Podcasts / EP 29. Ross Edgley & Melanie Barratt

EP 29. Ross Edgley & Melanie Barratt

The Swimmers | In Partnership With Talisker Whisky

This new season of Hell or High Water is brought to you in partnership with our friends at Talisker Whisky. To kick off the series we headed to the fabled Talisker distillery in the Hebrides, converging for the Skye Summit in celebration of World Oceans Day. We were joined by game-changing endurance swimmer Ross Edgley and Paralympic gold medalist Melanie Barratt to talk about their love of cold water, Ross’s achievement of being the first person to swim around the entire coastline of the UK, and Mel’s upcoming attempt to be the first visually impaired swimmer to cross the channel unassisted.

02.07.2024

01:29:04

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hell or high water episode 29
Episode 29
Ross Edgley & Melanie Barratt

The first person to swim around the mainland of Great Britain, Ross Edgley gave us the inside line on his monumental achievement…

Ross has become well known for his unfathomable feats of endurance and his laser focus on achieving peak human performance. Covering a gruelling 1780 miles (2860 km), he completed his Great British Swim in 2018 by alternating swimming and resting every six hours, and overcame challenges such as the Corryvreckan Whirlpool off the coast of Scotland, pushing through cellulitis and hypothermia in Loch Ness, and even experiencing his tongue falling off.

“For me, the sea is my church.”

- Ross Edgley

A visually impaired endurance swimmer and Paralympic Gold Medallist, we spoke to Melanie Barratt about her upcoming attempt to swim the English channel… 

In what will be a world record if completed, Melanie is currently training hard to become the first blind person to swim across the channel. An established heavy-hitter in the endurance swimming world, she won Gold at the Atlanta (1996) and Sydney (2000) Paralympics, and later became the first visually impaired swimmer to swim across Lake Geneva in Switzerland as part of a relay team.

“It is incredible what your body can do when you really put your mind to it. You are so much stronger than you think you are.”

- Melanie Barratt

Introducing Erv's Serves...

Throughout the series we’ll be checking in with our friends at Talisker to bring you bespoke cocktail recipes, made with their distinctive 10 year single malt whisky. Brought to you by Ervin Trykowski, Talisker's global single malt whisky ambassador, listen out for Erv’s serving suggestions in each episode – from consummate classics to modern twists on time-honoured traditions.

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