PODCAST: On the Marie Curie Couch with Mark Foster

By the time British Olympic swimmer Mark Foster was 15, he was the fastest swimmer in the country. That led to a long career in the pool, with eight world records, six world titles, 11 European Championship golds and two Commonwealth golds. He also competed in five Olympic Games. Since retiring in 2008, he's been a TV regular, competing on Strictly Come Dancing and as an integral face on screen for BBC Sport's swimming coverage.

In this episode of On the Marie Curie Couch, Mark sits down with Jason to talk about his experiences of grief and bereavement, including facing up to unresolved issues around his dad's death, reflecting on the tragic death of his friend and fellow athlete Ross Baillie, and underlining just how devastating it can be to lose a pet.

"My mum and dad split when I was 11. My dad remarried when I was probably about 15. Everything was cool, but she had her three kids and they became dad's new family. So we got a little bit pulled apart. I found my focus got taken up by swimming. I felt at home in the water. You're burying your head... I found a family outside of my family."

"I didn't know my friend Ross had a nut allergy. I'd never been with him when he had a reaction. I remember getting in the car, he's in the passenger seat, we're driving up to the hospital and he starts gasping for breath. I was fixated on getting to the hospital, which was only about five minutes away."

Tap the link near the top of this page to listen to Mark's chat with Jason. Alternatively, listen to or download it via Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you'd prefer, you can read a full transcript of the episode. Be sure to like and subscribe so you know when we've uploaded a new episode – there are more conversations coming soon.