The Aqua Pod - Scottish Swimming Podcast · Scottish Swimming

Episode 38: Chatting Scottish Masters

·46 min·4 clips

That race was everything we trained for

Charlie opens with a few Scottish Swimming updates. The list includes the Scottish Masters long course meet at the end of March in Aberdeen, a reminder that entries are still open before 18 March if you are listening in time, and a pointer to the Scottish Swimming website for entry details. Then the interview begins. Kelly McIntosh and Rob Lee join Charlie for a conversation about Masters swimming, what keeps them competing, the broader Masters community, and their experiences since returning to the sport. Kelly brings strong experience as a multi-international medalist in Masters events across two disciplines, which shapes the chat. Rob comes in with his own pedigree as a Commonwealth Games semi-finalist and Scottish Masters decathlon champion, and the discussion becomes more than a results recap. The main question is motivation. Charlie asks what keeps them getting up early, training, racing, and staying connected to the sport over time. Return is a big theme. Rob reflects on being away from swimming for 14 years and coming back, then on the idea that Masters swimming always leaves the door open, whether someone is 30, 60, or somewhere in between. The community matters too. He describes a Masters group built around good people, with training, nights out, dinners, drinks, and the kind of support that makes the pool feel bigger than the lane ropes. That social pull sits alongside the racing. Rob says he still wants to go faster than he did the year before, while recognizing that the curve eventually changes, which keeps the episode grounded in real athletic life rather than nostalgia. The mood stays friendly. Charlie lets the guests speak at length, and the conversation moves between personal routine, club culture, and the practical realities of sustaining swimming over time. It ends with thanks to the guests and another nod to the Scottish Masters meet, keeping the community frame front and center.

As heard by us

Masters swimming as a return-to-sport story, not just a race recap.

This episode treats Masters swimming as a real community, not a footnote. Charlie's conversation with Kelly McIntosh and Rob Lee makes that clear, especially when their records give the sport some hard earned context: Kelly's medals across two international disciplines and Rob's…

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Why you'd press play

Masters swimming, early alarms, and the pull of coming back.

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