In March 2025 I was fortunate enough to spend a weekend with the current Olympic pommel horse champion Rhys McClenaghan. I was taken back by his incredible attention to detail, all around professionalism and overwhelming generosity. These were all qualities I had experienced a few months earlier whilst filming with the Rio 2016 Olympic High bar champion Fabian Hambuchen. Growing up alongside the greatest British gymnast of all time Max Whitlock MBE, I witnessed first hand exactly what it takes to become an Olympic champion in the sport of men's gymnastics. All three of these athletes broke records and were able to compete consistently against the best of the best for many years. And this is my story.
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The Joe Fishburn Story | EP 115
In April 2025 Joe Fishburn broke the eliminator record on his way to winning the final of gladiators series 2 and he lifted the famous trophy at the Sheffield arena. Joe is a two time European medalist in the sport of gymnastics competing in the discipline of team gym which includes tumbling, vaulting and a the floor exercise. He represented the sport of gymnastics throughout the game show excelling in many of the events on his way towards the final. Joe trained with Roddy Mackay, who was one of the original gladiator contestants on the show back in 1993 to prepare for this series at the Scarborough gymnastics club where he grew up. And this is his story.
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1:15:10
The Eddie Penev Story | EP 114
In 2021 Eddie Penev tore his anterior cruciate ligament in his knee for the third time whilst preparing for the Tokyo Olympic qualification event for team USA. Eddie first represented Bulgaria following in the footsteps of his parents who both competed at the highest level in the sport of gymnastics for their country. At the 2010 World gymnastics championships Eddie qualified for the floor exercises final finishing in 6th place. Seven years later he repeated that achievement at the World championships in Montreal however this time he wore the red, white and blue of team USA. He won multiple NCAA and national titles throughout his career as part of the Stanford university gymnastics team and later on the US Olympic training centre squad. Eddies journey has been full of challenges and is an incredible example of resilience in face of real adversity. As he approaches the final chapters of his gymnastics career Eddie is once again wearing the Bulgarian flag on his chest and hopes to compete well in 2025 at the European championships next month. And this is his story.
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1:14:40
The Rhys McClenaghan Story | EP 113
In 2024 Rhys McClenaghan made history becoming the first Irish men's artistic gymnast to ever win an Olympic medal. Performing one of the greatest pommel horse routines of all time to become the Paris 2024 Olympic champion. Rhys is the only gymnast to have ever held the European, Commonwealth Games, World championships and Olympic titles at the same time. He is now a Red Bull athlete and recently took part in Dancing with the stars winning the TV reality show trophy. His Olympic legacy will inspire generations of young Irish athletes to dream of competing on the biggest stage of all. We were lucky enough to spend time with Rhys at the National training centre in Dublin and had the amazing opportunity to watch him train alongside the Irish team. Thank you to Rhys and the coaching team based in Dublin for giving us their time. And this is his story.
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1:26:37
The Winston Powell Story | EP 112
In 2023 Winston Powell represented Great Britain at the junior World gymnastics championships. Winston qualified for the all around final in seventh place and two individual apparatus finals at his first global championships, competing against the best young talents in the World. Most recently he finished an impressive 9th all around at the British gymnastics championships and took the bronze medal on the High Bar for the city of Birmingham gymnastics club. Winston hosts a gymnastics podcast interviewing the very best young gymnasts in the country titled " The Game of Gymnastics "And this is his story.
At seven years old I walked into a gymnastics club for the very first time. I was hooked. For the next twenty one years, I dedicated my life to becoming an Olympic champion. I'm going to share with you the life lessons, experiences and stories that have shaped the man I am today. I'm now starting a new chapter in my life beyond my sporting career and look forward to bringing you along with me.
Ireland