The Sam Oldham Podcast

In the summer of 2024 Sam Mikulak was part of the coaching team that supported the US Men's gymnastics team on their way to the Olympic podium at the Paris Olympic Games. Sam Mikulak had incredible gymnastics career winning six national titles, two world championships medals and he represented Team USA at three Olympic Games. Sam was part of the Michigan wolverines college gymnastics team that won back to back NCAA titles in 2013 and 2014 and has a gymnastics skill named after him in the code of points. He faced many challenges throughout his career but his character and determination have inspired athletes from around the world. Whilst spending time with the German gymnastics hero Fabian Hambuchen last year he spoke of how it was Sam Mikulak who had changed his outlook on the sport. This episode with Sam is probably my favourite conversation we have had on the podcast to date and we hope you're able to find real value in his stories. It was mental health awareness week in the UK when this episode was recorded and Sam himself has struggled with depression throughout his young life. A problem shared is a problem halved and Sam certainly made me feel less alone last week so I want to thank him for being an amazingly positive force in the world. And this is his story.

In March 2025 I was fortunate enough to spend a weekend with the current Olympic pommel horse champion Rhys McClenaghan. I was taken back by his incredible attention to detail, all around  professionalism and overwhelming generosity. These were all qualities I had experienced a few months earlier whilst filming with the Rio 2016 Olympic High bar champion Fabian Hambuchen. Growing up alongside the greatest British gymnast of all time Max Whitlock MBE, I witnessed first hand exactly what it takes to become an Olympic champion in the sport of men's gymnastics. All three of these athletes broke records and were able to compete consistently against the best of the best for many years. And this is my story.

In April 2025 Joe Fishburn broke the eliminator record on his way to winning the final of gladiators series 2 and he lifted the famous trophy at the Sheffield arena. Joe is a two time European medalist in the sport of gymnastics competing in the discipline of team gym which includes tumbling, vaulting and a the floor exercise. He represented the sport of gymnastics throughout the game show excelling in many of the events on his way towards the final. Joe trained with Roddy Mackay, who was one of the original gladiator contestants on the show back in 1993 to prepare for this series at the Scarborough gymnastics club where he grew up. And this is his story. 

In 2021 Eddie Penev tore his anterior cruciate ligament in his knee for the third time whilst preparing for the Tokyo Olympic qualification event for team USA. Eddie first represented Bulgaria following in the footsteps of his parents who both competed at the highest level in the sport of gymnastics for their country. At the 2010 World gymnastics championships Eddie qualified for the floor exercises final finishing in 6th place. Seven years later he repeated that achievement at the World championships in Montreal however this time he wore the red, white and blue of team USA. He won multiple NCAA and national titles throughout his career as part of the Stanford university gymnastics team and later on the US Olympic training centre squad. Eddies journey has been full of challenges and is an incredible example of resilience in face of real adversity. As he approaches the final chapters of his gymnastics career Eddie is once again wearing the Bulgarian flag on his chest and hopes to compete well in 2025 at the European championships next month. And this is his story. 

In 2024 Rhys McClenaghan made history becoming the first Irish men's artistic gymnast to ever win an Olympic medal. Performing one of the greatest pommel horse routines of all time to become the Paris 2024 Olympic champion. Rhys is the only gymnast to have ever held the European, Commonwealth Games, World championships and Olympic titles at the same time. He is now a Red Bull athlete and recently took part in Dancing with the stars winning the TV reality show trophy. His Olympic legacy will inspire generations of young Irish athletes to dream of competing on the biggest stage of all. We were lucky enough to spend time with Rhys at the National training centre in Dublin and had the amazing opportunity to watch him train alongside the Irish team. Thank you to Rhys and the coaching team based in Dublin for giving us their time. And this is his story. 

In 2023 Winston Powell represented Great Britain at the junior World gymnastics championships. Winston qualified for the all around final in seventh place and two individual apparatus finals at his first global championships, competing against the best young talents in the World. Most recently he finished an impressive 9th all around at the British gymnastics championships and took the bronze medal on the High Bar for the city of Birmingham gymnastics club. Winston hosts a gymnastics podcast interviewing the very best young gymnasts in the country titled " The Game of Gymnastics "And this is his story. 

In January 2025 I sent out an email to all the contacts I still have in sports media and broadcasting. This is something I've done now for the past four years but have had a very limited success. However this year British gymnastics contacted me to see if I would like to be part of the live broadcasting team, covering the British gymnastics championships which would be shown live on the BBC. Alongside Sydney Davis in the studio we covered the British championships all around event and apparatus finals. It was an incredible opportunity for me to share my gymnastics knowledge and watch some of the best gymnasts in Great Britain from the best seats in the house. As a young athlete I was inspired by watching and listening to the great Mitch Fenner commentate on the performances of my childhood heroes. And this is my story. 

In 2012 Syque Caesar made history when he represented Bangladesh at the London Olympic Games in men's gymnastics. He also captained the Michigan wolverines college team winning back to back NCAA titles in 2013 and 2014. Following his gymnastics career Syque turned his attention to coaching the next generation of US athletes, spending six years at Stanford university as an assistant coach. He then went on to coach out of the US Olympic training centre before taking on his current role at EVO gymnastics, working with some of the best talents in the country. Syque works alongside his old Michigan team mate,  Olympian Sam Mikulak who together were part of the coaching team supporting team USA who won bronze at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. And this is his story. 

In March 2025 the 117th British gymnastics championships took place in Liverpool at the M&S Bank arena. We were kindly invited by the British gymnastics media team to attend the Podium training session and had the opportunity to interview some of the top male gymnasts competing. The British all around men's gymnastics title is the most prestigious domestic trophy in Great Britain and the winner is awarded the original trophy from 1896. This championships marks the start of a brand new Olympic cycle as the journey towards the LA 2028 Olympic Games begins. Jamie Lewis recently became the English champion and went into this event as the firm favourite to claim his first senior British title. Luke Whitehouse the double European champion on floor and Paris 2024 Olympic finalist has ambitions to challenge on all six events. First year senior gymnast Jonas Rushworth is an extremely exciting talent, who is hoping to impress with his beautifully technical style of gymnastics. Courtney Tulloch is now a Dad and the changes to the rules in the new code of points, has played a key role in his decision to continue in the sport. Harry Hepworth has big plans to challenge for major championship medals on all three of his favoured apparatus moving forwards following his historic Olympic vault medal in Paris. Jake Jarmin is now a vastly experienced athlete having competed at multiple Olympic Games. His motivations are to challenge for World and Olympic all around honours in the next chapter of his career. And these are their stories. 

In 2024 at the Paris Olympic Games Ellie Black became a four time Olympian, helping the Canadian women's gymnastics team finish 5th in the final. Individually Ellie finished 6th in the All around event and she was the recipient of the Olympic fair play award for her act of sportsmanship towards fellow competitor Melanie De Jesus Dos Santons. Ellie Black is the most decorated female Canadian gymnast of all time and has won three World championships medals throughout her incredible career to date. She has plans to continue in the sport as we ahead towards the LA 2028 Olympic Games. And this is her story.