The Blue Room – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast co-founders Sabra Lane and Julia Mansour record this episode on a Turkish Gulet. Swim Guide Noah Canby takes the team on a special swim. We also hear from a fellow swimmer Cerian Mellor - who sometimes commutes by swimming on the Thames.

In this episode:

Sabra Lane and Julia Mansour.

SwimTrek guide Noah Canby.

Cerian Mellor

The tow device Cerian uses while commuting on the Thames is the RuckRaft.

The Blue Room is on tour in Southern Turkey with podcast co-founders Sabra Lane and Julia Mansour sharing their holiday and thoughts on what they see, the swims and the culture.

They embark on a 5-day swimming holiday based around Kas, in the country's south (a trip booked and paid for well before they started making this podcast).

The Blue Room is taking a trip through Ireland and we visit the famous Blackrock Dive Tower at Salt Hill, Galway.

Local Laura Browne coaxes Julia into jumping into the Atlantic from the famous tower, we also meet the "King of Blackrock" Paddy McNamara as he prepares for an evening of yowling, while dishing up strawberries and cream.

The movie referenced in this chat is "The Young woman and the Sea" (2024) - about long-distance swimmer Trudy Elderle.

The Devil of a Swim on the east coast of Tasmania. Features Olympic gold medallist Shane Gould, and swimmers in the 2025 event.

In this episode I talk with Olympic Gold Medallist, Dr Shane Gould. Why does she still love swimming, how did she gain her doctorate, 'floating' to survive and what would she do if she was Prime Minister for a day?

In this episode we join the annual TOSSA cup, in the Hobart beachside suburb of Taroona. Why do people swim, what do they think about are they part of a swimming pod or tribe?

Includes;

Stuart Tanner

Julia Mansour

Cate Andrews

Joe Askey Doran

Rob Woodhouse is an Olympic champion winning bronze in the 400m Men's Individual Medley at the 1984 games. But he's also just conquered what he says was the 'hardest swim of his life'. Rob is Swimming Australia's CEO.

He talks with the Blue Room about the Oceans Seven and discusses the very serious challenge of turning around the rate of drownings in Ausrtralia, what can be done?

This episode features:

Rob Woodhouse, chief executive officer of Swimming Australia.

National Drowning Report 2025 (pdf)

https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/118273/National-Drowning-Report-2025-V2.pdf

Swimming Australia

https://www.swimming.org.au/

This episode is about three Melbourne mates and one of the world’s toughest open-water swims. 36 kilometres of salt, sweat, and setbacks. Join us as we dive into the training, the incredible 'butterflies' and unexpected chaos—like the support boat that kept breaking down. This story is more than a marathon swim, it’s a tale of mateship, endurance, and the chase for a shared dream.

Features:

Professor Andrew Steer

Dr Adam Deacon and

Professor Alex Thompson.

The Capri to Napoli website:

https://web.caprinapoli.com/

Ranya Alkadamani is a WOW and a member of the Bold and Beautiful Swim Squad at Manly, in Sydney.

Ranya started swimming in 2019 and tells us how she got into the water and why she can't do without it or the WOWs - the Women of the Wall. These women were crucial in helping Ranya through some tough times after the birth of her first son.

Ranya founded her own business, Impact Group International, she's a communications strategist with experience in corporate Australia and also federal politics. She worked with former PM and Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd.

Features:

Ranya Alkadamani

WOWs - Women of the Wall and the Bold and Beautiful Swim Squad at Manly: https://www.boldandbeautifulmanly.com.au/

Tasmanian Ivan Cunningham celebrates 1000 consecutive days of ocean swimming by holding a fundraiser for Pankind, Pancreatic Cancer Australia.

Ivan's chosen that charity as his old coach and now dear friend, Chris Wedd, has pancreatic cancer. But it is a special occasion for Chris, he's also marking five years living with stage four pancreatic cancer, a rare feat.

Features:

Ivan Cunningham - counsellor and ocean swimmer.

Chris Wedd - former swimming coach.

For more information about Pankind:

https://fundraise.pankind.org.au/home