The Aqua Pod

The Aqua Pod

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Welcome to The Aqua Pod - a podcast by Scottish Swimming, covering all things aquatics in Scotland. From Diving to Swimming, Masters to Open Water, Water Polo to Artistic Swimming, we cover it all, from the top to the bottom of the country!

Scottish Swimming


    • May 8, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 32m AVG DURATION
    • 20 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from The Aqua Pod

    Episode 20: Political Engagement, Save Our Pools and the Power of the Network

    Play Episode Listen Later May 8, 2025 33:35


    Host Charlie chats to Scottish Swimming's Head of Marketing and Public Affairs, Helen Frost, as well as Aquatics Partnership Manager Gordon Hunter. The trio discuss the recent political engagement with the Save Our Pools and Support School Swimming Campaigns, the new Facilities Strategic Review and the recent National Learn to Swim Framework Day.

    Episode 19: Aquatics GB Championships Preview with Ben Higson and Mat Trodden

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2025 24:50


    Host Charlie speaks with High Performance Coaches Ben Higson (University of Stirling) and Mat Trodden (University of Edinburgh), looking over the swimming season so far and previewing the upcoming Aquatics GB Championships!

    Episode 18: Coach wellbeing at competitions with Laurel Bailey and Anthony Ryan

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2025 43:08


    Host Charlie, and this week's co-host Kerry Wood, sit down with swimming coaches Laurel Bailey and Anthony Ryan to discuss: coach wellbeing at competitions, top tips for new coaches on how to manage long competitions, and their thoughts heading into SNAGS

    Episode 17: Sport Aberdeen - Scotland's Learn to Swim Provider of the Year for 2024/25

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 20, 2025 19:13


    Host Charlie sits down with Sport Aberdeen Coached Programme Manager Dianne Breen, and Swimming Teacher Christian Nuade to discuss becoming Scottish Water Learn to Swim Provider of the Year.

    swim provider aberdeen scotland
    Episode 16: John Lunn - Meet Scottish Swimming's New CEO

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 6, 2025 29:42


    Host Charlie sits down with Scottish Swimming's New CEO John Lunn in this episode of The Aqua Pod. The pair discuss John's route into the sport of swimming, the lessons learnt in a long career in sport, and some of his ambitions at Scottish Swimming.

    Episode 15: Masters Swimming in Scotland

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 20, 2025 30:50


    Host Charlie Harris catches up with Janet McLean and Eddie Riach from the Scottish Masters community. The trio discuss Janet and Eddie's international success at European and World Championships, the positive environments are Masters Swimming, and the upcoming Scottish National Long Course Masters Championships.

    Episode 14: 2025 Season competitive update with Scotland National Coach Ian Wright

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 13, 2025 40:28


    Scotland National Coach Ian Wright gives a competitive update at start of 2025 season, alongside host of The Aqua Pod, Charlie Harris.The pair discuss coaching changes across Swimming and Diving Programmes in Scotland, early season performances from Scottish athletes and the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

    Episode 13: Forth Valley Tridents - Three Scottish Swimming clubs become one

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 6, 2025 34:37


    Host Charlie Harris is joined by Scottish Swimming Development Manager Anthony Manfredi, as the pair hear from the Executive Committee at the Forth Valley Tridents. Forth Valley Tridents are a new club born out of the ashes of Bo'ness, Falkirk Otters and Grangemouth Swimming Clubs. In the first of a new 'Club Spotlight' series, the group discuss the process, challenges and positive outcomes of the move to a Falkirk 'superclub' model.

    Vicki Tomlinson - Judging Diving at the Paris Olympics

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 16, 2025 21:16


    On the first episode of 2025, host Charlie Harris chats to Vicki Tomlinson - a leading figure within the Scottish Diving Community. The pair cover Vicki's journey into coaching and judging Diving, her current role as Diving Co-Ordinator at Edinburgh Leisure and her experience at the Paris Olympics

    Euan Lowe - Reflections on Five Years as Scottish Swimming CEO

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 19, 2024 35:15


    Host Charlie speaks with outgoing Scottish Swimming CEO about his five years at the head of the organisation

    Episode 10: Faye Rogers - Becoming a Paralympic Champion

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2024 29:45


    Host Charlie speaks with Paralympic and World Champion Faye Rogers about Paris 2024, the challenges after a games, winning international medals and what the future holds

    Episode 9: School Swimming in Scotland

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 25, 2024 20:03


    Host Charlie speaks to Scottish Swimming's School Swimming Aquatics Development Manager Erin Cummins. The pair discuss the landscape of school swimming across the nation, and the new National Primary School Swimming Framework.

    Episode 8: Paris Paralympics Preview

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 27, 2024 27:08


    Host Charlie speaks with Scottish Swimming's Disability Performance Development Manager Paul Wilson about the upcoming Paris Paralympic Games. Charlie also catches up with ParalympicsGB athletes Stephen Clegg, Louis Lawlor, Toni Shaw and Faye Rogers

    Episode 7: Olympics review with Ian Wright

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 16, 2024 36:45


    Scottish National Coach Ian Wright reveals his thoughts on the recent Paris Olympics with host Charlie Harris, as the pair look over the performances of Scottish athletes on Team GB

    Episode 6: The team behind the Olympic team

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 16, 2024 31:13


    This week host Charlie catches up with three practitioners heading to Paris as part of Team GB's swimming squad. Neil Shanks, Jonathan Twynham and Ade Campbell work across Strength & Conditioning, Performance Physiology and Physiotherapy in Scottish aquatics to help support athletes to perform at the highest level possible. Listen to hear about their experiences at previous games, their day to day work, and how important their relationships with coaches and athletes really is.

    Episode 5: Become our Club of the Year!

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 12, 2024 23:02


    Host Charlie catches up with Scottish Swimming Club Development Manager Paul Donald about the process of becoming our Club of the Year. Charlie also speaks to Chair of current winners Lerwick ASC, Inga Geddes, about their experience of winning the award last year

    Episode 4: Aquatics GB Diving Championships Preview with Angus Menmuir and Libby Duke

    Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2024 32:26


    Host Charlie is joined by Edinburgh Diving Club's Libby Duke and Angus Menmuir on the eve of the Aquatics GB Diving Championships. The trio chat about Angus and Libby's route into Diving, their first national titles, the legacy Birmingham Commonwealth Games at Sandwell, and the mental battles that come with being a platform diver

    Episode 3: More Swimmers

    Play Episode Listen Later May 16, 2024 33:11


    On this episode, host Charlie speaks to Alan and Gordon from the More Swimmers ream about their roles within the wider national Learn to Swim framework, and how their work fits into the overall vision of Scottish Swimming. Later in the episode we hear from some of the inclusion panel at the National Framework Day, including Toni Shaw.

    Episode 2: Five Scots on Olympic Swimming Team

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2024 31:57


    Hosts Charlie Harris and Ian Wright discuss the news that five Scottish swimmers have been selected to represent Team GB at the Paris Olympic Games in the summer. They hear from selected swimmers Katie Shanahan, Keanna MacInnes, and Lucy Hope, as well as University of Stirling Head Coach Steven Tigg. The pair also look back on a successful Aquatics GB Swimming Championships and Scottish National Age Group Championships for athletes

    Episode 1: Aquatics GB Swimming Championships Preview

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2024 66:56


    Join us on a bumper first episode of ‘The Aqua Pod' as we look ahead to the Aquatics GB Swimming Championships, which act as a selection meet for this summer's Olympic and Paralympic Games.   Nearly 1,000 athletes, over 3,000 swims, multiple coaches, team and support staff, and Olympic and Paralympic qualification at stake amongst other competitions – the Aquatics GB Swimming Championships are the pinnacle of the British swimming calendar.  With all six days of competition live on the BBC and YouTube, the nation's eyes will be on London Aquatics Centre, as approximately 60 Swimmers Para-Swimmers, will have their selections confirmed in the days following the Stratford meet.

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