#201: European Gold: Katie Rees & Ben Winter on Their Šamorín Experience

What’s it like to compete at your first European Masters Championships - and come home with gold?

European champions Katie Rees and Ben Winter join Helen Gorman to share their experiences from this year’s championships in Šamorín, Slovakia. Both making their European Masters debuts - and their first appearances on the podcast - they take us behind the scenes of the racing, the venue and the unique atmosphere of an international Masters meet.

Katie, racing in the 25–29 age group, came home with double gold in the medley events, but says it was the camaraderie, friendships and atmosphere around the pool that made the experience particularly memorable.

Ben also struck gold in the 55–59 backstroke events, and compares his European experience with racing at the World Masters Championships in Singapore last year. Together, they look at how the Brits performed, the international swimmers who caught their eye and what makes competing against swimmers from across Europe so special.

And, of course, no trip to Slovakia would be complete without exploring Bratislava, sampling the local food and finding out whether the post-race celebrations lived up to expectations!

With both swimmers already looking ahead to the rest of the season, Katie and Ben reflect on their European adventure - and reveal what’s next.

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