Mel Marshall: From broken dreams to building legends

"Great athletes aren’t just terrified of losing – they’re traumatised by it. That’s what drives them." In this powerful and inspiring episode, Sue Anstiss is joined by one of the most influential figures in British sport, Mel Marshall. A former Olympian turned world-renowned coach, Mel is best known for guiding Adam Peaty to Olympic gold and multiple world records – but her story is so much more than medals and podiums. From her early days as a fiercely competitive swimmer to her current role leading an elite performance hub in Australia, Mel shares the highs, the heartbreaks and the lessons learned along the way. She speaks openly about the pressure of elite sport, the emotional cost of coaching and the values that have shaped her remarkable career. Mel reflects on the extraordinary partnership with Adam Peaty, the importance of empathy in high performance and why we must do more to support and spotlight female coaches. She also reveals what’s next in her journey – and why she believes her best days are still to come. This is a powerful conversation about resilience, reinvention and the people who quietly shape greatness from the sidelines. Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award. Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: Hosted by Sue Anstiss Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media A Fearless Women production

You can listen to Mel Marshall: From broken dreams to building legends online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Mel Marshall: From broken dreams to building legends is an episode from The Game Changers by Sue Anstiss.

This episode is 43:00 long.

This episode was published on Apr 22, 2025.

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