LET'S TALK ABOUT ENDO | Freya Anderson MBE

The Weekly Freestyle is back with Olympic, World and Commonwealth medalist Freya Anderson, joining us for a candid update from her new training base in Stirling. She shares how she’s settling in after the move from Bath, adjusting to dark Scottish winter mornings, and getting stuck into competitive in house race sessions as part of the high performance environment. Freya reflects on a recent long course 100 free where her sprint speed is still building, but her technical work on dive starts, underwaters and turns is already paying off. In conversation with host Alex Sutton, we explore why skills still decide races at the highest level and how marginal gains off the walls can make a medal winning difference.

At the heart of this episode is a powerful and deeply personal discussion about Freya’s long journey to an endometriosis diagnosis. After years of symptoms, misdiagnosis and being placed on different contraceptives while searching for answers, she finally received confirmation through MRI results and underwent laparoscopic surgery shortly after the European Short Course Championships. Freya speaks openly about the physical and emotional toll, stepping away from training for a month to recover, and the frustration of knowing something was wrong but struggling to be heard. She emphasises how common the condition is, why debilitating pain should never be normalised, and why she feels a responsibility to use her platform to raise awareness and encourage others to advocate for themselves.

We also look ahead to a packed season including Edinburgh International, Paris, Trials, the Commonwealth Games and the European Championships as Freya continues building back to full speed. Beyond performance, we celebrate her sharing the Aquatics GB Social Impact Award with Hector Pardoe and discuss her Fast and Female initiative, which is helping young girls build confidence, connection and a sense of belonging in sport. This is an episode about resilience, perspective and using your voice for something far bigger than results