Ross Murdoch: '˜I almost quit swimming at 16'

The Scottish swimmer is back at the European Championships for gold medals in back-to-back competitions.

Ahead of his appearance at the Glasgow 2018 European Championships, we caught up with Scotland’s 200m freestyle hero Ross Murdoch.

Long before the competition nerves had a chance to set in, we caught him at his best - motived, confident and at feeling at home at the Stirling University swimming pool.

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A golden winner of Glasgow 2014, Ross has partnered up with Strathmore to share some of his top tips for getting healthy.

Ross also shared his top tips for getting fitRoss also shared his top tips for getting fit
Ross also shared his top tips for getting fit

In the video above, you can hear the European Championships hopeful lay the groundwork for how to go about being a healthier you: Finding your passion; working exercise into your commute; remaining hydrated; working out with friends; and building a new routine from the ground up.

Afterwords, we went on a deep dive through Ross’ childhood - getting into sport in the first place, staying motivated through the teenage years and the influences surrounding him that helped propel him into the national spotlight.

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“There was one point I actually thought I was going to quit swimming at about 16 years old,” he tells me, “when all my friends started to chuck it as well.”

He said: “There’s a lot of my own adversities I had to overcome around then just to try and stay in the sport.”

Ross says it’s still one of the biggest challenges swimming faces today: children and young adults late in their school years drop out without realising their full potential.

Luckily for the national swim team, Ross stuck with it. In the years since, he has won gold at Glasgow 2014, gold at the 2017 British Championships and is back for a consecutive gold at the European Championships after placing first in 2016.

Watch the extended interview on The Scotsman’s Youtube channel below.

The Glasgow 2018 European Championships begins tonight, 2nd - 12th August.

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