Girl on the River

Patricia Carswell
  • 5.0 (6)
  • SPORTS

Patricia 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 girlontheriverpodcast@gmail.com or on social media at @girlontheriver on all channels - come and have a chat .And until then... next stroke, easy oar.

  1. Lawrence Farquarson - London Youth Rowing

    12/08/2021

    Lawrence Farquarson - London Youth Rowing

    S3 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 LYRNJIRC (National Junior Indoor Rowing Championships) and why they're so greatWhat LYR doesA day in the lifeWhy avoiding rowing jargon is helpfulWhy the young people in the LYR programmes aren't expected to row on water unless they want toThe biggest misconceptions about rowingThe perceptions about rowing among working class kidsExpansion of LYR into YorkshireThe difference that rowing makes to young peopleThe importance of promoting exercise because of how it makes you feel, not how it makes you lookWhether there's a difference of approach between male and female rowersHow you can support London Youth RowingRace the Thames 2022You can find more about London Youth Rowing here The email for enquiries that Lawrence mentioned is admin@londonyouthrowing.com If you'd like to get involved in Race the Thames (and I strongly recommend it), the link is here Find out more about NJIRC here

    52 min
  2. Napoleon Griffin on male breast cancer, diversity in rowing and the joy of sculling

    10/19/2021

    Napoleon Griffin on male breast cancer, diversity in rowing and the joy of sculling

    S3, 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 later in lifeBackground as a track and field athleteDiscovering he had breast cancerThe importance of getting any symptoms of male breast cancer checkedThe treatment and the mental battleSecond run-in with cancerThe financial implications of having cancerFinishing treatment - regeneratingThe resources available re male breast cancerThe importance of self-examination for men as well as womenGetting fit after cancer and the benefits of being fit in bouncing back (and outcomes)Learning to scull in Puerto Rico with sharks and manatees!Rowing vs runningMaking history as the first all black quad at US MastersDiversity in rowingWorld Masters 2022Plans for a breast cancer survivors' 2022How cancer changes your attitude to lifeRepresenting your country at international eventsAthletes Without LimitsResources Information about male breast cancer: NHS page re signs and symptomsBreastCancer.Org informationCoppaFeel information re breast cancer in menCoppaFeel information re how to check your chest / breastsAthletes Without Limits - encouraging people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to get involved in sport.

    1h 9m
  3. Charles Watson, founder of River Action UK, on the crisis in our rivers

    10/05/2021

    Charles Watson, founder of River Action UK, on the crisis in our rivers

    S3, 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 campaignerWhat's wrong with the River WyeThe elephant in the room dressed as a chickenThree solutions What you can do How much time we have left Resources River Action UK The Rivercide documentary The BBC Panorama documentary , The River Pollution Scandal River Action petition Petition to ban discharge of raw sewage into watercourses Find your MP here Find your local Rivers Trust here Where to report pollution incidents: In England: Environment Agency https://www.gov.uk/report-an-environmental-incident In Wales: Natural Resources Wales https://naturalresources.wales/about-us/contact-us/report-an-environmental-incident/?lang=en Find your water company here Find your water company's contact details here Groups Rowers United to Save the Planet The Rivers Trust Friends of the Lower Wye Friends of the Upper Wye Wye Valley AONB Find them on Twitter! DEFRA @DEFRAGovUK Avara Foods @AvaraToods Tesco @tesco Sainsburys @sainsburys Waitrose @waitrose Marks & Spencer @MarksandSpencer Morrisons @Morrisons Asda @asda Co-Op @coopuk Aldi @AldiUK Lidl @LidlGB River Action UK @RiverActionUK

    42 min
  4. Kate Lindgren aka the Blind Sculler

    09/21/2021

    Kate Lindgren aka the Blind Sculler

    S3, 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 sightLife in work and society as a blind personRoller disco!How she discovered rowingHow her other senses come into play in rowingThe sounds of rowingSingle sculling and working with a coach and navigatorKate's favourite drillKate's 20K challengeRacingKate's own rowing language with her coach and their private rowing languageAdaptive rowing and what it involves for clubsHow to make rowing more attractive to people with disabilitiesThe joy rowing gives to KateLockdown and ZoomErgosKate's plans to row in a new placeYou can find Kate on Twitter at @kathryn2503 To join my Patreon scheme, head to https://www.patreon.com/girlontheriver

    57 min
  5. Wendy Martinson, OBE, lead nutritionist for the GB Rowing Team

    07/27/2021

    Wendy Martinson, OBE, lead nutritionist for the GB Rowing Team

    S2, 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 across a number of disciplines including gymnastics, hockey and ballet. At the time of recording, Wendy is out in Tokyo with the rowing team, where she has to make sure each athlete is properly fuelled for each race. In our interview we discuss: How Wendy got involved in sport nutritionThe different demands of individual sports and rowing in particularThe support that coxswains get to manage their weightWhat Wendy's role with the GB Rowing Team involves day to dayMeeting the nutritional needs of rowers and lightweightsNutrition for injury and Wendy's work at Bisham Abbey rehab unitCatering arrangements at the Olympics - or "performance dining"Race day nutritionWendy also asked some questions from listeners: What's the first sign that something's not quite right with someone's nutrition?Refuelling after trainingSupplements - using them strategicallyVegetarian and vegan dietsScreening athletes for deficienciesThe differences between male and female nutritional needsChanging nutritional needs as you grow olderPlant based milks - what to look for on the labelWhether there are any taboo foodsAlcohol - OK for athletes?Time restricted eating (intermittent fasting) and fasted training - whether they can be beneficialFuelling for long endurance eventsWendy's signature dish and favourite food and drinkResources Books: Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food Anita Bean's cookery books and books on sports nutrition (including for vegetarians) Performance nutrition by Kevin Currell Food websites: BBC Food website

    55 min
  6. Camilla Hadland, rowing commentator

    07/13/2021

    Camilla Hadland, rowing commentator

    S2 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 won World Rowing’s first ever commentating competition and achieved a spot commentating at the World Cup in Serbia. Since then she’s regularly commentated at international events and is part of the commentary team at the Tokyo Olympics. Having done a couple of stints commentating at my club regatta, I was fascinated to hear all about her experiences and to glean some wisdom from her. We talked about: How Camilla got started in rowing and her multiple capsizesLearning to row in a small club set upBeing selected for the GB Team at the Junior WorldsThe challenges of looking after your health while training at such a high levelBody image and the ups and downs Camilla has had with itNot making it into the U23 8+ and moving across into coachingFavourite seat in the boatHow Camilla got started in commentatingHow she learned the craft of commentating - how to cater for the whole audience and create atmosphereFinding your own voiceDifferent types of event - the different preparations and styleThe challenges of live streaming remotely from the European Championships The idea set up for commentatingHow to make an uneventful race sound excitingKeeping tabs on rowing teams throughout the yearMaking mistakes - and learning from themHow to show compassion to a crew losing badlyEssential equipmentAdvice for anyone wanting to improve their commentary skills or progress in commentatingPlans for Tokyo and the likely challengesLet me know if you're inspired to have a go at commentating or to take your experiences of it to a new level. You can find me at @girlontheriver on all channels or by emailing me at girlontheriverpodcast@gmail.com.

    1h 9m
  7. Robin Winkels on the joy of teaching cancer patients to row

    06/29/2021

    Robin Winkels on the joy of teaching cancer patients to row

    As 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 rowing and her love for the quadThe River Corrib in Galway and the wildlife on itRobin's own experience of cancer in her familyHow Robin came to start Row to Recovery The practicalities of working with women who have had breast surgeryThe importance of being participant-ledHow rowing together diminishes the feeling of powerlessness in the face of cancerBeing inspired by the participants and what Robin has learned from themHow rowing makes the participants feelRobin's plans to encourage male cancer patients to join Row to Recovery Physical and mental benefits of exercising during and after cancer treatmentHow they kept each other going through lockdownFundraising, recent developments and plans for the futureThe benefits of the project to Robin personallyHow to get involved, find the project or donate!Resources Find out more about Row to Recovery here. Click here for their Facebook page. Go to @rowtorecoverygalway to find them on Instagram. Check out these links to find out more about the benefits of exercise following a diagnosis of cancer, at all stages of treatment and afterwards: Exercise guidelines for cancer survivors: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31626055/ Impact of exercise on mortality, recurrence and side effects of treatment: https://academic.oup.com/epirev/article/39/1/71/3760392#114725911 Guardian article about the benefits of exercise for cancer patients: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/may/07/cancer-if-exercise-was-a-pill-it-would-be-prescribed-to-every-patient

    47 min
  8. Baz Moffat, ex-GB rower and women's health coach, on women's health and sporting performance

    06/15/2021

    Baz Moffat, ex-GB rower and women's health coach, on women's health and sporting performance

    Before 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, there was only one person I could possibly consider - the brilliant Baz Moffat. As a former GB rower turned women's health coach, with a huge passion and enthusiasm for her subject, she had the complete package, so I was thrilled when she agreed to join me. Baz started her career as an elite athlete, spending three years as a member of the GB rowing team and winning medals at the World Championships and World Cup. She now works as a women's health coach, with a specialism in pelvic floor, core, nutrition and women's wellness. She is one of the co-founders of The Well HQ which provides much-needed education on women's health to both individuals and businesses. We could have talked for hours, but managed to keep it to just over an hour, during which we discussed: Baz's career as a rower and her unusually late start in rowingHow healthy her life was as an athleteThe challenges talking about women's health in sport and the workplace and the particular challenges for male coachesHow parents and coaches can get the conversation started about women's healthBody literacy and how little we understand about our bodiesThe importance of not judging people for their lack of knowledgeThe benefits to performance of understanding our menstrual cycleEffects of contraceptive pill on sporting performanceExercising during pregnancy and after childbirth - what is safe?Benefits of consulting a women's health physio in second trimesterTraining through perimenopause and menopauseImportance of strength training and what that actually meansWhat to prioritise if only have 10 minutes for yourself a dayAvoiding overwhelmMisconceptions about core stability (and what is included in the core)Importance of pelvic floor exercisesHow to get advice and reminders for pelvic floor exercisesThe Well HQ  - its mission to improve the health of female athletes and to help male coaches to address women's health issues without being inappropriate or creepy Resources: You can find the Clue app for tracking your menstrual cycle here You can sign up for webinars with The Well on everything from understanding the pelvic floor to menstruation and menopause here. Check out and download the NHS Squeezy app here.

    1h 6m
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Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Patricia 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 girlontheriverpodcast@gmail.com or on social media at @girlontheriver on all channels - come and have a chat .And until then... next stroke, easy oar.

Information

  • Creator
    Patricia Carswell
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2021
  • Episodes
    33
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2024 Girl on the River
  • Show Website
    Girl on the River