The Sam Oldham Podcast

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At seven years old I walked into a gymnastics club for the very first time. I was hooked. For the next twenty one years, I dedicated my life to becoming an Olympic champion. I'm going to share with you the life lessons, experiences and stories that have shaped the man I am today. I'm now starting a new chapter in my life beyond my sporting career and look forward to bringing you along with me.

  1. The Anna Hopkin MBE Story | EP 166

    5 DAYS AGO

    The Anna Hopkin MBE Story | EP 166

    At the 2020 Summer Olympics, which were ultimately held in 2021 due to the global pandemic, Anna Hopkin swam the anchor leg for Team GB’s 4 x 100m mixed medley relay team alongside Kathleen Dawson, Adam Peaty and James Guy. Together, they won Olympic gold for Great Britain while breaking the world record in the process. Across her professional swimming career, Anna won a total of seventeen major championship medals. Following her Olympic success, she was awarded an MBE in the 2022 New Year Honours List for services to swimming. In 2024, Anna qualified for her second Olympic Games, representing Team GB in 2024 Summer Olympics, before shortly afterwards announcing her retirement from professional swimming. Anna’s journey to the Olympic Games was far from conventional. As a teenager, she stepped away from the sport after falling out of love with swimming. Yet through resilience, determination and rediscovering her passion, she returned to reach the very pinnacle of her sport. And this is her story.

    1hr 36min
  2. The Kameron Nelson Story | EP 165

    11 MAY

    The Kameron Nelson Story | EP 165

    In 2025, at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Jakarta, Indonesia, Kameron Nelson announced himself on the world stage. Competing in his first major championships for Team USA, Nelson qualified for the floor exercise final and narrowly missed the medal podium, finishing an impressive fourth against the world’s best. His rise to international gymnastics had been anything but conventional. Nelson joined the Ohio State Buckeyes gymnastics team in 2021 as a walk-on athlete, determined to prove he belonged among the NCAA elite. Over the course of his collegiate career, he developed into one of the most exciting floor exercise performers in the country, capturing multiple NCAA medals on the event. In 2025, he reached another milestone by claiming the NCAA National Championship title on vault. Building on that momentum, Nelson opened the 2026 international season with another breakthrough performance, earning the bronze medal on still rings at the Cottbus World Cup in Germany. Now training at the EVO Gymnastics Centre alongside some of America’s most accomplished gymnasts — current World Champion Brody Malone, World medalist Donnell Whittenburg, and Olympic medalist Stephen Nedoroscik — Nelson continues to push the boundaries of the sport. He made gymnastics history by becoming the first artistic gymnast ever to compete two triple back somersaults in the same floor exercise routine, cementing his reputation as one of the sport’s boldest innovators. With the LA 2028 Olympic Games on the horizon, Nelson has firmly set his sights on earning a place on the U.S. team that will begin Olympic qualification this autumn at the World Championships in Rotterdam. This is Kameron Nelson’s story.

    58 min
  3. Gymnastics Show April 26 Neutral Deductions & Stag Media | EP 164

    5 MAY

    Gymnastics Show April 26 Neutral Deductions & Stag Media | EP 164

    🥇 In 2026, we’re launching a brand‑new monthly gymnastics show on The Sam Oldham Podcast. Each month, we’ll explore the biggest names, emerging storylines, and major championship build‑ups in artistic gymnastics — plus post‑competition debriefs with some of the sport’s most passionate experts and analysts. In this week’s episode, Lewis Thomson — the young, talented athlete turned independent gymnastics journalist — joins us to discuss the Artistic Gymnastics World Cup circuit. We’re also joined by Kensley Behel, the brilliant mind behind Neutral Deductions, who breaks down the conclusion of the NCAA Championships season. We explore the world‑class field that attended the Osijek World Cup in April, reviewing key routines and standout performances. In Japan, Daiki Hashimoto captured his sixth consecutive National Title at the All‑Japan Championships in Takasaki, narrowly edging out reigning Olympic all‑around champion Oka Shinnosuke. Over in the U.S., Stanford University claimed the 2026 NCAA men’s gymnastics title, holding off Oklahoma, while Fred Richard continued his impressive start to the season, taking the all‑around crown. This year, our mission remains the same — to share the stories behind the finest athletes in the sport of gymnastics. Thank you to our listeners, sponsors, and supporters for being part of the journey. Welcome to Episode 4 of The Gymnastics Show 🎙️

    2h 17m
  4. The Bram Verhofstad Story | EP 163

    27 APR

    The Bram Verhofstad Story | EP 163

    At the 2017 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Montreal, Bram Verhofstad delivered a standout performance, qualifying for the floor exercise final and finishing fourth. He trailed a podium of elite competitors: Kenzo Shirai, Artem Dolgopyat, and Yul Moldauer—a lineup that reflected the sport’s rapidly rising technical standard. But Bram’s story goes beyond rankings. While competing at the highest level, he began documenting his journey on YouTube, giving audiences a behind-the-scenes look at elite gymnastics. That decision helped him build a strong following and positioned him at the forefront of a shift in how athletes connect with fans. Men’s artistic gymnastics itself has evolved significantly over the past decade. Changes to the Code of Points—including a roughly 20% reduction in the number of required skills per routine—have altered how gymnasts construct performances, placing more emphasis on execution and maximising difficulty. At the same time, the rise of short-form video platforms has opened new doors, allowing gymnasts to showcase skills, training methods, and personality in ways that weren’t possible before.  After retiring in the wake of the pandemic, Bram transitioned into a new creative chapter. He now collaborates with circus performers, exploring how gymnastics-based movement can blend with performance art—pushing the boundaries of what the discipline can look like outside traditional competition. It’s a path that reflects both where the sport has been and where it’s going: from rigid routines on the competition floor to expressive, cross-disciplinary movement shared with a global audience. And this is his story.

    1hr 23min
  5. The Kacper Garnczarek Story | EP 162

    20 APR

    The Kacper Garnczarek Story | EP 162

    Kacper Garnczarek has already built an impressive résumé in the world of artistic gymnastics. At the 2025 European Championships, he qualified for the men’s all-around final and made history as part of Poland’s first-ever mixed team final. Awarded a full scholarship to Pennsylvania State University, Kacper has balanced elite sport with academics, representing Penn State’s gymnastics team while studying business. On the international stage, he has competed at the highest level, including the World Gymnastics Championships, proudly representing Poland. Most recently, he concluded his NCAA Championships journey with Penn State, closing an important chapter in his career. But his ambitions stretch far beyond—his sights are firmly set on the LA 2028 Olympic Games. Remarkably, at just 23 years old, Kacper has also become a published author. His book, “Today’s Pleasure to Tomorrow’s Success,” offers insight into his journey, mindset, and experiences in the demanding world of gymnastics. This is his story.

    54 min
  6. The Victor Yeo Story | EP 161

    13 APR

    The Victor Yeo Story | EP 161

    In December 2025 Victor Yeo made his mixed martial arts professional debut winning by unanimous decision against Zanyar Kamaran. Victor had previously been a very successful British male gymnast out of Devon winning multiple junior National titles and medals for Great Britain on the international stage. He was tipped by many to be a superstar in the sport and was coached by professional stuntman and former Commonwealth Games silver medalist in artistic gymnastics Steve Jehu. Throughout the pandemic Victor struggled to transition into senior gymnastics battling with injuries and his physical stature having grown significantly to 180cm. In 2022 Victor made the decision to change course and he entered the world of mixed martial arts. Most recently Victor Yeo, AKA 'The Vanilla Gorilla' performed impressively at the Cage Warriors 203 event winning again by unanimous decision. And this is his story.

    1hr 13min
  7. The Hiroaki Sato Story | EP 160

    6 APR

    The Hiroaki Sato Story | EP 160

    In 2024 at the Paris Olympic Games. Hiroaki Sato lead the Japanese men's artistic gymnastics team to victory as the head coach in the men's team final winning gold for Japan. In 2017 Hiroaki was asked by his childhood friend Kohei Uchimura to play the role of his personal coach in the final chapter of his gymnastics career as he prepared for the Tokyo Olympic Games. He spent four years working alongside arguably the greatest male gymnast of all time in Kohei Uchimura. His achievements include two all around Olympic titles and six back to back world championships gold medals which made him the most dominant athlete in the sport for a decade. Preceding the time he spent with Uchimura, Hiroaki coached the great Naoya Tsukahara the Athens 2004 Olympic champion with team Japan. Since Paris he is now working in Australia as the high performance head coach of the men's gymnastics team with the 2032 Olympic Games being held in Brisbane. Hiroaki sits on the FIG commission and is passionate about coach education. Remarkably as s a young gymnast he was coached by Nikoli Andrianov a fifteen times Olympic medalist, was mentored by Vitaly Scherbo's coach in his early coaching career and then went on to work alongside the legendary Kohei Uchimura. This conversation was a real highlight for me personally and I'd like to thank Hiroaki for giving us his time. And this is his story.

    1hr 39min
  8. Gymnastics Show British Champs March 2026 | EP 159

    30 MAR

    Gymnastics Show British Champs March 2026 | EP 159

    Welcome to Episode 3 of the Gymnastics Show on The Sam Oldham Podcast. In 2026, we’re launching a brand-new monthly series dedicated to the world of artistic gymnastics. Across the year, you can expect deep dives into the sport’s biggest names, analysis of the major storylines building toward championship events, and post-competition debriefs featuring some of the most passionate experts and analysts in the game. The 2026 British Artistic Gymnastics Championships delivered on every level. Joe Fraser and Ruby Evans were crowned All-Around champions in the men’s and women’s competitions, capping off a weekend of exceptional performances. Heading into the championships, the competitive landscape was wide open, with three different athletes in both disciplines having already claimed titles at the English, Welsh, and Scottish Championships. In the men’s competition, Jake Jarman competed across all six apparatus for the first time since the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, while Max Whitlock OBE went head-to-head with the new generation of pommel horse specialists. The Leeds Gymnastics Club duo of Harry Hepworth and Luke Whitehouse delivered world-class routines on their signature events, and exciting new talent emerged in Jonas Rushworth, Reuben Ward, and U18 All-Around champion Zakaine Fawzi. The women’s competition reached a new level in 2026, with all five members of the Paris 2024 Olympic team returning to the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool. On Saturday alone, six athletes broke the 50-point barrier in the All-Around final. Ruby Evans secured the title in dominant fashion, followed by Ruby Stacey in second and Shantae-Eve Amankwaah in third. Apparatus finals brought more standout moments: Abi Martin claimed vault gold, Becky Downie triumphed on uneven bars, Alia Leat took the beam title, and Ruby Evans closed the championships in style with a 13.750 to win floor. With three major championships ahead in 2026—and World Championship qualification playing a key role in the road to LA 2028—the stakes have never been higher. Athletes, coaches, and support teams are pushing the limits in pursuit of peak performance as attention begins to shift toward the next Olympic cycle. This year, we’re excited to continue sharing the incredible stories of the very best athletes in gymnastics. A huge thank you to our listeners, sponsors, and supporters for being part of the journey. Enjoy the episode.

    1hr 57min
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About

At seven years old I walked into a gymnastics club for the very first time. I was hooked. For the next twenty one years, I dedicated my life to becoming an Olympic champion. I'm going to share with you the life lessons, experiences and stories that have shaped the man I am today. I'm now starting a new chapter in my life beyond my sporting career and look forward to bringing you along with me.

Information

  • Creator
    Sam Oldham
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    166
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Sam Oldham Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Sam Oldham Podcast

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