facebook @pullbuoyuk

- YouTube

---------------------

Having reached her mid-twenties and with the disruption of a pandemic throwing everyone’s plans into disarray, Bella Hindley could have been forgiven for thinking her international swimming career had come to a conclusion before it had even started. But she persevered and this year made her senior international debut at the Commonwealth Games for England as well as being selected to race for GB at the World Short Course Championships.

In this episode of the pullbuoy podcast, Bella takes us through her route to international swimming, a journey that took in the NCAAs, the pro group at Tennesse and the ISL, the latter achieved by the use of social media. Now installed at the Loughborough Performance Centre, we also discuss where her sights are set for the future.

---------------------

Review, subscribe, share on Anchor, Apple, Google, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts

---------------------

Connect on social:

- Twitter  @pullbuoy

- Instagram  @pullbuoyuk

- Facebook @pullbuoyuk

- YouTube

---------------------

Episode Artwork: Mine Kasapoglu/ISL

The longest summer of international swimming in living memory came to a close in fine style at the European Championships in Rome. It was a decent showing for GB, including golds for Ben Proud and James Wilby, but the biggest story was of course the 100m freestyle world record from David Popvici.

Steve, Katie and Bob reconvene for the final podcast of the season and consider all of the above, plus there’s time to answer a number of listener questions.

We've thoroughly enjoyed this summer's run of meets, we hope you have enjoyed following along with us. With no ISL this year, there's no London Roar podcast, but we will be back soon. Keep your eyes on social media and subscribe so you don't miss out.

---------------------

Review, subscribe, share on Anchor, Apple, Google, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts

---------------------

Episode Artwork: LEN

---------------------

Connect on social:

- Twitter  @pullbuoy

- Instagram  @pullbuoyuk

- Facebook @pullbuoyuk

- YouTube

The last few years have been challenging for Lewis Burras with many mental and physical ups and downs as he sought to find his place in the swimming world. After a few false dawns mixed with some very low periods he found a kindred spirit in coach Zoe Baker and from there has kicked on to have an impressive breakthrough season in 2022. 

It’s one that has taken him to a new long course British Record over 100m freestyle and to three silver medals at the Commonwealth Games. In this episode of the pullbuoy podcast Lewis explains how working with a sports psychologist and a change of mindset towards being accountable for his own performance has allowed him to deliver in the water.

---------------------

Review, subscribe, share on Anchor, Apple, Google, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts

---------------------

Connect on social:

- Twitter  @pullbuoy

- Instagram  @pullbuoyuk

- Facebook @pullbuoyuk

- YouTube

---------------------

Episode Artwork: Georgie Kerr/British Swimming

It was a tremendously exciting week of racing in Birmingham at the Commonwealth Games, which generated a fantastic atmosphere in the sparkly new Sandwell Aquatic centre. It was as usual a display of Australian strength in the pool but the home nations acquitted themselves well.

On this review podcast, Steve and Katie consider events in the pool from the dominance of Ben Proud to the extensive medal winning exploits of Tom Dean, the finest farewell that Ross Murdoch could have wished for and much more. Also on the agenda was the Australian women's fearsome freestyle contingent, the Kyle Chalmers media storm, and some bizarre medley relay goings on.

---------------------

Get more Games memories here: Commonwealth Games Memories | pullbuoy

Our London Roar Podcast episode with Kyle and Emma is here: London Roar Podcast Episode 11 – Emma McKeon and Kyle Chalmers | pullbuoy

---------------------

Review, subscribe, share on Anchor, Apple, Google, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts

---------------------

Connect on social:

- Twitter  @pullbuoy

- Instagram  @pullbuoyuk

- Facebook @pullbuoyuk

- YouTube

To say that the difference between Hannah Miley's experiences at the Commonwealth Games of 2010 and 2014 is huge is not an understatement. While the former brought with it the challenges of the environment, the latter imposed a whole different set of pressures. 

In the final episode of the Commonwealth Games Memories podcast series for 2022, Hannah pulls no punches as she describes dealing with the very different demands of staying fit enough to swim in Delhi and the weight of being the poster girl for Scotland at a home games in Glasgow. 

---------------------

Get more Games memories here: Commonwealth Games Memories | pullbuoy

---------------------

Review, subscribe, share on Anchor, Apple, Google, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts

---------------------

Connect on social:

- Twitter  @pullbuoy

- Instagram  @pullbuoyuk

- Facebook @pullbuoyuk

- YouTube

--------------------- 

Episode Artwork: Ian MacNicol for Scottish Swimming on Flickr

With the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth games looming, Bob, Katie and Steve are joined by Commonwealth Champion Ross Davenport to take a look forward to some of the big stories in the pool.

We consider the impact of world championships, the unknowns around who is targeting this competition, the potential for new faces to make their names, and we pick out some swimmers to watch.

There's also a quick chance to consider the GB team selection for the following European championships and the recent announcement of dates for the World Championships in 2024, itself an Olympic year.

During this episode the 4x200 relay at the 2006 Games cropped up - you can see hear much more about that and watch the race with Ross in our 20 at 20 series.

---------------------

Get more Games memories here: Commonwealth Games Memories | pullbuoy

---------------------

Review, subscribe, share on Anchor, Apple, Google, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts

---------------------

Connect on social:

- Twitter  @pullbuoy

- Instagram  @pullbuoyuk

- Facebook @pullbuoyuk

- YouTube

---------------------

Episode Artwork: GBSwimstars

It was a Commonwealth Games like no other when they travelled to the sub-continent for the 2010 edition. While India put on a great spectacle, the cohort of swimmers was beset by an illness that swept through the teams, making it as much a test of resilience as it was speed in the water.

Lizzie Simmonds was a medal winning member of Team England that year and recalls a games that presented a completely new challenge.

---------------------

Get more Games memories here: Commonwealth Games Memories | pullbuoy

---------------------

Review, subscribe, share on Anchor, Apple, Google, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts

---------------------

Connect on social:

- Twitter  @pullbuoy

- Instagram  @pullbuoyuk

- Facebook @pullbuoyuk

- YouTube

---------------------

Episode Artwork: By Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (GODL-India), GODL-India, Link