Former British Champion and the first black woman to swim for Great Britain, Rebecca Achieng Ajulu-Bushell, will host the second series of the Physical Capital podcast.
Series one explored the origins of boxing and how it’s been used for political and financial gain. The second series focuses on the human relationship with swimming, including how humans’ ability to swim has been influenced by politics, geography and the unequal distribution of resources.
Looking into the history of swimming, the podcast traces records of the sport as far back as 10,000 years. From learning more about the physical attributes that can give you an advantage in the water and how they’ve been used to achieve greatness, to exploring the relationship between blackness and swimming, and how Africans have been surfing since at least the 1660’s.
In each episode, Rebecca will be speaking to those who know the sport best – swimmers. From athletes who push themselves to the limit in the pool and open water, to those that swim for fun and document its history.
Among guests in the new series are swimmers Alice Dearing, Cullen Jones and Seren Jones, plus authors Bonnie Tsui and Kevin Dawson, and award-winning broadcaster, filmmaker and writer Nick Hope.
The discussions look at swimming through multiple angles, asking questions such as what draws us to the sport? What can we gain from it? and what can it take from us?
Achieng Ajulu-Bushell uncovers what it is about the water that continues to entice us.
The Physical Capital podcast launches today, Wednesday 20 September.
