The Be Braver Podcast

Season One Done! Well, we actually did it — Season One of The Be Braver Podcast is wrapped! We started this little adventure three months ago and 13 amazing guests later we have learnt such a lot about being braver. We've heard from people who’ve climbed mountains (literally), beaten the odds, changed careers, reinvented themselves, and found bravery in the everyday. And somewhere in all that, we...

In this episode of Be Braver , Josie and Annie sit down with the brilliant broadcaster, author, and ultra-endurance athlete Vassos Alexander. Vassos has been the energetic sports voice from the Christ Evans Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2 and Virgin Radio. But as we speak, he's on the brink of a huge life change. He's about to step away from a job he's loved for 14 years without a solid plan for wha...

In this very special episode of Be Braver , Annie and Josie are joined by the remarkable David Smith MBE – Paralympic gold medallist, elite athlete, coach, speaker, and all-round warrior for resilience and presence. David’s story is one of extreme highs and unimaginable lows. He won gold for Great Britain at the London 2012 Paralympics in rowing, achieving what many athletes dream of. But what mak...

Today's guest tells some remarkable stories of bravery. Dr. Sarah Ruggins has just broken the world record for cycling from John O'Groats in Scotland to Land's End in Cornwall and back. That's 2700km in just over 5 days. Sarah grew up in Canada and moved to the UK 10 years ago. She was a child star on the track but got diagnosed with a rare, extremely painful condition which left her unable to wal...

In this episode Kate Silverton shares her journey from being a successful and high-profile journalist and presenter at the BBC to becoming a child psychologist. She talks about the importance of following your own joy, the challenges of balancing career and family life and the significance of understanding your personal values and self-care. Kate talks to Annie and Josie about the importance of lo...

Today's guest is Lucy Gossage - an oncology consultant, who's also an extreme athlete and co-founder of 5K Your Way which promotes exercise for cancer patients to build back confidence in their bodies. She has 14 ironman wins to her credit. Along with achievements at some of the most brutal endurance events. Lucy starts by talking to Annie and Josie about The Winter Spine - an ultramarathon held i...

Today's guest helps make the magic happen in London's West End at the Harry Potter and Cursed Child show. John Bulleid is an actor, magician and illusion designer, creating magical solutions for stage and screen. His love of magic began at the age of 7 when he was given a Paul Daniel Magic Set as a gift. John is a rarity too. He's an Associate Member of the famed Magic Circle. One of fewer than 30...

Jez Cox accidentally got in to cycling as a 12 year old who loved his neighbour's bike. In this podcast he reveals for the first time that mountain biking took him away from a really difficult and impactful part of his young life. It became his safe space. His need to escape and explore meant he was spending lots of time on two wheels and discovering he was good enough to compete. Jez tells Annie...

Today's guest is Geoff Thomas, leukaemia survivor, former Crystal Palace(amongst others) and England footballer and incredible charity fund-raiser. Geoff is about to head off on his 7th trip to ride the Tour de France route...and aims to raise another £1 million pounds for Cure Leukaemia. He speaks with Annie and Josie in the week when Crystal Palace won the FA Cup. Geoff was a special guest, havi...

Today's guest is Rebecca Levett who gives us a glimpse in to the world of sports psychology and gives us tips on what we can take in to every day life. Rebecca has worked with international athletes from many sports and has just become a new mum. She talks about how to embrace nerves and anxiety. Annie tells her that in her days as a GB triathlete she was frequently paralysed with fear on the star...

Today's guest has a remarkable story, turning round his life from armed robber to professional athlete. John McAvoy tells a redemption story that is compelling to listen to. He tells us about a childhood which began with the sudden death of his father just weeks before he was born. At the age of 8, his step-sister's dad came into his life and brought him in to the criminal world. John didn't know...

Today's guest is Nikki Freeman who talks about navigating a big career change. Nikki moved from 17 years in the corporate world to do something she was truly passionate about. That's when she set up Tempr Media. Nikki talks about getting burn-out and starting to feel 'there's got to be more to life than this!'. She embraced the fear of failure and moved to set up her own business in a very differe...

Today's guest is the remarkable Mike Bates. He went off the rails as a teenager after his dad walked out of the family home. His search for connection drew him to the commando life of the Royal Marines, where a young Mike found himself in Afghanistan searching for Bin Laden followed by a posting to Iraq. His early lesson in life was how he needed support around him to achieve success. Mike reveals...

Today's guest is Professor Greg Whyte OBE. Greg has trained, motivated and successfully coached celebrities on some remarkable challenges for Sport Relief Comic Relief and Children in Need. He supported David Walliams on his swim across the English Channel; Cheryl Cole and Gary Barlow to climb Mt Kilimanjaro and Davina McCall on her 506-mile ultra-triathlon. Greg is an Olympian who moved in to the...

Welcome to the first episode of The Be Braver Podcast - where experts and guests come together to give their stories and tips for taking on big changes, big changes and learning new skills. We'll hear from amazing people who've dared to be braver. In this episode presenters Annie Emmerson and Dr Josie Perry talk about the changes they've made in their lives. Annie is a former international triathl...

Coming soon - it's the Be Braver Podcast. We'll be hearing from people who've found the courage to step outside their comfort zones to chase really challenging goals. Let us introduce ourselves, we're Annie Emmerson and Josie Perry. Annie was a party girl who took up exercise and ended up being an international triathlete. She's now a broadcaster and motivational speaker. Josie switched from commu...