Kelly Slater on surfing at the Olympics, retirement, and Baywatch
The 11-time world champion surfer still has a chance to qualify for the Olympic Games in Tokyo. The Olympic Channel Podcast sat down with surfing legend Kelly Slater to look back his career which has stretched out for nearly 30 years.
4 Dec 201929min
Ben Ryan – the coach behind Fiji’s rugby 7s Olympic gold
Battling cyclones, family deaths, relationship problems, and mysterious magic curses – Ben Ryan’s time in charge of Fiji’s men’s 7s team was truly inspirational. He gives insight into the difficulties he faced and also how he had to develop his own mindset to draw out the best from his players.LINKS:Ben Ryan TwitterAndrew Binner TwitterEd Knowles TwitterOlympic Channel Instagram
27 Nov 201925min
World champ Salwa Eid Naser making statements on the track and in fashion
The 400m runner Salwa Eid Naser took a silver medal at the Youth Olympics in 2014 wearing a hijab and a full body suit. Fast forward to her incredible performance at the 2019 World Athletics Championships – she wasn’t wearing a hijab but now has nine tattoos and five piercings.“I don’t really care what people think. It’s my life and I do what I want.”LINKS:Salwa Eid Naser InstagramOlympic Channel InstagramEvelyn Watta TwitterEd Knowles TwitterThe consequences of the Caster Semenya ruling
20 Nov 201915min
Kate Richardson-Walsh’s battle with a broken jaw, the year from hell, and making dreams come true
Team GB hockey captain Kate Richardson-Walsh had a year from hell in 2014. “I started to ask myself some really big life questions. Why am I here? What is my value?” After breaking her jaw in the first game of the 2012 Olympics, she took a bronze medal on home soil. The quest for an Olympic gold seemed to be impossible after a disappointing performance in the 2014 World Cup. But the team did become champions at Rio 2016. So, how did she make her dreams come true? LINKS:Kate Richardson-Walsh Instagram David Childs Twitter Ed Knowles Twitter Olympic Channel Instagram Jordan Burroughs episode
13 Nov 201922min
How a phone call made Lacey Henderson a Paralympian
US long jumper Lacey Henderson seemed like a dead cert for Rio 2016. But some personal issues came up and her performance dipped. A phone call when she was on holiday completely changed her life - and her outlook. Lacey is an amputee cancer survivor with a wicked sense of humour. She shares her story ahead of the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai.LINKS:Lacey’s InstagramLacey’s podcastOlympic Channel InstagramEd Knowles’ Twitter
6 Nov 201924min
Running in North Korea with Aimee Fuller and Mirjam Jaeger
Two Olympians were invited by Olympic Channel to run in the North Korean capital. Winter athletes Aimee Fuller and Mirjam Jaeger took to the rarely seen Pyongyang streets as the city opened its doors for an internationally-recognised marathon. The podcast explores how the trip came about, what the two women took from the experience, and future hopes.LINKS:Running in North Korea full documentaryAimee Fuller InstagramMirjam Jaeger InstagramEd Knowles TwitterUSA artistic swimming episode
30 Okt 201918min
Owen Wright: The surfer making a comeback from a traumatic brain injury
He was challenging for the world title in 2015 when Owen Wright’s world changed forever. The Australian suffered a severe concussion that meant bleeding on his brain. It’s been a long and difficult road to recover but, now, he’s a contender for the team at Tokyo 2020 after winning a WSL event in Tahiti.Links:Owen Wright on InstagramOlympic Channel on InstagramEd Knowles on TwitterAshlee Tulloch on TwitterWhy skateboarding will be awesome at Tokyo 2020
23 Okt 201933min
Adam Rippon with Meryl Davis on advice, LGBTQ+ issues, and becoming an icon
Two figure skating legends on one Olympic Channel Podcast. From his tough times in his coach’s basement to becoming a cultural icon, Olympic champion Meryl Davis speaks to her friend and USA teammate Adam Rippon about his epic life story.LINKS:Meryl Davis on InstagramAdam Rippon on InstagramEd Knowles on TwitterOlympic Channel on InstagramMirai Nagasu episode
16 Okt 201929min
