William Ellis, the host of the Chartable #1 UK Swimming Podcast called An Open Water Swimmers Podcast, is not only passionate about swimming but also about giving back to the community. His latest endeavor is to raise funds for the charity Amaze, which helps families with children with disabilities, by swimming around Jersey as a solo swim covering a distance of 65km in September 2023 and then tackling the English Channel as a solo swim in 2024.

The reason behind his cause is very personal – his son Odie has a rare genetic syndrome called Mowat-Wilson Syndrome, and since his diagnosis, the family has received invaluable support from Amaze in navigating their new reality. William is grateful for the compassion and help that the charity has provided, and he wants to give back to the “AMAZE”ing people who have made a significant difference in his life.

William’s podcast is all about sharing swim stories and finding common ground between swimmers who share a love of the water. His guests come from all walks of life, but they all have one thing in common – their passion for swimming. Through his podcast, William hopes to inspire and connect with swimmers worldwide and raise awareness of the mental and physical health benefits of swimming.

If you’re a fan of swimming or looking for inspiration to start your swimming journey, be sure to check out An Open Water Swimmers Podcast.

You can listen to the podcast on your favorite podcast platform, and if you’re moved by William’s cause, you can donate to his JustGiving page by visiting www.justgiving.com/fundraising/williamhellis.

March Podcasts

Niklas Hedegaard

The guest on the podcast is Niklas Hedegaard, a former elite swimmer who has held Danish and Nordic records in swimming and has represented Denmark in various European and World championships. He is also known as the co-founder of a successful goggle brand called TheMagic5. TheMagic5 goggles are custom-made and molded to fit an individual’s face perfectly. During the podcast, Niklas shares his journey as a swimmer and the inspiration behind the creation of TheMagic5 goggles.

Mark Andrews

The guest on the podcast is Mark Andrews, a local legend in Sussex who specializes in helping swimmers and surfers overcome injuries and get back into the water. The host shares how he had developed a shoulder issue outside of the pool which prevented him from swimming, and how he turned to Mark Andrews to fix the issue before attempting the Jersey Solo and English Channel Swim. Mark is not only an osteopath and physiotherapist, but also a swimmer and surfer himself. During the podcast, he shares his experience and knowledge on how to prevent and recover from injuries related to swimming and surfing. The conversation highlights the importance of proper injury management and seeking expert help to get back to doing what you love.

Andy Donaldson

The guest on the podcast is Andy Donaldson, a former elite swimmer who took some time away from the sport before returning to focus on marathon swimming. He won the 25km Rottnest Swim in Australia and then set his sights on completing the Ocean 7 challenge in one calendar year. The Ocean 7 is a set of seven ultra-marathon swims across the globe that include The English Channel, The North Channel, Gibraltar Strait, Catalina Channel, Molokai Channel, Cook Strait, and the Tsugaru Strait. The distances of these swims range from 16km to 44km, and only a few people have completed all seven. Andy broke the British record for the English Channel swim and recently broke the world record for the 26km Cook Strait with a time of 4 hours and 33 minutes. During the podcast, Andy shares his journey as a marathon swimmer and the challenges he faced in completing the Ocean 7 challenge.

William Ellis

William Ellis is a British actor and competitive swimmer who authored the podcast ‘An Open Water Swimmer’s Podcast’ during lockdown to help people stay connected with their love of swimming when they couldn’t swim. Will is a passionate open water swimmer and has competed in various distance events around the world, including the 26.5km Lake Zurich Swim which he completed in 7 hours and a double English Channel relay in 2019, which took him 19 hours and 30 minutes. Will is scheduled to swim the 65km circumnavigation of Jersey in 2023 and has booked an English Channel solo in 2024 to raise funds for AMAZE, a charity that supports families with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) children.

Listen to his story on another amazing podcast Marathon Swim Stories by Shannon House Keegan

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