Delving into all things Commonwealth Games between now and the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
We recap the week that was, chat to a Games star of the past, present or future and take a look at the week ahead for our Commonwealth Games aspirants.
EPISODE 21 – part 2/4 Legend Series: Dawn Fraser
Dawn Fraser shares memories of the 1958 Cardiff Games and the unique RAF base athlete village, how she broke a world record in the coldest pool she ever swam in and details of her remarkable work ethic.
Dawn also delivers a speech that leaves podcast host Dave Culbert ready to jump in a pool and swim his heart out.
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Swimming great Dawn Fraser has revealed she only required 30 seconds to recover from a race due to her remarkable training routine.
She credits her coach Harry Gallagher as the mastermind behind her success.
“I could get back in [the pool] and swim another 100 meters in about the same time,” she said.
“I never got to a stage where I thought my muscles were going to fall off… I’d done all that in training.”
Fraser’s workload in the practice pool was fearsome.
“Lunch time I’d go down to the swimming pool and I’d be doing an hour’s training. We would do 16 100 meter swims at 95 or 97 per cent,” she said.
“We had to keep those times very close to what we thought we were doing our best. After each swim we had three minutes rest.”
Fraser believes those sessions were what allowed her to produce the swims that broke world records time and time again.
One particular world record swim sticks in her mind.
“It was the coldest pool I’ve ever swam in and our dressing room was based in a marquee on the side of the pool. We all looked out of this marquee and saw [what] we thought as it was heat coming off the top of the pool. We thought this is going to be nice because it was freezing cold,” she said.
“Low and behold the water was so cold the heat from the air was coming off the icy cold pool. I broke the world record in that pool and I couldn’t believe it because it was so cold [I was] in and out straight away.”
