It seems almost impossible that this has been going on for 15 years. When I first had the idea, I was certain that after a few months I’d have a better idea and move on to doing something else, or that it would just get boring, or nobody would read it and it would just stop. But I didn’t have any better ideas and it never got boring, and people still seem to read it, so a decade and a half later here we still are. But there’s no way that could have happened without a lot of people who have helped or supported in some way along the journey, or who have even just taken the time to speak to me. So now it’s a good time to say thank you.
Firstly, thanks to my two podcast companions, Bob Ballard and Katie Wyld, for being willing to give it a go in the first place, for freely giving up their time, and for being great fun to talk to about swimming.
Big thanks to the excellent Simon Wright of GBSwimstars who takes amazing photos (like the one above) and is good enough to let me use them.
Thanks to the British Swimming media team over the last 15 years; Dee McIntosh, without whom this site would never have happened as it has, Dave Richards, who also had the generosity (or perhaps misfortune?) to employ me briefly, Gemma Field, Ruth Norfolk and Alison Clowes. There will be others whose names I have forgotten, but I thank them equally.
Thanks to Craig Lord, Liz Byrnes, Rod Gilmour, Nick Hope and Roger Guttridge for putting up with me hanging about when they’re trying to do what, ultimately, is their actual job.
Thanks to everyone who has given me feedback on one thing or another, allowed me to bounce ideas off them, or helped me when I’ve been trying to either put something together or fix it, in particular Ian Wright, Joe Twyman, Tara Hutt, Dawn Di Siena, Kat Stevens, Brian McGuinness, Chris Atkins, Ruth Brown, Alan March and Lynn Alderton.
Thanks to Ben Duffy and Simon Wilkinson of SWPix.com who allowed me to use their photos in the early days.
Almost last but by no means least, thanks to all the swimmers, coaches and others who have spoken to me in mixed zones, on the phone or in person – the site would be very boring without you all: Heidi Earp, Sarah Price, James Parrack, Nick Gillingham, James Hickman, Bill Sweetenham, Steve Parry, Adam Ruckwood, Rebecca Cooke, Simon Militis, James Gibson, Darren Mew, Katy Sexton, Ian Edmond, Graeme Smith, David Davies, Michael Rock, Stacey Tadd, Rebecca Adlington, Scott Houston, Paul du Feu, Helen Slatter, Chris Alderton, Julie Gould, Simon le Couilliard, Mark Branch, John Atkinson, Alan Bircher, Paula Wood, Maarten van der Weijden, Massimiliano Rosolino, Brett Hawke, Ryk Neethling, Libby Lenton, Alice Mills, Natalie Coughlin, Adam Lucas, Leisel Jones, Ian Pope, Zoe Baker, Steve Nash, Steve Badger, Phil Hubble, Andy Wilson, Adrian Moorhouse, Stephen Thomas, Ross Davenport, Terri Dunning, Sean Kelly, James Goddard, Joe Roebuck, Grant Turner, Jo Jackson, Amy Smith, Kate Haywood, Kris Gilchrist, Jemma Lowe, Hannah Miley, Michael Jamieson, Aimee Willmott, Eleanor Faulkner, Craig Benson, Sarah Sjoestrom, Francesca Halsall, Lotte Friis, Di and Andrew Halsall, Sophie Allen, Mark Foster, Jon Rudd, Laurel Bailey, Jol Finck, Caitlin McClatchey, Roberto Pavoni, Lewis Coleman, Adam Barrett, Mags and Joe Coleman, Tom Haffield, Georgia Davies, Lewis Smith, Stephen Milne, Karen Pickering, Adam Peaty and Lizzie Simmonds.
There may be others I have forgotten, but omission does nothing to dim my gratitude.
Finally, thanks to everyone who has read, watched or listened to something on pullbuoy over the past 15 years. There would be no point doing it without you!
And one last big thank you – to my wife who has put up with me doing this for 15 years with quiet indulgence and only occasional complaint.
