WELCOME TO THE PODCAST THAT GETS BEHIND THE GOGGLES
Swimming in a public pool is a funny thing, you are both exposed and cocooned.
You may simply jump in your lane, swim your laps and leave; but chances are you will have a chat with one of your fellow swimmers each time you swim.
As for those open water swimmers... that's quite a different breed!
They certainly have some tales to tell.
This podcast aims to get below the surface and jump into the deep end with swimmers to reveal their varied and fascinating lives, and some of the history of your local swimmers.
Jane Mills
I am naturally curious and love a good chat. I'm a people person,who enjoys community and learning and sharing stories.
I have been swimming at Prahran Pool for over 20years (not consistently, but more on than off). I also have enjoyed quite a few open water swims - having swum the Pier To Pub in Lorne 5 times and the low key Mt Martha 1.2km bay swim twice.
I have lived and worked in the Prahran/South Yarra area since I was a teenager and it's great seeing familiar faces at the pool, some of whom I haven't seen since the 80s!
This podcast is a great way for me to connect with those I already know as well as meet new people. Hopefully I am able to bring some of the hidden tales and talents of our swimming community to the surface.
ABOUT ME
PODCAST GUESTS
Who are you listening to ?
The guests on my Podcast are people I have encountered at the pool over the years.
I have tried to find a variety of swimmers to chat with so you can hear a broad range of stories.
Episode one: Adriene Greenhough
Adie, as we know her, rides her bike every morning to swim her 40+ laps... remarkable for her age.. as they say.
Adie talks about her incredible life in Melbourne.
From the artist communities of the 60s and fitness fun in the 80s. What an interesting and varied life Adie has had.
Episode two: Paul Whitehead takes us through his journey in the Pool from open water swims to Masters competitions.
Paul talks about the fun of the 70s and 80s as a hairdresser in Chapel Street. His interest in fitness and how is staff enjoyed smoking at the Gym rather than exercising!
We chat about his amazing career and his passion for cars and guitars.
Episode Three: Aaron Tenabel was part of the Australian National Swim Team in his youth.. being a professional athlete set him on a course to a life involved in his passion for Sport.
Episode Four: Kate McKevitt became a qualified Lawyer before deciding that corporate law was not going to make her life happy. Katie now leads a very active life working as a personal trainer, lifeguard and yoga instructor.
This bubbly New Zealander has a passion to connect with people and help them with fitness and happiness.
Episode Five: Susan Berg ...after swimming and struggling for 3 and half hours in the cold dark waters of Western Port Bay, Susan finally found help 3 km from where she landed on French Island. .... This tragic story has turned around to become the challenge of a lifetime as Susan prepares to swim as part of four-person relay team across the English channel.
Episode Six: Scott Denison - I met Scott at Prahran Pool where he works as a lifeguard. He became the catalyst for this podcast when I discovered he was actually a maker of Shirts. Scott chats about his pool life, working with the elderly and his life in the Rag-trade and his new custom shirt business.
Episode Seven: Tim Martelli - If Tim looks familiar that's most likely because you've eaten in the Chapel St restaurant La Lucciola established by his parents in 1984 and where he and his mum Rosa still work today.
When Tim puts down his apron, you'll find him training for Triathlons or Iron Man competitions.
Tim has a great positive outlook and thought at 50 ... why the hell not start these marathon sporting challenges!
Episode Eight: Jennie Bucknell - A well-known swimming coach at Prahran Pool and Harold Holt pool, Jennie speaks of her career in the pool including a highlight of 2012. At age 45 Jennie qualified to line up against Australia's elite swimmers and swim to qualify for a place in the London Olympic team. Although she didn't make the team, it's such an outstanding achievement to even get into the pool and compete at this level. Especially since some of the other swimmers were as young as 15!
Diane swims each morning at Prahran Pool before heading off to work for Stonnington Libraries.
In this episode, Diane talks about what lead her to swimming and we also discuss her career as a Librarian. Don't believe the stereotypes of libraries being boring!
Grant talks about his swimming coach career - which spans junior students, teenagers, and adult swimmers. We also discuss his passion for open water swimming and the Events he set up - including a night time, Winter Solstice swim in the Bay! Surprisingly popular!
Tune in to hear about marathon swim training and a little bit of musical relief.
Originally from New Zealand, Denise now calls Melbourne home and is a passionate swimmer.
After a health scare that required 18mths of treatment and a craniotomy to remove multiple meningiomas, Denise found herself swimming for hours in the Prahran pool.
5 years on.. Denise is a veteran of 2 Rottnest Island swims, NZ open water swims (with Orca in tow) and the English Channel. Denise's optimistic nature holds her in good stead as she has dealt with her fair share of swimming disappointments including the non landing of her latest Channel attempt.
You may recognise Tim's voice on this podcast as he is an award-winning Sports Broadcaster and Journalist. A long time swimmer at Prahran Pool, I first connected with Tim over our shared joy/heartache with Carlton Football Club.
In this episode, we chat about Tim's transition from running to the pool and his subsequent quest for swimming improvement.
Tim also discusses his recent travels to South America which sounds amazing.
Episode Thirteen: Di Pausewang
A very real recording poolside on a sunny afternoon. (apologies for all the wind and workers' noise!)
Chatting with Di a longtime Squad swimmer about swimming at the Prahran pool.
Di has been swimming since childhood, and her father at 92 is still swimming in the ocean.
We talk about the fun of swimming at a public pool and the benefits of exercise especially as we age.
Full of smiles and hello, Stella is a charming member of the Prahran Pool community.
Stella chats about her swimming and other interests in this podcast.
Celia and her family are passionate about Prahran Pool they enjoy swimming here and are part of swim squads with Black Line Fever. This is why they have started a campaign to extend the winter opening hours of Prahran Pool so that the community can access this great facility during the day all year round.
Australians may be more familiar with Steve Kilbey as the enigmatic singer and songwriter from the Classic rock band The Church. However, Steve is absolutely passionate about swimming - especially in the ocean pools of Sydney.
It was great to chat with Steve on his home turf at Wylie Baths. He loves the fish in the pools and talks of his shift from addiction to Heroin to his addiction to cold winter swims in the Ocean.
Episode Seventeen: Luke Richards
Trigger warning for this episode: discussions of mental health and suicide.
Luke Richards is spending every day this November swimming 7km to raise awareness for Mens Mental health as an ambassador for Movember.
In this podcast, recorded at Sandi Bay Kiosk Luke discusses how he started swimming and his passion for sharing his Mental health recovery story.
Luke talks openly and emotionally about how he continues to live with his Mental Health issues and thrives through his involvement in extreme opening water swimming challenges.
Episode Eighteen: Angela Dressler
Possibly the most friendly person in Elwood, Angela, with her mane of flowing grey hair is easy to spot on the beach and she is always chatting to someone! Which is great because she has create a fabulous swimming community for women who want a swim buddy for their bay swims.
Angela with friends Penny and Mary created the Seagals a group for local Elwood swimmers.
During this conversation Angela talks about the history of the Seagals and also her other swimming experiences.
She was a Surf Life Saver, worked in fitness education and even setup the inaugural Portsea Surf Classic.
You can find more Seagals details on the FB page.
Episode Nineteen: Jacqueline Wong
Jacqueline hails from Wellington NZ, however after a stint in Berlin, she has settled in Melbourne. I met Jacqui as a member of the Elwood Seagals swim group and she kindly found time to chat with me on the Behind the Goggles Podcast.
On this episode Jacqui discusses her swimming background and the catalyst for setting up The Swim Project.
The Swim Project is a programme designed to teach water confidence and swimming skills to adults.
Her passion is for teaching and creating a safe and nurturing program for adults to overcome trauma or fear.
You can follow her on her Social media pages - Facebook and Instagram at The Swim Project.
I met Paul Gildea as part of the Seagals, the group of women I swim with in Elwood.
So Paul - alongside Graeme and Bill - being the only men swimming regularly with us; are known as SeaPals.
Learning to swim at the City Baths in Melbourne CBD as a child, Paul and his brother both became squad swimmers and swam morning and afternoon at the Glasshouse pool in from age 10 - 13.
He swam for his school and enjoyed it, but his true calling to be a musician took over when he received his first guitar!
Paul has swum whilst touring both in Australia and the USA as a member of Icehouse and Little River Band and is appreciative of the quality network of public pools we have here.
Paul has been a welcome and popular member of the Seagals and we all enjoy the community and swimming support.
Episode Twenty One: Liv Wawryk
Quietly confident, Liv has become an inspiration for many of the women who swim with her as part of the Seagals group.
Starting her open water swimming with the Elwood swimming group during Covid lockdowns in 2020, Liv has set herself some incredible challanges that even some seasoned bay and ocean swimmers would baulk at.
In 2021 Liv decided to join with fellow Behind the Googles alumni Grant Siedle and become a winter RIP swimmer.
You can find out more about that swim here.
Then the challenged turned to the Ice Mile.
In this podcast Liv talks about her journey to swim this most challenging event. It's certainly not all sunshine and dolphins, that's for sure.
From the training and almost impossiblity of being able to practise this extreme swim, then the race and fierce recovery the body needs.
I'm sure you will be fascinated by Livs story, especially if you have ever dreamt of pushing your swimming boundaries.
A passionate pool and open water swimmer Aaron talks about his life in the water.
From squad swimming Southport as a teenager to swimming middle distance events around Melbournes Bays.
Aaron is an amateur photographer, but professional software developer with an interest to develop a swimming app for travellers giving the local knowledge to local swim spots.
questions
If you have any questions or suggestions for this Podcast... feel free to let me know
