Broken Oars Podcast

brokenoarspodcast

Since its launch on 24th July 2020, Broken Oars Podcast has grown into the world’s best podcast about rowing, rowers and all things related to the art, practice and magic of moving a boat backwards down a river using an oar. Episode by episode, your genial hosts Dr. Lewin Hynes (the Southern One) and Dr. Aaron Jackson (the Northern One) have been joined for in-depth and revealing conversations with Olympic and world champions, elite coaches, world-leading sports scientists, journalists and commentators, and rowers from all backgrounds and walks of life - creating a treasure trove of insight, information, commentary and perspectives on the greatest sport ever invented. Enjoyed this episode? Buy us a coffee, download a training plan, and support us so we can carry on making Broken Oars Podcast, the best rowing podcast in the world. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/brokenoarsd. Thank You! Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/brokenoarspodc1 Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/thelandingstage/                                           www.instagram.com/brokenoarsindoors/ Read more Broken Oars: www.thelandingstage.net

  1. 6 MAR

    Broken Oars, Episode 7: Broken Oars Fantasy Rowing Eight (or Would You Have Matthew Pinsent or Conan The Barbarian in Your Boat?)

    Enjoyed this episode?   Buy us a coffee, download a training plan, and support us so we can carry on making Broken Oars Podcast, the best rowing podcast in the world.   https://www.buymeacoffee.com/brokenoarsd.   Thank You!   -----   Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, Broken Oars Podcast returns with Episode 7 – a Fosbury Flop of an effort to match the impossibly high bar set by our recent guests Sir Terence of Chipchase and Sir Peter of Brewer.   (You haven’t listened to Episodes Five and Six yet? Shame on you! Download them now! You know it makes sense. After all, those 3 x 6k’s will go far easier with some quality listening material in your headphones).   After the wonderful ramble through the highways and byways of rowing undertaken by Terence and the ‘guys, here’s how a grown adult talks: in complete, well-thought through paragraphs’ common-sense, inclusive vision of rowing as a sport for all offered by the inimitable Pete, we’ve reverted to type: your genial hosts, Lewin (posh, well-educated, southern) and Aaron (northern, dragged up, barely literate) saying stuff about the wonderful sport about rowing that might be considered libellous if anyone actually listened to us.   It starts well. For the first time in the podcast’s history, Lewin rather than Aaron suffers the now-traditional biweekly injury and in a controversial move the Broken Oars Podcast begins the campaign to rehabilitate Lance Armstrong back into polite society on the grounds that in a world gone mad (der), his complete and utter unrepentance and blunt acknowledgement that he would do it all again if given the chance offers a refreshing change to the cant, hypocrisy and fudging offered by most cheats and b******t artists when they get caught.   Controversy nimbly provoked, we declare our keywords for the now-traditional Thames Tradesmen’s Broken Oars Podcast Drinking Game. Anyone with the words Frodo, Anduin, and Slaine the Avenger is in for a heavy night. Lock up the cat. Cancel all calls.   And then, housekeeping done, we get stuck into the main topic of discussion: who would make it into our fantasy rowing eight.   Now, if you know us, and you’ve listened to us before you know that we take this sort of thing incredibly seriously. Broken Oars Podcast’s Episode Four discussed Britain’s Coxless Fours triumphs through the ages in such forensic detail that British Rowing actually asked for a copy of the tape; and our comments on the relative merits of genuine giants of the sport split opinion to the point where oarsmen who won their Olympic gold medals in the same boat no longer speak to each other.   But being us, our calm, measured approach to a question deserving both rapidly descends into a welter of claims, counter-claims, questionable humour, a discussion of the cars in the Henley Royal Regatta carpark; why dyslexics rarely hang out together (we both are: we never see each other); rowing as a quest narrative; and what really, when you get right down to it, constitutes a fantasy rowing eight.   In the process, Aaron make claims for the necessity of opposable thumbs in a five-man; Lewin makes a case for why Anna Watkins should be in the boat with such passion that he calls her Anna Williams; we both ask whether singing ability is an accurate measure of rhythm and timing when it comes to rowing (hint: no); and ask the serious and pertinent central question: if James Cracknell makes the boat, will his seat have to be able to accommodate the camera crew and production company that will film the inevitable accompanying miniseries?   And does his hair deserve its own seat?   All of this?   And it’s out in time for the weekend?   Get some!   Front six rowing on, bow pair, out – of the boat, the crew and our lives. Swim home.   -----   Enjoyed this episode?   Buy us a coffee, download a training plan, and support us so we can carry on making Broken Oars Podcast, the best rowing podcast in the world.   https://www.buymeacoffee.com/brokenoarsd.   Thank You!   Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/brokenoarspodc1   Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/thelandingstage/                                           www.instagram.com/brokenoarsindoors/   Read more Broken Oars: www.thelandingstage.net

    1h 23m
  2. 11/12/2025

    Broken Oars Thoughts Bonus Episode: Jurgengate, Trolls, and the Two Billy Goats Gruff

    We discover that having launched a podcast, the world of social media has more trolls in it than the average folk tale, one particularly loathsome specimen having crawled out from under his rock to assert that GB's rowers were all dopers, because they had been trained by an East German Coach in the Mighty Jurgen Grobler - who had and had never hidden coming up through the old East German system, where doping was prevalent. After back-and-forths on Twitter which led to Sir MP DM'ing us to give us the very good advice not to bother with morons, we realised we had the perfect platform to discuss the issue with the pod.    So we did.    -----   As promised, Broken Oars Podcast returns on its week off to address the accusations levelled at Jurgen Grobler and British Rowing following the release of Episode Four.   If you haven't heard it yet (Why not? We're on Apple now - there's no excuse. Go and listen), Episode Four discussed Britain's Coxless Four Olympic Finals successes and performances. It dropped (as we believe the kids say to signify digital releases) on the same day that Jurgen Grobler stepped down as Head Coach of British Rowing after 29 years.   Barely had Episode Four hit the worldwide web before a very vocal group of trolls lumbered out from beneath their bridges and onto our Twitter feed, drawn by the trip-trapping sound of their trigger words: 'Jurgen Grobler', 'British Rowing' and 'Gold Medals.'   Although we tried to address the points raised by these individuals on Twitter, we realised that we'd stirred up something that needed addressing.   So here we are, addressing it. Never let it be said that the Broken Oars Podcast runs from a tough session. We have, after all, survived Runcorn in the rain and Green Lake in the first round at Henley Royal.    Just.   In this episode, then, we resolve where Lionel Messi is going after Barcelona, we settle the 'Rule Britannia' Farageo, and we thank Thames Tradesmen for inventing the Broken Oars Podcast Drinking Game.   (WARNING: ANYONE WITH THE WORDS 'JURGEN', 'GDR', 'DOPING', AND 'TROLLS' ON THEIR CARD FOR THIS EPISODE IS IN FOR A HEAVY NIGHT).   Then, we address the comments, one-by-one and point-by-point.   We examine the subtext that a global, overarching conspiracy was launched from Henley-in-Thames to turn British Rowing into the dominant force in World Rowing (spoiler alert: it might not have been).   We discuss at Jurgen's appointment, his past in the GDR, and his subsequent stewardship of British Rowing, addressing how the narrative of his past has been presented and asking if it could have been more nuanced (hint - yes). We compare what is known now to what was known then, and assess the difficulties in clearly defining and apportioning blame and responsibility given the circumstances.    We look at the evaluatory principles of 'beyond reasonable doubt' and 'on the balance of probability' that underpin all of our safeguarding institutions in the UK; and discuss the relevance of the rehabilitative principle in Jurgen's case before moving on to examine the UK's approach to doping testing, comparing British Rowing to its counterparts in the wider field of Team GB. In doing so, we talk about 'positive', 'negative' and 'negative but' testing in this context.    Going on to look at the known impact of doping regimes on athlete performance, athlete welfare and the medal table, we look at British Rowing's performances since Jurgen Grobler's arrival, particularly in terms of the development of the men's and women's squads and our Olympic returns. We ask if there could be any other reason for Britain's steadily but not dramatically improving success on the rowing lake beyond doping (spoiler alert: it might have something to do with the creation of a World Class Start Programme and the arrival of funding and centralisation rather than little blue pills).    We talk athlete physiology and the impact of doping on that, and note that British Rowing would be an entirely clean sport were it not for the antics of a couple of idiots from the Headington Road Young Offenders Institute Rowing Club (Hi, Oxford Brookes ...).   We discuss the importance of rowing culture vs. other sporting cultures and its significance in keeping doping in the sport at bay (we believe in doing the work, not shortcuts) and express a hope that it long continues (while acknowledging that we must not be complacent: it only takes two idiots to ruin the reputation of an entire sport).   Stern Four ... Drop Out. You're making Bow Four look bad.   -----     Enjoyed this episode?   Buy us a coffee, download a training plan, and support us so we can carry on making Broken Oars Podcast, the best rowing podcast in the world.   https://www.buymeacoffee.com/brokenoarsd.   Thank You!   Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/brokenoarspodc1   Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/thelandingstage/                                           www.instagram.com/brokenoarsindoors/   Read more Broken Oars: www.thelandingstage.net

    1h 9m
  3. 14/11/2025

    Broken Oars Podcast: Episode 3: Di Binley

    Released on August 7th 2020, Episode Three saw Broken Oars Podcast welcome its first ever guest - the incredible, inimitable Di Binley. For some reason neither of us can remember, Dr. Lewin Hynes, yet to be dubbed the Southern One, flew solo on this episode - and does a brilliant job, because, well, he's brilliant.    Want the original episode notes? Here they are.    -----   A coming-of-age for Broken Oars Podcast as one of us works out how to edit audio; another of us breaks a foot; and we welcome our first guest to the pod:   Former owner and driving force behind Rock the Boat, the shop all rowers have used at some point, and still a fount of general rowing awesomeness, Di Binley joins us.   We chat about Di's background in rowing, Rock the Boat's founding and development, the evolution of rowing during her time in it - highlighting the importance of community; volunteers; being nice and having fun to this wonderful sport that we all know and love.   We also give a big shout-out to Rebecca Caroe and open our arms to the worldwide rowing community (while maintaining our (possibly deluded) belief that we can probably take most of them on the line ...).   Get Some!   Ladies and Gentleman, full crew, from backstops ...   -----   Please follow us on:   Youtube: www.youtube.com/@brokenoarspodcast   Please order:    A copy of our first book, Charlotte Jackson and the Magic Blanket: https://tinyurl.com/53674jbu   Please visit:    Our Website: www.thelandingstage.net   It's turned into a toxic place, but we're also on Twitter:    www.twitter.com/brokenoarspodc1

    1h 10m
  4. 31/10/2025

    Broken Oars Podcast: Episode 2: Take Two!

    Our second episode was published on July 24th 2020. We still hadn't really got to grips with the whole podcast format thing at this point. We never really did, to be honest. We were having too much fun catching up with each other and talking to our amazing guests. We wouldn't change anything apart from perhaps uploading our conversations to Youtube. We made a decision early on to stick to audio, largely because at the time we just couldn't fathom why people would want to tune in to watch people having a chat together. Still, there it is.   -----   In Episode Two, Dr. Lewin Hynes, who would soon come to be known as The Southern One, and Dr. Aaron Jackson, who would soon come to be known as The Northern One got together to welcome you to the second Broken Oars Podcast where we proudly proclaimed that we were for rowers everywhere who believe that rowing was better a ten to twelve years ago - regardless of what year it is.    All rowers, in other words.    In our sophomore effort, we make the necessary factual corrections from the first effort; ensure that no dictatorships were harmed in the making of the podcast; apologise for our 'indie' sound quality; discuss whether there's a certain lack of personality in the current GB rowing set up; provide some background to the rowing careers of both hosts; and address the welcoming nature of rowing clubs to outsiders (hint - could do better); and ask finally 'whither 2K? - should the gold standard distance actually be the gold standard?'   (First published July 24 2020)   Full crew, come forward to row ...   -----   Please follow us on:   Youtube: www.youtube.com/@brokenoarspodcast   Please order:    A copy of our first book, Charlotte Jackson and the Magic Blanket: https://tinyurl.com/53674jbu   Please visit:    Our Website: www.thelandingstage.net   It's turned into a toxic place, but we're also on Twitter:    www.twitter.com/brokenoarspodc1

    2h 6m
  5. 17/10/2025

    Broken Oars Podcast Episode 1: The Free Wheelin’ Broken Oars Podcast

    (Deep gravelly voice): On this day five years ago, while the world languished in the depths of COVID, in a time when there were NO rowing podcasts (other than a few we've forgotten to mention), two men got together to change the world as we know it ...    They were Dr. Lewin Hynes, who would come to be known as The Southern One, and Dr. Aaron Jackson, who would come to be known as The Northern One and they created the world's first, only and still best rowing podcast.    And they called it Broken Oars Podcast.    And rowers looked and listened and saw it was good.    We retired after interviewing Sir Matthew Pinsent last April, weeping for we had no more words to conquer. Little did we realise that Finn Hamill would happen ...    And so in the spirit of leveraging IP in the age of AI (no, we don't know what it means either) and coming from the land where there's never anything on but repeats on the BBC, we're rereleasing our Broken Oars Episodes in sequence - because they're full of rowing goodness.    So, here goes. The first one was literally recorded down a 'phone line and boy does it show ...    -----   Ladies and Gentlemen!   Welcome to the very first Broken Oars Podcast - the podcast for rowers everywhere and anywhere who believe that rowing was better ten to twelve years ago - regardless of what year it is.   Launched by Dr. Aaron Jackson and Dr. Lewin Hynes as a way to bust lockdown 1.0, and to give somewhere for their endless chats about rowing to go, in our first episode Broken Oars introduce the hosts, discusses their technical and renal inadequacies; addresses the reality that Redgrave couldn't have been that good because he never won Runcorn Head in the rain; how auctioning off GB National Squad rowers to provincial clubs for a racing season would make everyone love the sport more; and why no tears should be shed for the passing of lightweightism.   (First released 20/07/2020)   So it begins ...   Please follow us on:   Youtube: www.youtube.com/@brokenoarspodcast   Please order:    A copy of our first book, Charlotte Jackson and the Magic Blanket: https://tinyurl.com/53674jbu   Please visit:    Our Website: www.thelandingstage.net   It's turned into a toxic place, but we're also on Twitter:    www.twitter.com/brokenoarspodc1

    1h 28m

About

Since its launch on 24th July 2020, Broken Oars Podcast has grown into the world’s best podcast about rowing, rowers and all things related to the art, practice and magic of moving a boat backwards down a river using an oar. Episode by episode, your genial hosts Dr. Lewin Hynes (the Southern One) and Dr. Aaron Jackson (the Northern One) have been joined for in-depth and revealing conversations with Olympic and world champions, elite coaches, world-leading sports scientists, journalists and commentators, and rowers from all backgrounds and walks of life - creating a treasure trove of insight, information, commentary and perspectives on the greatest sport ever invented. Enjoyed this episode? Buy us a coffee, download a training plan, and support us so we can carry on making Broken Oars Podcast, the best rowing podcast in the world. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/brokenoarsd. Thank You! Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/brokenoarspodc1 Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/thelandingstage/                                           www.instagram.com/brokenoarsindoors/ Read more Broken Oars: www.thelandingstage.net

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