#176: From Olympic Heartbreak to King of the Channel

Michael Read MBE is a legend of British swimming. He has spent more than six decades pushing the limits of endurance in the water. Selected for the 1960 Olympic team before an accident ended that dream, he went on to carve out an extraordinary career in marathon swimming — including 33 crossings of the English Channel, earning him the title of "King of the Channel.”

Now in his 80s, Michael is still competing at the highest level in masters swimming, recently winning multiple gold medals at the Open Masters Games in Abu Dhabi and claiming a World Aquatics masters open water title in Singapore.

In this episode we talk about Olympic heartbreak, the brutal beauty of Channel swimming, and what keeps him diving in after a lifetime in the sport.