In June 2023 I found out that I was going to be a Dad. This journey began before I had met my best friend and fiancé Connie. At the age of twenty six I was lost. I was wresting with depression and anxiety and desperately searching for meaning in my life. Selfishly I asked some the key people around me the biggest question of all. Why am I here and what is this all about? I understand now that ultimately everyone has to answer that question for themselves. I'm excited to be a Dad. I know that I'm...
Oct 09, 2023•39 min•Season 1Ep. 36
In 2022 Giarnni Regini-Moran became the first men's artistic gymnastics floor exercise World championing history. What's even more remarkable about this incredible achievement, is that six years prior he had suffered an extremely serious knee injury which required significant surgery. Twelve months into his recovery another serious injury this time to his inside ankle ligament ultimately sidelined him for over two years. He is one of the most successful British gymnasts of his generation and was...
Oct 02, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 35
In January 2023 Ellie Downie announced her retirement from the sport of gymnastics. At just fifteen she made her senior debut, winning bronze all around at the European championships in France. Ellie became an Olympian in 2016 competing alongside her sister Becky and team mates at the Rio Olympic Games where she finished 11th all round at just sixteen years of age. The following year in 2017 she made history, becoming the first British gymnast ever to win an all around gold medal at a major cham...
Sep 25, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 34
In July 2023 I was given the results of a private ADHD assessment. This process first began at the age of 26, when I was referred to a mental health clinic and first began to struggle with depression and anxiety. As a kid, I struggled with inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity that affected my ability to manage life. Gymnastics, almost instantly changed my trajectory and had a massively positive impact on how I interacted with the world around me. After retirement, the amount of physical ex...
Sep 18, 2023•41 min•Season 1Ep. 33
In may 2013 British triathlete Sophie Coldwell claimed her first World triathlon championships series gold medal in Yokohama Japan. A year earlier she was part of the English team that took the gold medal at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games. Sophie was named as the travelling reserve for TeamGB at what became the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games and now has her sights set on Paris 2024. She talks openly about working with sports psychologists following an abusive past relationship and difficulties...
Sep 11, 2023•58 min•Season 1Ep. 32
In just seven years, Max Hayes has gone from starting a YouTube channel at the age of twelve years old. To now hosting a radio show and being the go to journalist on Sky sports, for news and insights surrounding Nottingham Forest. He's now taking a traditional route studying journalism at university in Manchester, right in the heart of media city. Max is turning his love for storytelling into a career and has already worked with some of the biggest broadcasters in the business at just nineteen. ...
Sep 04, 2023•1 hr 21 min•Season 1Ep. 31
In the first eight months of 2023 an awful lot of life has happened. Many of my friends have turned 30, have gotten married and started a family of their own. After returning home from South America I decided to go at it alone and start building my own career. There was lots of change. My grandad passed away, we started a podcast and I'm now engaged. It's been a busy summer of birthdays, weddings and lots of gymnastics coaching. I'm not sure that I've ever felt more content than do right now. Go...
Aug 28, 2023•58 min•Season 1Ep. 30
In 2021 Richard Whitehead won his fourth Paralympic medal for Great Britain, taking the silver in the men's 200m T61 Tokyo Paralympic final. Following the Games the decision was made to remove his event from the Paralympic program for the Paris 2024 Paralympic games. Richard has turned his focus back to marathon running, he's in training and has hopes of breaking the world record once again. He's built rock solid relationships with the brands and sponsors that support him which is a real testame...
Aug 21, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 29
In 2015, Wade Smith and Megan Scadden started the company Doughnotts with just £10.00 in her mum's kitchen. They now have stores all over the midlands and the brand has become synonymous with the city of Nottingham. Wade was raised by his Mum and grandparents in Clifton and speaks openly of being bullied throughout his time at secondary school due to being overweight. His time working in a care home massively influenced his ability to communicate and empathise with lots of different people. Toge...
Aug 14, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 28
In January of 2023 after arriving home from South America to lovely wintery English weather. I turned on the television and switched to the news, to catch up with everything that had been happening back home. The BBC had the minister for education on their morning breakfast show and I was completely dumbfounded by the questions they asked her. Are you concerned with the rise misogyny in young boys thanks to the influence of the likes of Andrew Tate. Teachers up and down the country are stretched...
Aug 07, 2023•26 min•Season 1Ep. 27
In October 2019, Joe Fraser became the first British man to win a World Championships gold medal on the parallel bars at age 21. Two years later he was selected to represent TeamGB at what became the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games. The team secured a 4th place finish and Joe ended the Olympic cycle as the 9th best all around gymnast on the planet. 2022 was incredible year for Joe and one that saw him add seven major championships medals to his name. He underwent multiple surgeries at the start of this...
Jul 31, 2023•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 26
In 2009 Dan Keatings made history becoming the first British man to win an all around World Championships medal. Incredibly he made his senior debut at just sixteen years of age when he represented Scotland at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. After Leading Great Britain to their first ever team gold medal at the 2008 junior European championships in Switzerland. Dan represented TeamGB at the Beijing Olympic Games finishing 12th all around at just eighteen. He was the first British man t...
Jul 24, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 25
In the spring of 2023, I had an all too familiar conversation with a high level gymnastics coach. They began to complain of both the current and next generation of talent coming through. It's been put to me on many occasions that they're lazy, unmotivated and have bad attitudes. At times I've been guilty of making these claims myself and whilst it's true that small group of people exhibit these characteristics. The vast majority of young men and women in my experience are crying out for purpose,...
Jul 17, 2023•32 min•Ep. 24
In November 2022 Courtney Tulloch became the first British man to win a World championship medal on the rings. He has consistently been the strongest gymnast in Great Britain for over a decade now and hopes to represent TeamGB at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games next year. The decision to to move gymnastics clubs in 2021 surprised many gymnastics fans but lead to his most successful year in the sport in 2022. To date he has won a total of fourteen major championships medals and is without doubt one ...
Jul 10, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 23
In the summer of 2016 Nile Wilson made history at the Rio Olympic Games becoming the first British man to win an individual apparatus medal on the High Bar. He built an incredibly successful YouTube channel which brought him fame, financial success but more importantly inspired a whole generation of kids to take up the sport of gymnastics. He's written a book, opened multiple gymnastics clubs and more recently won the TV show dancing on ice. Nile is one of the most decorated British Gymnastics o...
Jul 03, 2023•1 hr 2 min
In this episode of The Sam Oldham Podcast we decided to answer some of the questions that had been sent in to me through social media. Thank you to everyone who has supported the podcast in the past five months and continues to listen to my stories each week. I had some great questions to answer and hopefully you're able find some value in my responses. We have recorded our first guest and I'm very excited to share his story with you in next weeks episode. Make sure you subscribe to the podcast ...
Jun 26, 2023•41 min•Season 1Ep. 21
In 1999 at the age of six I sat in my front room and watched Manchester United score two late goals to win the champions league final and complete a historic treble. From that moment on I was completely captivated by the beautiful game of football. As a kid I juggled competing for Great Britain in gymnastics and a four year contract at Notts County football club. Throughout my career the question I got asked the most by far was who I chose gymnastics over football. And this is my story.
Jun 19, 2023•47 min•Ep. 20
In January 2023 after returning home from travelling, I decided it was time to start building my own career. Since retiring from gymnastics, I've struggled at times to find my place in the world. The lack of structure, the loss of a mentor, the drastic decrease in the amount of time I spend exercising. All alongside the resurfacing of some things I struggled with when I was child have all impacted my life. However I believe retiring was the best thing for me and I find myself now more motivated,...
Jun 12, 2023•45 min•Season 1Ep. 19
In the summer of 2021 I prepared for my final gymnastics competition and retirement. I had three main goals: The first was to embrace the experience both the good and the bad, the second was to win the British High Bar title and third was to successfully compete on all six apparatus. I came within two weeks of achieving all three of these goals before my body finally caught up with me. I think every retired athlete dreams of making a comeback. In fact I think it's part of the process, a bit like...
Jun 05, 2023•41 min•Ep. 18
In January 2023 my grandad George Arthur Oldham passed away after a three year battle with cancer. He was an incredible man and lived a wonderful life. I have been frightened of death ever since I was a kid and I've been incredibly lucky to have not experienced much of it in my life so far. I knew it was coming and it's followed me around like a shadow for many years. My grandad taught me so many amazing lessons throughout his his life and he continues to do so in death. And this is my story....
May 29, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 17
In November 2020 we went into a second lockdown in the UK. The summer was long gone and this time around, I was outside doing my gymnastics training in the rain, gradually losing motivation. I had lightbulb moment and for the first time I realised that my career was coming to an end. I didn't have any sponsors, there was a lack of a support network around me and with no education to fall back on I realised in that moment that it was going to be up to me to make sure that my twenty years of exper...
May 22, 2023•46 min•Season 1Ep. 16
In 2006 British Gymnastics appointed a new figure to lead the Men's artistic gymnastics program. Over the course of the next seven years, that team climbed from 23rd all the way to the third best team in the world. I was lucky enough to be a big part of that story and during that period I experienced, observed and was able to learn all about leadership. I've been fascinated with what makes a great leader ever since I was a little kid and this is my story.
May 15, 2023•48 min•Season 1Ep. 15
In February 2023 I celebrated my 30th birthday with my friends and family. It's a big milestone and in the twelve months leading up it, I was asked time and time again how I felt about turning thirty. My answer was always very similar. I was really excited for the next chapter and I was looking forward to what was to come. I've made some calamitous mistakes in my life so far but hopefully the lessons I've learned will help me avoid making quite so many big ones again in the future. This episode ...
May 08, 2023•59 min•Season 1Ep. 14
I was joined by three time Commonwealth Games medalist and the Junior European all around champion Frank Baines to watch the 2023 European Gymnastics Championships apparatus finals. We spoke about Franks career, experiences and reminisced about some of the great times we shared throughout our gymnastics journeys. It was incredible to see the results of the both the GB men and women competing out in Turkey and we both enjoyed commentating on their performances. I hope you like this episode and it...
May 01, 2023•2 hr 31 min•Season 1Ep. 13
In September 2021 I tore my right rotator cuff whilst competing on the pommel horse in my final gymnastics competition. During the course of my career than spanned over two decades, I tied almost every recovery strategy in the book. Some of them worked, some of didn't and to be completely honest, some of them were absolutely bonkers. When I work with young athletes now I try to explain how their physical, mental and emotional diet is extremely important. They have to think of themselves as a spo...
Apr 24, 2023•42 min•Season 1Ep. 12
In the summer of 2020 during the global Covid 19 Pandemic, Netflix released the documentary athlete A. That unbelievably sad story, told by a group of extremely brave young women sent shockwaves around the world and right through the sport of gymnastics. Throughout my twenty one year career participating in the sport of gymnastics. I trained, competed and observed many of the different cultures that exist within my sport. And this is my story.
Apr 17, 2023•45 min•Season 1Ep. 11
In 2006 at the age of 13 I logged in to YouTube for the very first time on my family computer. Over night I now had access to an ever growing library of gymnastics content. What started out initially as just a love for the sport, very quickly became an opportunity for me to gain an advantage on my competitors. In recent years these small advantages have become known as marginal gains and this is my story.
Apr 10, 2023•32 min•Season 1Ep. 10
In the year 200 at the age of seven I walked into a gymnastics club for the very first time. From that day onwards my life completely changed. I often get asked wether if given the chance , I'd go back and do things differently. The positive impact gymnastics has had on my life by far outweighs the negative experiences I've faced throughout the years. And this is my story.
Apr 03, 2023•41 min•Season 1Ep. 9
In 2002 at the age of 9 years old my dad secured me my first sponsorship deal. Incredibly the number one barber shop in Keyworth supported me and my family for over 19 years. There're so many obstacles along the road to success and carving a career path in a sport like gymnastics, required a great deal of help from some very special people. And this is my story.
Mar 27, 2023•58 min•Season 1Ep. 1
In the summer of 2019 at the age of 26. I was referred to a mental health clinic after being diagnosed with depression and anxiety. I spent 12 weeks in therapy and over the past four years, I've been on a journey of self discovery. I still struggle with my mental health sometimes but more than anything, I've learnt a lot more about who I am and have a deeper understanding of myself. And this is my story.
Mar 20, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 7
