The Science and Art of Open Water Swimming

In this episode of The Science & Art of Open Water Swimming, I sit down with Ceinwen Roberts; marathon swimmer, coach, event organiser and one of the most influential contributors to open-water swimming in Western Australia. From her early days in the pool to becoming an Australian Hall of Fame marathon swimmer, Ceinwen reflects on a lifetime spent in and around the water. We explore her journ...

The Rottnest Channel Swim is one of Western Australia's most iconic sporting events, attracting thousands of swimmers, paddlers, skippers, volunteers and supporters each year. But behind every successful crossing is a huge effort to balance tradition, participation and swimmer safety. In this episode, I speak with Will Rollo, President of the Rottnest Channel Swim Association, about his own journe...

Dr Andrew Lyttle has spent more than three decades helping athletes and coaches better understand how humans move through the water. From his PhD research on drag and swimming efficiency at UWA, through nearly 20 years at WAIS, to his current role as National Performance Support Lead for Biomechanics at the AIS, Andrew has been at the forefront of swimming biomechanics in Australia. In this episod...

Barbara Pellick: I Reckon I Could Swim Back   As a child, Barbara Pellick stood on Cottesloe Beach looking out towards Rottnest and wondered whether anyone could swim that far. Years later, after completing her first solo Rottnest crossing, she found herself standing on the beach at Rottnest thinking something even more ambitious: "I reckon I could swim back."   In this episode of The Science &amp...

Charlotte O'Beirne is the founder of Swimming Women, open water swimmer, coach, community builder and self-described "Chief Mermaid". In this conversation, Charlotte shares her journey from competitive swimming in England to marathon ocean swimming in Western Australia, including multiple Rottnest Channel crossings and a personal battle with fear in the ocean. More importantly, she explains how th...

Dr Jeremy Drake is a cancer researcher at Deakin University, a former elite triathlete and a current world championship age-group medallist. More than twenty years ago, I had the opportunity to coach Jeremy during his early years in elite draft-legal triathlon. Since then, his journey has spanned international triathlon competition, a PhD in cancer biology and a career dedicated to understanding h...

What does it mean to age successfully as an athlete? In this episode, I sit down with Professor Peter Reaburn, one of Australia's leading experts on masters athletes and someone who has spent a lifetime bridging the gap between sport science and real-world athletic performance. Peter's journey spans competitive swimming, surf lifesaving, triathlon, academia and masters sport. From winning one of Q...

Why do people come to the water, and what keeps them returning? In this episode, I’m joined by William Ellis: open-water swimmer, marathon swim coach, actor, voice artist, and host of An Open Water Swimmer's Podcast. Through his own swimming journey and hundreds of conversations with swimmers from around the world, Will has developed a unique perspective on resilience, community, personal growth,...

What makes an open water swimming event truly accessible? In this episode of The Science & Art of Open Water Swimming, I speak with Sam Moore, one of the driving forces behind the GeoBay Swim, a unique 20 km point-to-point swim from Dunsborough to Busselton that has quickly become a favourite on the Western Australian open water swimming calendar. Sam shares the story of how the event grew fro...

Open water swimming in Western Australia continues to grow, attracting everyone from first-time ocean swimmers to elite athletes competing on the world stage. In this episode, I speak with Ben Roberts, Manager of Events and Partnerships at Swimming WA, about the evolution of the Swimming WA Open Water Series, now entering its twentieth season. We discuss the factors driving participation growth, h...

What does endurance sport give us beyond fitness and performance? In this episode, I speak with Jordina Quain, an endurance swimmer, Ironman athlete, sexologist, educator and PhD researcher exploring how exercise shapes women's sexuality and sense of self. Jordi recently completed her first solo Port to Pub crossing to Rottnest Island after overcoming significant health challenges, using open wate...

What does great preparation actually look like? In this episode, I sit down with Dr Sacha Fulton, Accredited Sports Scientist, athlete preparation specialist, founder of Peak Preparation and a two-time Rottnest Channel solo swimmer, to explore how athletes can build the behaviours, routines and adaptability needed to perform when conditions don't go to plan. Drawing on her experiences in elite spo...

In part two of my conversation with Adam O'Byrne, we explore his move from marathon swimming into the world of ice swimming. Adam discusses cold-water adaptation, preparing for an Ice Mile, the physiological and psychological differences between marathon swimming and ice swimming, and how his background as a paramedic influences his approach to safety and risk. We also talk about earning the Frost...

Adam O'Byrne's endurance sport journey spans Ironman triathlon, multiple Rottnest Channel crossings and the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming. In this first part of our conversation, Adam reflects on his progression from AFL football and paramedic shift work into Ironman racing, qualifying for Kona and eventually discovering marathon swimming. We discuss his first solo Rottnest crossing, the les...

In this episode, Grant sits down with Dr Jen Walsh, a sleep scientist at the University of Western Australia, for a practical and grounded conversation about sleep — not as an optimisation strategy, but as a fundamental part of everyday life. Together, they explore how sleep works, why it matters, and how it fits into the realities of early mornings, work, family demands, and imperfect routines. T...

  In this episode, Grant speaks with Dr Terry Griffiths, ocean engineer, long-distance swimmer and recent finisher of the Australian Triple Crown of open water swimming. Terry’s journey into the water hasn’t been about chasing podiums but about curiosity, persistence and a desire to better understand the ocean. From his early experiences around the water through to completing three very different...

In this episode, Grant sits down with high-performance triathlon coach Warwick Dalziel to explore the evolving role of the swim in elite draft-legal racing. Drawing on over 20 years of coaching experience — from junior development pathways through to Olympic and Commonwealth success — Warwick shares how the swim has shifted from a point of separation to a high-speed, highly skilled entry into the...

  From Rottnest to Celtman—adapting to cold water, managing effort, and learning to race in extreme conditions. In this episode, I’m joined by Duncan Kinnear, an endurance athlete whose journey spans the Rottnest Channel Swim, Ironman racing, and the unique demands of Celtman in Scotland. We explore how different environments fundamentally change the experience of open water swimming—from warm, lo...

🟢 New to the podcast? Start here. This episode brings together what actually matters in open water swimming.   Over the past six months, this podcast has explored open water swimming through the voices of swimmers, coaches, scientists and practitioners. In this episode, we step back and reflect.   What actually matters when you’re out in the water - when conditions change, plans break down and th...

What makes good swimming technique actually hold up in open water?   In this episode, Grant speaks with swim coach, entrepreneur and Effortless Swimming founder Brenton Ford about the gap between pool swimming and the realities of open water. From stroke mechanics and breathing patterns to racing strategy, mindset and lifelong improvement, Brenton shares insights drawn from nearly two decades of c...

In this episode, I’m joined by Mel Tantrum, one of Australia’s most experienced swimming coaches, with a career spanning open water, high performance and now para swimming at the national level.   Mel reflects on her journey from swimmer to coach, the experiences that shaped her coaching philosophy and the lessons she wishes she had known earlier in her own swimming career. We explore the unique d...

In this episode, Grant speaks with Dave Budge, one of Western Australia’s most influential figures in triathlon and mass participation sport, about how water safety, risk management and event delivery have evolved over the past three decades. As a Life Member of Triathlon WA and Race Director for more than 200 triathlons,  along with major open water swims including the Busselton Jetty Swim and th...

In this episode, Grant speaks with Dina Levačić, an elite marathon swimmer, Ocean’s Seven finisher and emerging researcher, about what years of extreme open water swimming can teach us about health, risk and adaptation.   Dina reflects on the lived experience of channel swimming: how pain, fatigue, cold and uncertainty become normalised over time; the role of support crews and community knowledge...

In this episode of The Science and Art of Open Water Swimming, I’m joined by recently retired professional triathlete and coach Kate Bevilaqua to explore the role of swimming in non‑drafting long‑course triathlon. With the Busselton 100 marking the close of the WA triathlon season, this conversation looks at how athletes should think about the swim not as a standalone effort, but as the first deci...

In this episode, Grant is joined by Vicki Delves to explore what it really takes to help people feel confident, capable and supported as they begin their journey into open water swimming. Drawing on her experience coaching beginners and working closely with multisport athletes, Vicki shares how she helps swimmers translate fundamental skills into confidence in real‑world environments. The conversa...