The Brave Front

Embark on a thrilling odyssey into the icy embrace of the Arctic Ocean with Mark Agnew, the European Adventurer of the Year 2023, as he recounts the inspiring story of his quest to kayak the notorious Northwest Passage. In this season finale of The Brave Front, Mark opens up about the gruelling 103-day expedition that not only charted a course through treacherous waters and shifting ice but also n...

Join us for an epic journey of human endurance and the power of the human spirit with Ben Smith, who defied the impossible by running 401 marathons in 401 days. This episode of The Brave Front is not just about the physical feat of running 10,506.2 miles around the UK, but the deeply personal story of a man who faced relentless bullying, struggled with his identity, and survived attempts on his ow...

Listen to the remarkable journey of Dudley 'Tal' Stokes, the man who steered the Jamaican bobsleigh team from their underdog status at the 1988 Winter Olympics to a formidable force in the world of winter sports. Tal's story is one that goes beyond the fan-favorite film 'Cool Runnings' and delves into the depths of personal resilience, mental fortitude, and the power of purpose...

In this episode we tackle one of the often-overlooked challenges of professional sport and mental health. Join us as we sit down with Rob Young MBE, Chief Executive of Switch the Play Foundation, the UK's only charity dedicated to supporting the well-being of professional athletes as they transition to life after their sports careers. Rob tells us about the staggering statistic that over 50% of at...

Peeling back the layers of what it truly means to be a man in today's complex world with Andy Nathan, a men's coach and mentor. Andy's work revolves around guiding men through personal and emotional challenges, helping them to build resilience, foster stronger relationships, and ultimately reach their full potential. But what exactly does a men's coach do, and how does it differ fr...

In this thought provoking episode of The Brave Front, we delve into the complex world of men's mental health and masculinity with the brilliant Toni White, a consultant, writer and speaker specializing in workplace mental wellbeing and the uniformed services. Toni's candid perspective on the relationship between masculinity and mental health sheds light on the silent battles many men face...

A few of the best bits from the early months of The Brave Front. Covering everything from sleep issues and the extreme cold to anxiety, depression, Asperger Syndrome, ADHD and suicidal ideation. Inspirational guests include Alex Staniforth, Francis Benali, Chris Ashworth, Dr Nicholas Peat, Professor Matt Jones, Pete White and Nick Ray. Show outline: 00:03:26 - 00:10:06 - Alex Staniforth 00:10:07 -...

Having just completed a year-long 3,000-mile sea kayaking adventure around the coast of Scotland, few understand the mental health benefits of the great outdoors as well as Nick Ray. However, having lived with severe depression for over 30 years and survived a suicide attempt, Nick also has first hand experience of life's darkest times. Today though, he has amassed thousands of social media fo...

Former RAF communications specialist, Pete White, lives with PTSD after the horrors he witnessed while serving in Afghanistan. Today, however, he is a successful children's author who is using his experiences to help children to understand their own emotions, as well as those of their parents. Speaking from the heart, in this episode of The Brave Front Pete tells us about a journey with his mental...

After his world was turned upside down following a life changing physical health diagnosis, Dr Nicholas Peat found his mental health challenged like never before. Having lived with Asperger Syndrome his whole life, the GP and father of two found professional and personal life almost impossible. On the brink of suicide, it took previously untapped personal strength and the help of professionals to...

Successful music producer, Andrew Kingslow, has worked alongside music royalty including John Legend and BB King. However, throughout his illustrious career he has struggled with anxiety and depression, eventually receiving a diagnosis of autism as an adult. In our exclusive interview, Andrew tells us how he masked his autism from the world, overcame a host of personal demons and took the brave st...

The quality of our sleep is central to our mental wellbeing, but the relationship between the two is complex. Professor of Neuroscience at Bristol University, Matt Jones, spends his days analysing other people’s nights, so we spoke to him to find out more about the science behind sleep and its impact on mental health. From grumpy mornings and insomnia, to bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and PTSD,...

According to Wim Hof, the Ice Man, our physical and mental wellbeing benefits from routine exposure to the extreme cold. Through learning how to breathe, he says, we can control our anxiety and our body's reaction to panic. To find out more about how we can all benefit from rethinking the simple act of breathing, and re-evaluating our relationship with the cold, we speak to Chris Ashworth, a Level...

All you need to know about The Brave Front and what you can expect from each fortnightly episode

In the UK, men are three times more likely to die from suicide than women, with those aged 40-49 having the highest suicide rate of all. Men are also more likely to develop alcohol dependency and use illegal drugs, and far less likely to access mental health support. So, in this bonus episode of The Brave Front, we caught up with Darren Edwards from Andy’s Man Club - a charity that offers men all...

Having spent 20 years on the books at Southampton Football Club, Francis 'Franny' Benali has rightly earned ‘legend’ status amongst Saints fans.  Since retiring, however, he has gone on to raise over £1.4million for charity by undertaking three ultra endurance challenges that pushed his mind and body beyond breaking point. In our exclusive interview, Franny talks about the mental strength needed t...

A motivational speaker, charity founder, endurance athlete and all round nice guy, it’s hard to believe that Alex Staniforth has battled poor mental health his whole life. Bullied at school after being diagnosed with epilepsy and living with a lifelong stammer, he has lived with anxiety and depression, as well as enduring panic attacks and battling an eating disorder. However, a teenage passion fo...