Girl on the River
38 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 2 years ago - ★★★★★ - 6 ratingsPatricia Carswell, aka Girl on the River, loves to row and loves to talk, so it makes sense that in her podcast she'll be chatting to guests from all around the rowing and sporting world about anything and everything to do with rowing. Always informal, occasionally silly, sometimes serious, often informative, she delves into questions such as how athletes become champions, how to promote diversity in sport, the secret to staying alive on an ocean, how to improve your erg score and what to do to keep your body and mind in one piece. Her guests include Olympians, health experts, Atlantic rowers, kit companies, indoor rowers, TV presenters - in short, anyone with something to say about rowing and its place in the world. The podcast isn't just about Girl on the River and her guests, though. Community is everything in rowing, so you, the listener, are an important part of the show. There'll be regular Q&As and listener debates, and if you have suggestions for fantastic guests, she's all ears. Patricia can be contacted at [email protected] or on social media at @girlontheriver on all channels - come and have a chat .And until then... next stroke, easy oar.
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Episodes
Lawrence Farquarson - London Youth Rowing
December 08, 2021 00:00 - 51 minutes - 35.4 MBS3 Ep.4 If you heard my interview with Andy Triggs Hodge last year you may remember him talking about the brilliant charity, London Youth Rowing, which does fantastic work changing young people's lives through rowing. I was keen to get one of their coaches on the podcast to talk in a bit more detail about their work. So step forward Lawrence Farquarson. Lawrence has been a coach at LYR since 2012. In this interview we talk about: How Lawrence got involved in LYR NJIRC (National Junior Ind...
Napoleon Griffin on male breast cancer, diversity in rowing and the joy of sculling
October 19, 2021 23:00 - 1 hour - 47.1 MBS3, Ep 3. As many of you know, I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018, and had a mastectomy, chemo and immunotherapy, and since then I've been on a bit of a mission to inform people about things they might need to know about the condition. Which is why I was so thrilled when Napoleon Griffin agreed to come on the show. As both a rower and a male breast cancer survivor, Napoleon and I had LOADS to talk about. You can find Napoleon on Instagram here We talked about: Coming to rowing lat...
Charles Watson, founder of River Action UK, on the crisis in our rivers
October 05, 2021 23:00 - 42 minutes - 28.9 MBS3, Ep.2 It would have been lovely not to need to do this interview, but sadly our rivers - and the River Wye in particular - are in crisis, and as rowers and river-lovers you ought to know what's going on. So today I'm talking to Charles Watson, founder of charity and campaigning group, River Action UK, to find out what's wrong with our rivers and what we can do about it. How Charles went from PR boss to environmental campaigner What's wrong with the River Wye The elephant in the room dr...
Kate Lindgren aka the Blind Sculler
September 21, 2021 23:00 - 56 minutes - 39 MBS3, Ep.1 A very warm welcome back to the podcast for season 3. I'm really delighted to introduce you to Kate Lindgren, my latest guest, who is a member of Peterborough Rowing Club and a passionate sculler. Having lost her sight as a young woman, she only came to rowing later in life but has taken to it with an enthusiasm that can't fail to be infectious. Kate and I talk about: How and when she lost her sight Life in work and society as a blind person Roller disco! How she discovered rowi...
Wendy Martinson, OBE, lead nutritionist for the GB Rowing Team
July 27, 2021 23:00 - 55 minutes - 38.1 MBS2, Ep. 6 In all the excitement of the Tokyo Olympics, it's easy to forget about the team supporting the athletes. Behind every medal and record and personal best, there's a huge network of people making sure the athlete performs at their best. Which is why I was so delighted to talk to this week's guest - Wendy Martinson, OBE - who is the lead nutritionist for the GB Rowing Team. Having started her career in the NHS, Wendy soon moved into sports nutrition and has worked with athletes acro...
Camilla Hadland, rowing commentator
July 13, 2021 23:00 - 1 hour - 47.3 MBS2 Episode 5 Camilla Hadland has a voice that many of you will recognise. Having started rowing as a junior at a small club, she won a place in the U23 Women’s 8 and competed at the World Junior Championships in 2010, where they won Britain's first ever women’s gold medal at that event. After university, where she was President of her university boat club, she stopped rowing regularly and moved over into coaching. Camilla fell into commentating, but soon found herself in demand. In 2018 she...
Robin Winkels on the joy of teaching cancer patients to row
June 29, 2021 23:00 - 47 minutes - 32.5 MBAs soon as I heard about Row to Recovery I knew I wanted to talk to Robin Winkels, who founded it. Robin is a rower who, as a result of one phone call in 2014, ended up founding a charity that provides rowing for people who are undergoing or have had treatment for cancer. It's a subject close to Robin's heart after several members of her family had cancer, and she loves seeing the positive impact that rowing has on the participants. Here's what we talked about: How Robin got started with ro...
Baz Moffat, ex-GB rower and women's health coach, on women's health and sporting performance
June 15, 2021 23:00 - 1 hour - 45.1 MBBefore I go any further, I want to say something to my male listeners. This episode is for you, too. If you're a male coach working with female athletes, it's an absolute must-listen, but even if you're not, assuming you have a wife or a mother or a daughter or a sister or a female friend, or if you belong to a club where there are female athletes, you'll learn something valuable. So please keep on listening. When I decided to invite someone on the podcast to talk about women's health, ther...
Angela Jones on wild swimming, Panorama and saving our rivers
June 01, 2021 23:00 - 42 minutes - 29.4 MBThis episode is one that was especially thrilling to make, as it was the first one I actually recorded face to face – out in the open, hence the background sound of the river rushing by and the birds singing. Which is really appropriate as my guest, Angela Jones, spends almost as much time in the river as on dry land. Angela is a wild swimming specialist, a fitness instructor, a traveller, an adventurer and now an author. She has swum without a wetsuit amongst icebergs in Iceland, kayaked, s...
Adrian Ellison, Olympic coxswain, on Redgrave, Cross, the '84 Olympics and how to be a great cox
May 20, 2021 23:00 - 1 hour - 49.3 MBS2 Ep.1 Welcome back to Girl on the River for Season 2 – it’s so good to be back! I’m absolutely thrilled to bring you the first episode in my new season – an interview with Adrian Ellison, who coxed the 4+ to a gold medal at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles (the first of five gold medals for crew member Steve Redgrave). Adrian is a brilliant fount of knowledge, and what he doesn’t know about coxing isn’t worth knowing. We had a tremendous chat (the uncut version of which is availabl...
Boat Race Special 2021 - Sarah Winckless MBE and Judith Packer
March 30, 2021 23:00 - 1 hour - 45.1 MBEp. 18 In the final episode of Season 1, I'm delighted to bring you the umpires of this year's Boat Races. It's a particularly historic year for the Boat Races, for two reasons. First of all, it's not being held on the Thames, as it usually is, but instead in Ely on the Great Ouse (partly for covid reasons and partly because Hammersmith Bridge is shut for repair). The second reason brings me to my guests - for the first time in the history of the event, there will be women umpires for both t...
Ian Rivers, former SAS soldier, on seeking challenges, kidnap in Syria and navigating the Atlantic without GPS
March 19, 2021 19:00 - 55 minutes - 38.1 MBEp.17 Ian Rivers has spent his life seeking adventure. From a childhood he describes as "feral" right through his career in the SAS, he's always looked for the next challenge, and his life hasn't been short of incident. He's sailed oceans and climbed mountains, been kidnapped in Syria (and escaped, using just the natural world to help him navigate his way to safety). And now, as a civilian, he's found his next adventure . In May 2021 he will be setting off to row, solo and unsupported, acro...
Cdr Pete Reed OBE on rehab, life in a wheelchair, Hodgey and Race the Thames
March 17, 2021 00:00 - 54 minutes - 37.2 MBEp.16 It's very apt that I should have the amazing Pete Reed on the show this week, as things are really ramping up for the Race the Thames challenge which starts on 22nd March. Pete is front and centre of the fundraising, alongside his former crewmate Andy Triggs Hodge (who I interviewed a few weeks ago here) with his Paravengers team. For those who don't know him, Pete is a three-time Olympic rowing champion (and multiple World Champion), as well as a Commander in the Royal Navy. In 2019 ...
Tara and Rachel of Steady State Network, shooting the breeze about rowing
March 10, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 49.7 MBEp 15. One of the things I miss most about rowing is the post-rowing chat over coffee, where we just shoot the breeze about rowing, interspersed with plenty of gossip, a bit of serious discussion and a lot of silliness. Which is exactly what this episode is all about. Rachel Freedman and Tara Morgan are passionate rowers and rowing coaches. They're also the founders of Steady State Network - a superb rowing podcast as well as a movement, a magazine-in-waiting and a network. "Rowing for the ...
Girl on the River bite-sized - WEHoRR special 2021
March 04, 2021 16:00 - 3 minutes - 2.78 MBThis year is a year like no other, and for the first time in its history, the Women's Head of the River Race, or WEHoRR, is being held over Zoom, on rowing machines, spin bikes and other variations on the theme. In this bite-sized episode I explain everything you need to know about how it's going to work and how to get involved #NotWehorr2021 If you're inspired to sign up yourself (do!), you can do that here.
Girl on the River bite-sized - WEHORR special 2021
March 04, 2021 16:00 - 3 minutes - 2.78 MBThis year is a year like no other, and for the first time in its history, the Women's Head of the River Race, or WEHORR, is being held over Zoom, on rowing machines, spin bikes and other variations on the theme. In this bite-sized episode I explain everything you need to know about how it's going to work and how to get involved #NotWEHORR2021 If you're inspired to sign up yourself (do!), you can do that here. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/girlontheriver)
Dr Carolyn Plateau on eating disorders in athletes
March 03, 2021 00:00 - 53 minutes - 36.6 MBEp. 14 This week is Eating Disorders Awareness Week, so I was absolutely thrilled that Dr Carolyn Plateau was able to join me on the podcast. Carolyn is a senior lecturer in sport psychology at Loughborough University. She has a particular specialism in eating disorders and disordered eating in the athlete population and has developed an online training programme to educate coaches about eating disorders and help them to react appropriately if they have concerns about an athlete. Carolyn and...
Andrew Triggs Hodge OBE on being the last to be picked for the team, life after rowing and Race the Thames
February 17, 2021 00:00 - 57 minutes - 39.4 MBEp.13 I'm still pinching myself that yet another rowing legend has come on the podcast. This time it was my honour to welcome Andrew Triggs Hodge - three-time Olympic champion, multiple World Champion and Boat Race winner. Despite his incredible rowing prowess, Andy is ridiculously modest (and really good fun) and we had a great chat. We talked about: His undistinguished sporting career at school - always the last to be picked! His journey into elite rowing Why he's not the easiest team m...
Eira Parry on how to help young athletes to thrive
February 10, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 49.3 MBEp.12 What a joy it was to have Eira Parry on the podcast! A former GB Rowing coach, teacher, founder of High Performance Parenting and stepmother to an Olympic athlete, Eira has seen the life of young athletes from all sides and has so much wisdom to share with anyone involved in the lives of young athletes, whether as coaches or as parents. She has also, excitingly, just been appointed as one of GB Rowing's seven new selectors, a role for which she will be brilliantly suited. Eira and I h...
Rui De Sousa Stayton on the mental health crisis in young men and how rowing helped him through a family tragedy
February 03, 2021 00:00 - 36 minutes - 24.9 MB*Trigger warning * this episode contains discussion of mental health problems and suicide. This is by far the most significant episode I've broadcast to date. Not because my guest is a household name - in fact you probably haven't heard of him. Nor because he's had a stellar career - he's a 17-year-old school student (although he has wisdom and insight way beyond his years). No, the reason why this episode matters is because it addresses one of the most worrying problems facing our society ...
Steven Dowd on spinal cord injury, challenge, resilience and the Endurow Challenge
January 22, 2021 19:00 - 1 hour - 49.2 MBEp.10 Steven Dowd insists he's just an ordinary guy. But once you've listened to this episode, I think you'll agree that he has shown himself capable of extraordinary resilience in the face of monumental challenges. Hit by a spinal cord injury at the age of just 37, he has used it as an opportunity for growth and connection. Oh, and he also has the most incredibly soothing voice - I seriously think he should be the Headspace narrator!!! In this episode we discuss: Steven's life before his i...
Chris Shambrook on sport psychology and working with the GB Rowing Team
January 20, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 49 MBEp 9. The more I talk to elite rowers and coxes, the more I understand the importance that sport psychology plays in creating the best performances both on and off the river. That's why I was so delighted when expert in sport psychology, Chris Shambrook, agreed to come on the podcast. We had a fascinating chat, covering: Chris's path into sport psychology His experiences of working with the GB Rowing Squad Whether rowers have unique psychological needs compared with other sports How to d...
Bernie Hollywood OBE on Love Rowing and charity adventures
January 13, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 48.7 MBEp 8. Most of us have done a little bit of charity fundraising at some point in our lives - we've maybe run a 5K or given up alcohol for a few weeks or completed an erg challenge. Most of us haven't raised £42 million for charity. My guest this week, the amazing Bernie Hollywood OBE, has done just that alongside an incredibly demanding career as a banker. This extraordinarily driven man has run 150 marathons, trekked to both Poles, crossed deserts, and is now planning to row the Atlantic on...
Frances Houghton MBE on being a five-time Olympian and other life lessons
January 06, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 44.4 MBEp 7. I wanted to start the year with a really special guest, and my goodness, that's what I've got for you! Frances Houghton MBE has represented GB in rowing at five Olympic Games. She has won three Olympic silver medals, four World Championship gold medals and one European title. She's also an incredibly thoughtful person who's collected an amazing amount of wisdom over the years and has distilled it into a brilliant book called Learnings from Five Olympic Games, which you can buy here. F...
Ask Me Anything! Girl on the River gets candid
December 30, 2020 00:00 - 22 minutes - 15.8 MBEp 6. In the final episode of 2020, you're the interviewer! Girl on the River answers questions sent in by listeners, turning her mind to issues such as her best moments of 2020 (and yes, there were some!) and how she'd spent £10,000 on the sport of rowing. The rowing kit people I mention are Queen B Athletics - my all time favourite women's kit! The rowing furniture maker I mention is Rob Thompson - check out his incredible repurposed boats! The Love Rowing foundation is the charitable f...
Sir Matthew Pinsent, 4 X Olympic champion, on being an Olympian, life after rowing, the Boat Race, the rowing community and Celebrity Masterchef
December 23, 2020 00:00 - 1 hour - 49.2 MBEp 5. I promised you a special guest for the Girl on the River Christmas Special, and my goodness, I've delivered. In an exceptionally feel-good episode, four-time Olympic champion and Celebrity Masterchef finalist, Sir Matthew Pinsent, joins me to talk about: The ups and downs of 2020 Pinsent family Christmas traditions Being defined by rowing Looking back on the rowing culture of the 90s/2000s The differences between elite rowing then and now His struggle with nerves as an athlete T...
Girl on the River bite-sized - The Great British Biscuit Eight
December 18, 2020 15:00 - 17 minutes - 12.2 MBIf you had to select an 8+ out of biscuits, what would they be and in what order? This was the fiendishly difficult question put to Girl on the River when she invited questions for her Ask Me Anything episode. So huge was the topic, she decided it merited an episode all of its own. After extensive testing, seat racing and public consultation, as well as a few, shock, last-minute substitutions she has come up with her final crew and reveals all in this very special bite-sized edition. For...
The Sleep Geek aka James Wilson on how to sleep better (and improve your sporting performance)
December 16, 2020 00:00 - 1 hour - 45.2 MBEp 4. How did you sleep last night? If you ever have a bad night's sleep, this episode is for you! James Wilson, aka The Sleep Geek, is a sleep expert and an advocate for poor sleepers, who works with everyone from governments to football teams, helping people like you and me get a better night's sleep. He firmly believes that there's loads anyone can do to improve your sleep (and as a handy by-product, improve your sporting performance). In our fascinating chat, James talks about: His ow...
Girl on the River bite-sized - tips for overleaning and overreaching
December 11, 2020 19:00 - 4 minutes - 3.09 MBDo you lean back too far at the finish? Or overreach at the catch? Girl on the River does both! At just 5'3" she suffers from Small Rower Syndrome which makes her compensate for her height with both of these faults. In this bite-sized mini-episode Girl on the River discusses some top tips and tricks to stop her from doing both of these things, which she learned from Paralympian Naomi Riches, and shares a surprising use for a face mask!
Sue Anstiss MBE, women's sport campaigner, podcast host, author, founder of Fearless Women
December 09, 2020 01:00 - 49 minutes - 34.2 MBEp 3. Sue Anstiss is not one of those people who spent 2020 sitting around making sourdough and eating banana bread (though I'm guessing she'd approve of leaping around doing PE with Joe). Instead, she's been busy working towards a world where women's sports are treated equally and girls and women throw themselves into exercise and sport with enthusiasm. In this third episode of the podcast, Girl on the River chats to Sue (who has an MBE for services to women's sport) about: her early infl...
Ep 3 - Sue Anstiss MBE, women's sport campaigner, podcast host, author, founder of Fearless Women
December 09, 2020 01:00 - 49 minutes - 34.2 MBSue Anstiss is not one of those people who spent 2020 sitting around making sourdough and eating banana bread (though I'm guessing she'd approve of leaping around doing PE with Joe). Instead, she's been busy working towards a world where women's sports are treated equally and girls and women throw themselves into exercise and sport with enthusiasm. In this third episode of the podcast, Girl on the River chats to Sue (who has an MBE for services to women's sport) about: her early influences...
Girl on the River bite-sized - BRIC special
December 04, 2020 16:00 - 4 minutes - 3.12 MBIn a bite-sized mini episode, in advance of the British Rowing Indoor Championships, Girl on the River talks about: Where to watch the BRIC Entering the League if you haven't signed up for BRIC Warming up with Jess Eddie Making a race plan (including some wisdom from Sir Matthew Pinsent) BRIC is being streamed live on the British Rowing website here and you can find all about the league here. You can sign up for Zoom Ergos here - no need to be a rower or to be a member of a rowing club...
Ep 2 - Elaine Theaker, Atlantic rower, on staying alive, keeping your sunnies on when you capsize and never, EVER giving up
December 02, 2020 07:00 - 55 minutes - 38.2 MBWhy would anyone row the Atlantic, risking sharks, jellyfish, storms and waves the size of a house? And why, in particular, would a 50-something lady with a rare form of pneumonia take on such an extreme challenge? Could it be a cunning plan to avoid a season of erg tests or is there more to it than that? In this second episode, Girl on the River talks to her friend and crewmate, Elaine Theaker, who in 2018 rowed the Atlantic in a trio, successfully completing the Talisker Whiskey Atlantic C...
Ep 2 Elaine Theaker, Atlantic rower, on staying alive, keeping your sunnies on when you capsize and never, EVER giving up
December 02, 2020 07:00 - 55 minutes - 38.2 MBWhy would anyone row the Atlantic, risking sharks, jellyfish, storms and waves the size of a house? And why, in particular, would a 50-something lady with a rare form of pneumonia take on such an extreme challenge? Could it be a cunning plan to avoid a season of erg tests or is there more to it than that? In this second episode, Girl on the River talks to her friend and crewmate, Elaine Theaker, who in 2018 rowed the Atlantic in a trio, successfully completing the Talisker Whiskey Atlantic C...
Elaine Theaker, Atlantic rower, on staying alive, keeping your sunnies on when you capsize and never, EVER giving up
December 02, 2020 07:00 - 55 minutes - 38.2 MBEp 2. Why would anyone row the Atlantic, risking sharks, jellyfish, storms and waves the size of a house? And why, in particular, would a 50-something lady with a rare form of pneumonia take on such an extreme challenge? Could it be a cunning plan to avoid a season of erg tests or is there more to it than that? In this second episode, Girl on the River talks to her friend and crewmate, Elaine Theaker, who in 2018 rowed the Atlantic in a trio, successfully completing the Talisker Whiskey Atl...
Ep 1 - Zoe de Toledo - cox, Olympic silver medalist, World Champion, medic, mince pie expert
November 25, 2020 07:00 - 1 hour - 43.3 MBIn the very first interview of the podcast, I'm joined by the fabulous coxswain, Zoe de Toledo - super-cox, Olympic silver medalist, World Champion, Boat Race survivor, medical student, coxing educator and mince pie connoisseur. She's someone I've wanted to meet for years, and she totally lived up to expectations. We had a great chat about all things rowing and coxing, and in under an hour managed to pack in Zoe's thoughts on: Passing the time in lockdown How coxing helps her as a doctor ...
Zoe de Toledo - cox, Olympic silver medalist, World Champion, medic, mince pie expert
November 25, 2020 07:00 - 1 hour - 43.3 MBEp 1. In the very first interview of the podcast, I'm joined by the fabulous coxswain, Zoe de Toledo - super-cox, Olympic silver medalist, World Champion, Boat Race survivor, medical student, coxing educator and mince pie connoisseur. She's someone I've wanted to meet for years, and she totally lived up to expectations. We had a great chat about all things rowing and coxing, and in under an hour managed to pack in Zoe's thoughts on: Passing the time in lockdown How coxing helps her as a d...
Trailer for Girl on the River, the Podcast
November 13, 2020 12:00 - 1 minute - 1.23 MBIntroducing Girl on the River, the Podcast! This trailer tells you everything you need to know about the podcast and when and where to find it. At Girl on the River, the Podcast, I'm going to be chatting to guests from all around the rowing and sporting world about anything and everything to do with rowing. Guests will include Olympians, Atlantic rowers, erg monsters, campaigners, nutrition and sleep experts, physios and coaches to give expert input on technique. There will also be opportu...