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Podcast
The Science and Art of Open Water Swimming
Grant Landers
The Science and Art of Open Water Swimming explores what it really takes to swim well — and safely — in open water. Hosted by endurance swimming coach and sport scientist Grant Landers, the podcast brings together swimmer stories, coaching insights, and evidence-based science to unpack performance, preparation, and decision-making in unpredictable environments. Each episode features conversations with open water swimmers, triathletes, coaches, and researchers, covering topics such as training alongside work and family life, adapting to conditions, managing uncertainty, and learning from both success and setbacks. The podcast is informed by Grant’s work coaching endurance swimmers and triathletes, as well as his research at the University of Western Australia — but it’s intended for the broader open water swimming community. Whether you’re preparing for your first open water event or refi...
Episódios
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Dr Elizabeth Sinclair: Swimming, Science and Seeing the Ocean Differently
· 41 min
What happens when a lifelong swimmer develops the tools to understand what's happening beneath the surface? In this episode, I sit down with Dr Elizabeth Sinclair, evolutionary biologist, conservation geneticist, marine scientist, and long-time endurance athlete. Liz shares her journey from a self-described novice open water swimmer completing her first triathlon in the United States, to represent...
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A/Prof Heather Massey: The English Channel, Cold Water and the Science of Swimming
· 49 min
What can marathon swimmers teach us about staying safe in open water? Can we really adapt to cold water? And why are researchers increasingly interested in the connection between outdoor swimming, wellbeing and mental health? In this episode, I sit down with A/Prof Heather Massey, an environmental physiologist at the University of Portsmouth and a leading researcher in cold-water immersion, swimme...
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Ceinwen Roberts: Marathon Swimming, Community and a Life in the Ocean
· 53 min
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 journey t...
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Will Rollo: Stewardship, Safety and the Rottnest Channel Swim
· 45 min
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...
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Dr Andrew Lyttle: Biomechanics, Curiosity and the Science of Drag
· 46 min
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...
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Barbara Pellick: I Reckon I Could Swim Back
· 44 min
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 & Ar...
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Charlotte O'Beirne: Mermaids, Confidence and Finding Your Place in the Water
· 46 min
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...
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Dr Jeremy Drake: Persistence, Exercise and Cancer Research
· 45 min
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...
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Prof Peter Reaburn: Successful Ageing, Masters Athletes and Swimming for Life
· 48 min
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...
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William Ellis: Why We Come to the Water
· 47 min
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,...
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Sam Moore: Community, Inclusion and the GeoBay Swim
· 37 min
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 from an...
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Ben Roberts: Participation, Progression and the Growth of Open Water Swimming in WA
· 41 min
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...
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Jordina Quain: Identity, Belonging and the Hidden Impact of Endurance Sport
· 48 min
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...
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Dr Sacha Fulton: Preparation, Adaptability and Performing Under Pressure
· 46 min
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...
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Adam O'Byrne: Ice Swimming, Cold Water and Training for the Moments
· 30 min
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...
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Adam O'Byrne: Ironman, Channel Swimming and the Triple Crown
· 39 min
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...
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Dr Jen Walsh: Sleep, Recovery and Making It Work in Real Life
· 42 min
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...
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Dr Terry Griffiths: Curiosity, Preparation and the Australian Triple Crown
· 44 min
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...
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Warwick Dalziel: The Evolving Swim, Race Dynamics and High-Performance Coaching
· 39 min
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...
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Duncan Kinnear: Extreme Environments, Cold Water and Racing Beyond Completion
· 35 min
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...
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The Science & Art of Open Water Swimming: What We’ve Learned So Far
· 18 min
🟢 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...
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Brenton Ford: Technique, Feel and Swimming Effortlessly in Open Water
· 44 min
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...
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Mel Tantrum: Open Water Coaching, Athlete Development and High-Performance Leadership
· 37 min
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...
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Dave Budge: Water Safety, Risk Management and the Evolution of Mass Participation Events
· 45 min
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...
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Dina Levačić: From Channel Swims to Researching Adaptation
· 42 min
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...
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Kate Bevilaqua: Long‑Course Triathlon Swimming, Pacing and Race‑Day Decisions
· 34 min
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...
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Vicki Delves: Coaching Beginners, Confidence and Skill Building in Open Water
· 39 min
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...
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Does Lighter = Faster? Body Composition and Performance Readiness: A special episode - originally recorded for The Distance Dr: In Practice
· 47 min
This episode was originally recorded for Dr Kate Baldwin’s podcast, The Distance Dr: In Practice, and is republished here with permission. In this conversation, Kate and I unpack one of the most persistent ideas in endurance sport — that lighter is always faster. We explore where this belief comes from, how it has been reinforced through measurement culture and why it is often oversimplified or mi...
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Mariko Collins: Waves, Curiosity and Adapting in Open Water
· 28 min
In this episode, Grant speaks with engineer and open‑water swimmer Mariko Collins about how swimmers move in waves, and what those forces feel like in the body. Drawing on her research and her recent first solo Rottnest Channel crossing, Mariko reflects on adaptation, curiosity, and the psychological challenges that emerge when things start to unravel late in a long swim. This interview was reco...
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Glenn Taylor: Lake Argyle, Risk Management and Creating a World‑Class Open Water Swim
· 34 min
In this episode, I speak with Glenn Taylor, race director of the Lake Argyle Swim, about what it takes to create and safely deliver one of Australia’s most unique open water events. They explore freshwater swimming, reduced buoyancy, big‑lake conditions, risk management, and why Lake Argyle can behave more like an inland sea than a typical lake. For more information on the Lake Argyle Swim visit...
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