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Swimming as an escape from work in a war zone - with Dr Victoria 'Rosie' Rose
Description
In this debut episode of In At The Deep End, host and swim coach Salim Ahmed welcomes his first guest, Dr Victoria Rose - or 'Rosie' as he knows her - a consultant plastic surgeon whose life is defined by two remarkable worlds: the operating theatres of London hospitals and the war-torn hospitals of Gaza.
Rosie shares her journey from dedicated runner to passionate swimmer, how a serious knee injury changed everything and why swimming has become a lifeline - not just physically, but mentally and emotionally - as she processes the harrowing work of treating children with blast, burn, and bullet injuries in one of the world's most dangerous conflict zones.
Key themes in this episode:
- What plastic surgery really involves and why it has such an unfair reputation
- The IDEALS charity and its decades of work supporting surgeons in conflict zones
- Life in Gaza before and after October 2023 - the contrast between restaurants and rubble
- The friendship and responsibility that drives humanitarian volunteers back into danger
- The physiological magic of cold water and the body's response to immersion
- Swimming as community, fitness and mental health support
- Open-water swimming at Shepperton Lake, and the eureka moment
- Swimming for body, mind and soul: resilience, mindfulness and showing up
Useful Links
Swimming & Open Water
- Shepperton Open Water Swim: sheppertonopenwaterswim.co.uk
- Swim England — Find a Club — find a Masters club near you
- British Masters Swimming
- Outdoor Swimming Society — open-water locations and resources
Swim with Salim
- SwimLab - Learn to swim with Salim
Organisations Mentioned
- IDEALS Charity — supporting surgeons in conflict zones
Dr Victoria Rose
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Produced by The Good Studio - thegoodstudio.co.uk