The Mettleset Podcast is on a mission to bring you stories of tenacity, courage and mettle from athletes in the Middle East and beyond. From women’s sports and motorsports to adventure, action- and ultra- endurance sports, and everything in between, listeners will get a dose of the region’s most compelling - fun and funny - underreported sports stories every week. Hosts Dawn Barnable (Sports Communications Professional & Ultra Cyclist) is joined by friends who range from record - and boundar ...
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EP66.2: From the Streets to the Peaks: Alpine Run Project Alumni Eleana & Nimrah + Darren Davis - Part 2
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In Part 2 of this special episode we continue exploring the transformative power of The Alpine Run Project (supported by Nike, JD Sports & Strava) and the incredible journeys it has enabled. In this episode, we hear firsthand from Eleana Matos and Nimrah Sohail, two inspiring young women who went from inner-city life to the French Alps as part of t…
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In this special two-part episode, we’re diving deep into the incredible story of The Alpine Run Project—a transformative trail running initiative designed to empower young people from inner cities in the UK through nature, community, and sport. In this, Part 1 of 2, we chat with John McAvoy the founder of The Alpine Run Project and a Nike-sponsored…
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In this episode, we're thrilled to welcome Noemi Romero, Spain’s champion trampoline gymnast and first-time Olympian who recently competed at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics. Noemi’s story is a remarkable journey of resilience, hard work, and triumph. From discovering her passion for trampoline gymnastics at just six years old to making history as o…
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EP64. 🏓 Pickleball’s top player Megan Fudge’s Meteoric Rise, Recorded Live from the Launch of the Pickleball World Rankings
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Hello Everyone, Today's topic is a sport that some of you may or may not be familiar with: Pickleball. And my guest is none other than one of the world’s top players, Megan Fudge. With roots in Europe, the American has had a meteoric rise in the sport, since she started it four years ago going from insurance advisor to now being ranked #1 in the wo…
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EP63. 🛹 Skate and Have Fun 🇮🇳 India's skateboarding star Zarah Ann Gladys' Olympic dreams and ‘have fun’ philosophy
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Today’s guest is the youngest athlete I’ve had on the podcast. At just 8 years-old Zarah Ann Gladys was also the youngest competitor at the World Skateboarding Tour 2024 from Arada, which took place earlier this year in Dubai. The event, which covered both park and street skateboarding disciplines, saw skateboarders from all over the world compete …
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62. 🗞️ 🎙️ Sports journalist Reem Abulleil on storytelling, the regional stars of sport and finding your super-power
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Hello everyone. Today’s guest is one of the region’s most prominent sports journalists. She and I met years ago while I was working in public relations, managing the communications for Yas Marina Circuit for the Formula One Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and Reem was working as a journalist with Sport 360. Since that time, Reem’s career has f…
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EP61. 🚲 Saudi's first pro-cyclist Moroj Adil 🇸🇦 on self-belief and her road to the Liv AlUla Jayco Continental Team
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The Mettleset is back, We have an amazing array of guests lined up, and kicking off this new era is a guest who is simply remarkable. Moroj Adil is Saudi Arabia’s first pro cyclist and you’d be forgiven for not knowing her name yet as she only started cycling two years ago. Yes, that is right, from not knowing how to ride a bike, to being on the Li…
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This is the fourth episode in a series to commemorate International Women’s Day because for us, every day is International Women’s Day, as we work to help create a more welcoming, equitable and just sports industry for all athletes. We’ve taken some of the best moments from the 50+ episodes that we’ve recorded to share with you tales of joy, mettle…
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This is the third episode in a series to commemorate International Women’s Day because for us, every day is International Women’s Day, as we work to help create a more welcoming, equitable and just sports industry for all athletes. We’ve taken some of the best moments from the 50+ episodes that we’ve recorded to share with you tales of joy, mettle,…
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This is the second episode in the Women of Wisdom, a series to commemorate International Women’s Day. For us, every day is International Women’s Day, as we work to help create a more welcoming, equitable and just sports industry for all athletes. We’ve taken some of the best moments from the 50+ episodes that we’ve recorded to share with you tales …
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This is a very special edition of The Mettleset Podcast, the first of a series, with episodes going live daily next week as well. For us, everyday is International Women’s Day as we work to help create a more welcoming, equitable and just sports industry for all athletes. Since our first episode went live in October 2022, we’ve had the opportunity …
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EP56 REWIND- Pt 2 of 2 - 🩺 Dr Kate Jordan is demystifying female athlete health and well-being
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Today’s episode is a continuation of our discussion on female athlete health with Dr Kate Jordan, a sports and exercise medicine physician at based in Dubai. The first part of this REWIND episode came out last week, and you can access it directly from here: EP55: Part 1 Female athlete health: Sports and Exercise Medicine doctor Kate Jordan on commo…
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EP55 REWIND - Pt 1 of 2 - 🩺 Dr Kate Jordan is demystifying female athlete health and well-being
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Concussions, shoulder troubles, ACL tears, low bone density, Low Energy Availability, menopause … Sports, and injuries from it, tend to impact female athletes in a different way to their male counterparts. Yet, it is only now that awareness and medical research has ramped up around the gender differences in sports medicine. Joining us on today’s sh…
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EP54: 🎾 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open insider Vickie Gunnarsson shares her journey on and off the court
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It is sport event season in the Middle East and one event that we’re super excited to see roll into Abu Dhabi for its second edition is The Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open which is taking place 3-11 February at the International Tennis Center, Zayed Sports City. In today’s episode, we speak to one of the unsung heroines of the event, Vickie Gunnarss, Senio…
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EP53 Pt 2: 🇮🇶🤼♀️ Iraqi jiu-jitsu gold medallist Ishtar Izzawi on finding her flow through jiu-jitsu
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Hi Guys, If you’ve arrived at Part 2 of our chat with Ishtar Azzawi, the founder of Baghdad Skate Girls, after listening to Part 1, fabulous. We hope you enjoyed it! If not, we urge you to head to Part 1 of this episode to listen to the inspiring origin story of a skateboarding community exclusively for women in Iraq. This instalment dives into Ish…
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EP53 Pt 1: Rolling Revolution: 🇮🇶🛹 Baghdad Skate Girls Founder Ishtar Azzawi on shaping a new horizon for women through skateboarding
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Ishtar Azzawi calls this her planting season. It’s fitting because this jiu-jitsu champ, and our guest, who has represented her country Iraq in the sport while living abroad all her life had always felt that her true calling had gone unanswered. So, last year, she decided to pack her life in the UAE and head home to Baghdad. The planting season sym…
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Welcome to 2024 and perhaps one of our most important episodes. This is the story of the Gaza Sunbirds, a Palestinian para-cycling team located in Gaza, as told by Karim Ali, the team’s UK-based International Coordinator. While we wished that sharing this story would have been under better and peaceful circumstances, we’re here to tell you that thi…
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EP51: 🏇🏼🇦🇪 Hoofbeats and Harmony: Dressage athlete Natalie Lankester on the promising trajectory of dressage in the UAE and performance in the 2023 Asian Games
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Hi Guys, Remember the first time you heard about the sport dressage? Did you have to google it or are you reaching for your phone right now? You’re not alone! Even in a country where we are based - the UAE- and a region where equestrian traditions date back centuries, dressage (and we’ve just dropped a hint here), is only just growing in popularity…
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As you just heard, The Mettleset is launching a new podcast, The Just Bikes Podcast - hosted by Dawn and friends. As the name suggests, the podcast is all about bikes. From ultra- to adventure, the pain cave to the peloton and lots of type-two fun, The Just Bikes Podcast will feature a host of guests from all over the world to talk about all things…
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EP50 Pt 2: Moonshot 🌙 🇦🇪 🏂🏾: UAE Snowboarder Amenah Al Muhairi & Mum Maya on community and sponsor support and chasing Olympic dreams
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This is Part Two of two of our chat with 15 year-old Emirati snowboarder Amenah Al Muhairi, and her mum Maya! If you haven’t checked out Part One, you may want to pause and go back and do that now! It’s a great chat about Amenah’s start in sports, her and her family’s approach to training as well as wise words from Amenah herself. In this - Part Tw…
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EP50 Pt 1: Moonshot: 🌙 🇦🇪 🏂🏾 UAE Snowboarder Amenah Al Muhairi & Mum Maya on dreams, dream teams and being the first to represent the UAE in snowboarding
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This episode follows UAE National Day 🇦🇪, when everyone living in the UAE celebrates the independence of the country, 52 years ago. This is a young country with a rich history and a vibrancy that is hard to beat. That’s why it's a pleasure today to have a rising Emirati star - and our youngest guest ever -, 15 year-old snowboarder Amenah Al Muhairi…
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EP49:⛵Making Waves 🌊: Sailing legend Hannah Mills, OBE 🇬🇧 on Sail GP, realising your dreams and powering purpose
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Today’s guest is the most successful female sailor in Olympic history, Hannah Mills, OBE. Among Hannah’s many accolades are a Silver in the 2012 London Olympics, a Gold in the 2016 Rio Olympics and another gold in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. That’s certainly not where it started or ended for Hannah with multiple gold, silver and bronze medals to her n…
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EP48:🇴🇲 🧗🏽♀️Why not?! The first Omani woman to summit Everest, Nadhira Al Harthy on stepping outside your comfort zone and transforming your life
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When we sat down with Nadhira Al Harthy for this episode in early October, we knew that we were going to discuss her journey to become the first Omani woman to summit Mount Everest. We also knew we’d discuss how she became the first Arab woman to climb Ama Dablam, one of the most beautiful and technical peaks in Nepal. What we didn’t know, and as s…
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Thanks for listening. As we mentioned, here are some resources and information below. Remember, your voice matters! 🇵🇸 Relief Efforts Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF)- https://www.pcrf.net Emirates Red Crescent - https://www.emiratesrc.ae International Committee of the Red Cross - https://www.icrc.org/en Share Your voice, If you live in Cana…
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EP47: The fast track:🏃🏽♀️ 🇱🇧 Fastest Woman in Lebanese History, Aziza Sbaity, on uncovering identity and purpose through sprinting
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Hi Guys, Our show today is as power-packed as our guest when the gun goes off on a run track. Aziza Sbaity, who has earned the title of the Fastest Woman in Lebanese History, joined us for a chat right after her first track and field training session of the season - as she starts her prep to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Aziza has come out o…
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EP46: Me to We: 🇸🇦 Next Gen Saudi Sports Leader, Jeddah Tribe’s Jude Jamjoon on how triathlon helped her find her tribe
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Today’s guest is one of the next generation of Saudi Arabian sports leaders. Jude Jamjoon is the Co-Founder and President of Jeddah Tribe and to call this a Tri Club, would be accurate but it would miss the fact that it is also an event series and really at its core, a robust community that offers training, mentorship, support & encouragement for t…
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EP45: 🇲🇦🏌🏽♀️The Long Game: Maha Haddioui, the first Arab golfer on the Ladies European Tour, on the mental fortitude required to stay on top in the sport
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Hi guys, Our guest today is from Morocco, a country that was recently rocked by a devastating earthquake. We would like to take a moment to acknowledge the loss that Morocco has experienced and our thoughts are with its people during this difficult time. We’ve also linked some global aid initiatives that you can support below. Back to today’s guest…
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EP44: 🏔️ 🏃🏽♀️🇧🇭 Move Mountains: Fatema Husain on UTMB and being the first Bahraini - and GCC national woman - to complete the world's toughest ultramarathon
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Today’s guest is from one of the flattest countries in the world, Bahrain. In fact, the highest point in the entire country is only 134m above sea level and that’s not even open to the public. Why is that relevant you may ask? Well, our guest today just completed what is widely considered the hardest ultramarathon in the world, UTMB. For those who …
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EP43: 🇰🇷 🚴🏻♀️ K-Bikepacking: Exploring South Korea’s 600km Four Rivers Path in four (and a half) days
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Hello Dawn here, I hope you’re all doing well. Summer 2023 is over and well, mine was EPIC with not one, but two adventures involving bikes. Today’s episode is all about bikepacking in South Korea, more specifically, the 4 Rivers BIke Path in South Korea: approx 600 km of mostly car-free, dedicated bike paths extending from the Capital city, Seoul,…
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EP42: 🏊🏼♀️🚴🏾♀️🏃🏻 Triathletes & the Beginner's Mindset: Four triathletes recount their first ever start line experience in the sport
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Hi Guys - Afshan here Dawn and I are enjoying a summer away from our adopted home Dubai, but are always thinking about you, our listeners, and how we can bring you the most diverse and relatable chats with athletes from the region and beyond. If you’ve arrived at our show for the first time - welcome, there’s a lot of amazing content to go through,…
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EP41: 🚴♀️🚴♀️🚴♂️ Ultra-Cycling & the Beginner’s Mindset: Three Ultra-Cyclists share their first race experience
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Hi, Dawn here, I hope you are having a wonderful summer. Before I get into this episode, we want to remind you that we now have a YouTube channel. Expect video episodes - live right now- and new and fun types of content. Please subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@themettleset So back to this episode. This is the start of a new series which is …
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Hey guys, Afshan here - I recently came pretty close to being swept away by the fanaticism of cycling spectators that I had only ever seen when sitting on my couch miles away watching livestreams and reruns of Tour de France. Last month, I was among thousands of fans crammed on either side of Solar Hill , a climb that is one of the most anticipated…
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EP40: 🏊🏼♀️🏃🏼♀️🚴🏾 Why is Challenge Roth on every triathlete's bucket list? Race Director Felix Walchshoefer discusses why this record breaking long-distance triathlon in Germany is among the top three ...
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More than 3,500 triathletes, 7,500 volunteers and 300,000 spectators have been descending on a small town in Germany every summer since 1990. There’s a reason Challenge Roth is considered among the top three long-distance triathlons in the world. And each year, the race sells out in under a minute - this year in 40 seconds for the 2024 edition. As …
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EP39a: MORE METTLE - with UAE National Team Football Player and Adidas Athlete Areej Al Hammadi
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Hi Guys, Afshan here, You’ve probably listened to our FIFA special episode with UAE National Football Team player and Adidas athlete Areej Al Hammadi last week. And if you haven’t, click through to EP39: ⚽⚽⚽ and FIFA Women's World Cup: UAE National Team football player and Adidas athlete Areej Al Hammadi on the changing face of women's football in …
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EP39: ⚽⚽⚽ and FIFA Women's World Cup: UAE National Team football player and Adidas athlete Areej Al Hammadi on the changing face of women's football in the region and globally
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Hello, it’s Afshan We’re only days away from the 9th edition of the Fifa Women’s World Cup, which is held every four years. There’s a palpable excitement in the air as women’s football has grown in stature, with an expanding fan base that is now being recognised by sports associations, brands, governments and the media. This edition of the World Cu…
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EP38: Rewind -🏊🏼♀️🚴🏾♀️🏃🏼♀️ IRONWOMAN: Saudi triathlete Dina Al Tayeb on unintentionally blazing a trail for Arab athletes
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Hi, Afshan here - We’re continuing our rewind series this week as Dawn and I are taking a break for some summer adventure. But we are also working hard on exciting new content and sports stories from the region and beyond. So, keep listening! In the meantime, here’s an episode that I’ve chosen because I just witnessed one of the most electrifying l…
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Hi all, We hope you're having an amazing summer. We're working on some great new episodes at the moment. We're also having some new adventures that we can't wait to share with you all. In the meantime, we wanted to share once again the story of Nelly Attar, the first Arab women to summit K2. We hope that it inspires you to reach new heights! xDawn …
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Wow, how is it June already!? So much has (and is happening) at The Mettleset that we decided to do a little mid-year check in to share what’s been happening in our world, and what new challenges we have in the works. We also give you a preview of our upcoming summer series. In what may need a spoiler alert if you’re reading this before listening, …
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EP36: 🚴🏾♀️🏃🏼♀️🏊🏼♀️Sports for Life: Community athlete Najla Hallit on finding the training and life balance to train the long-distance triathlon Challenge Roth
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Hi Afshan here, In a new book by sports journalist Sally Jenkins called The Right Call - What sports teach us about work and life, she says that we are all a combination of light and electricity as much as tissue. Sports and exercise light us up like a swarm of fireflies. It sounds romantic but if I have to bring it to reality and layman terms, it’…
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Hello Dawn here, If you’ve been following along, you know I spend a lot of time on a bike. Particularly in the lead-up to a big race. Like many cyclists or athletes who absolutely love one particular sport, I sometimes ignore strength & mobility. Two areas of fitness I also love, but always seem to come second place to cycling. Enter Barre Effect i…
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EP35: Should cyclists fuel with Haribo gummy bears? Sports and exercise medicine doctor Kate Jordan answers this and other burning questions from athletes
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Hey Guys, Today, we’ve got a special episode with questions about athlete health that you shared with us on our social platforms. Dr Kate Jordan, a sports and exercise medicine physician at Mediclinic Parkview Hospital in Dubai, stayed back after our two-part episode on female athlete health, which you can find here: Part 1 , Part 2 , to answer the…
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EP34: Part2 Female athlete health: Talking hormones, menstrual cycle and menopause with sports and exercise medicine doctor Kate Jordan
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Today’s episode is a continuation of our discussion on female athlete health with Dr Kate Jordan, a sports and exercise medicine physician at Mediclinic Parkview Hospital in Dubai. The first part of this episode came out last week, and you can access it directly from here: EP33: Part1 Female athlete health: Sports and Exercise Medicine doctor Kate …
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EP33: Part1 Female athlete health: Sports and Exercise Medicine doctor Kate Jordan on common injuries, LEA and right fuelling for performance and long-term health
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Concussions, shoulder troubles, ACL tears, low bone density, Low Energy Availability, menopause … Sports, and injuries from it, tend to impact female athletes in a different way to their male counterparts. Yet, it is only now that awareness and medical research has ramped up around the gender differences in sports medicine. Joining us on today’s sh…
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🍰 Let Them Eat Cake 🚵🏽♀️: A preview of Dead Ends & Cake🇨🇭, one of the most fun and accessible ultra cycling races on the calendar
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Hello Dawn here, So earlier this year, I participated in my fourth ultra cycling race, the Race Around Rwanda. A race I did not finish. Please check out episodes 29 and 29a for my DNF race report. As with my earlier ultra races, after Race Around Rwanda was done, I quickly signed up for another race. This time, Dead Ends & Cake, a three-day self-su…
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EP32: ⛷️Finding the Perfect Line: First woman on the Saudi Arabia Alpine Skiing Team Sharifa Al Sudairi on why mindset trumps over age in pursuit of competitive advantage ⛷️
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No matter at what age you enter a sport, your attitude is what cements your success. Today’s guest and the first woman to join the Saudi Arabia Alpine Skiing Team, Sharifa Al-Sudairi, epitomises courage in competition. The 36-year-old athlete only took up professional ski racing in 2020 and admits that she has a long way to go. But Sharifa has alre…
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EP31: 🏁 Rally Jameel: 2023 winning team co-driver Hanna Riehle on living outside her comfort zone and being part of a supportive sports community in the region
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When Rally Jameel, the first navigational rally in the region exclusively for women, was launched in Saudi two years ago, we were excited to see how this event with a low barrier to entry would encourage more women into motorsports. Today, we have one half of this year’s Rally Jameel’s winning team Hanna Riehle, who takes us a little bit closer to …
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🇦🇪 #UnitedToBeStronger 🚴🏾♀️: Head of Team at UAE Team ADQ, Melissa Moncada shares the vision and mission powering the growth of UAE women’s cycling
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Today’s guest is playing a big role in the development of cycling in the UAE, particularly for women. Melissa Moncada is the Head of Team at UAE Team ADQ - that’s the UAE’s Women’s WorldTour Cycling Team. She’s also Vice President at Colnago. As you’ll hear in this episode, UAE Team ADQ extends beyond a pro team, it's a movement. It features a pro …
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EP30: 🌊🚣🏽 Courage In Motion: Toby Gregory on rowing the first UAE-flagged boat 5000km across the Atlantic Ocean
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What does it feel like to row across the Atlantic Ocean? What motivates you to do something like that? Toby Gregory, the Founder and Director of the Arabian Ocean Rowing team, is here to tell us exactly what it felt like to row the first UAE-flagged boat across the Atlantic Ocean unsupported and unassisted. Interestingly, more people have been to s…
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Hello Dawn here, So here it is, my Race Around Rwanda race report - part 2. If you follow the podcast, it comes as no surprise that it is a DNF story. For background, the Race Around Rwanda is a self-supported ultra cycling race that takes place annually in February. It is 1000 km with 20,000m of climbing and this year it was billed as 30% gravel. …
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EP29: 🇷🇼 🚵♀️ Race Around Rwanda: Dawn’s DNF Story - Part 1 - What Happened
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Hello Dawn here, So here it is, my Race Around Rwanda race report. If you follow the podcast, it comes as no surprise that it is a DNF story. I did not finish the race. I peddled - and walked - some 713 km out of a possible 1000km in the race that took place in early February. For background, the Race Around Rwanda is a self-supported ultra cycling…
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