The Sam Oldham Podcast

2025 has been an amazing year in sport of Artistic gymnastics and for me personally. On the Sam Oldham Podcast we released our 100th episode with the great Fabian Hambuchen. We've interviewed nine Olympic medalists and self produced three short films in the past twelve months. I was given the opportunity to share my expertise as part of the BBC broadcasting team's coverage of the European and World gymnastics championships. I've continued to share my Olympic story with schools across the country delivering 35 gymnastics events and inspiring thousands of young people. Recently I passed my level 3 men's artistic gymnastics coaching assessment and have started representing athletes with ambitions of building a professional career in sport. And this is my story. 

In 2021 Megan Kealy became the individual World champion at the tumbling World championships and throughout the course of her career she has now won a total of fifteen World championships medals in the sport. This summer she took gold at the World Games in Chengdu China and most recently at the 2025 World tumbling championships Megan won silver and bronze medal with the British team. Just a few weeks ago she suffered an ankle injury whilst training and our conversation took place the day before her ankle ligament reconstructive surgery. I'd like to thank Megan for being incredibly generous with her time just a day before she was due to have surgery to repair her injured ankle. And this is her story. 

In 2022 at the Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham, Clay Stephens finished 11th in the all around final, 4th with the Australian men's gymnastics team snd qualified for two individual apparatus finals. Clay has battled against insurmountable adversity throughout his career which has resulted in him undergoing six surgeries. As a child he was diagnosed with Poland syndrome which for him means he was born with only one pectoral muscle. Early in his adult life Clay was diagnosed with bowel cancer which was removed following multiple incidents of server stomach pain. After embarking on his senior international career for Australia in men's artistic gymnastics in 2017 he suffered the first of three knee injuries that took him out of the sport for significant periods of time. During this time Clay was awakened a full sports scholarship at the University of Illinois and became the team captain of the men's college gymnastics team. All together he underwent five separate knee surgeries to reconstruct his ligaments on both legs but incredibly Clay was able to find the mental strength to return to elite competition. Most recently he travelled to Nepal to build a new classroom and spend time trekking in the Himalayas. And this is his story. 

In 2002 at the Commonwealth games held in Manchester. Steve Frew won a historic gold medal in the sport of artistic gymnastics on the still rings. Throughout his professional career Steve represented Scotland at five Commonwealth Games and Great Britain at two World gymnastics championships. In the early days of his senior gymnastics career Steve worked as a full time postman in order to pursue his dreams of becoming an Olympian. Since retiring from the sport he has dedicated his time to inspiring the next generation delivering motivational talks and mentoring children in schools up and down the country. During the London 2012 Olympic Games in London Steve was the arena commentator for the sport of gymnastics at the North Greenwich arena. And this is his story. 

At the 2025 World artistic gymnastics championships in Indonesia, Joe Fraser won the horizontal bar bronze medal and became the first British man in history to stand upon the podium. Joe was part of the British team that finished 4th in the men's Olympic team final and individually he finished 5th all around in France twelve months ago. Throughout his career he has won a total of twelve major championships medals and is the only British man to have won an all round major championships title to date. Alongside training full time as a professional athlete Joe has recently opened the Joe Fraser gymnastics club in Lichfield, building upon his legacy. Since we first sat down with Joe back in August 2023, he's had multiple surgeries, competed at a second Olympic Games and successfully completed an incredible comeback which culminated in him winning the World bronze medal in October. And this is his story.