About this episode
In this episode, Alex sits down with swimming content creator Lily Csonka, who joins the show while visiting her hometown of Gy?r, Hungary before returning to her new home just outside Barcelona. Lily shares the unexpected way she entered the swimming world through volunteering at the 2017 European Youth Olympic Festival in Gy?r. What began as a simple volunteer role quickly turned into a life-changing experience as she found herself surrounded by young athletes from across Europe and discovered a passion for the sport that would shape her career.Lily reflects on her path from volunteering at multiple international sporting events to trying traditional sports journalism through an internship at Hungarian television, an experience that ultimately pushed her to create her own platform instead. A frustrating volunteer role at the 2022 European Championships in Rome became the turning point, where she began sharing behind the scenes moments with swimmers on social media. The positive response from athletes and fans helped her realize there was space in the sport for more personal storytelling and authentic content.Now building a growing presence in swimming media, Lily focuses on highlighting athletes’ personalities and the human side of the sport, something she believes is missing from most traditional coverage. She discusses the importance of social media in helping swimming reach new audiences, the need for federations and clubs to embrace modern content, and her recent collaborations with European Aquatics. With hopes of attending more major meets including the Mare Nostrum Tour and upcoming European championships, Lily is helping bring a fresh and creative perspective to how swimming stories are told.
