The Be Braver Podcast

Our guest this week is Paul Tonkinson, a stand-up comedian, radio presenter and a tv personality. He’s been in the limelight for nearly 35 years and performed worldwide with some of the top stars. He's also a runner and has written two books on the subject. 26.2 Miles to Happiness(he's run a marathon in under 3 hours) and Running through Sand, the latter about taking part in one of the world's mos...

Here's a special episode with Annie and Josie taking on some issues about being braver. Josie has evidence to show working out with a buddy or training with a buddy is more effective than doing it alone. She talks about the work she did for a leading sportswear company and a dating app. Annie airs her frustration at the big stores selling ultra processed food and calls for action. There's a conver...

Today's guest tells a remarkable story of resilience with so many valuable lessons about life. In 2017 Phil Richards was working in HR for Tesco - a 39 year old with a big career and family. But overnight his world was turned upside down with a diagnosis of advanced incurable cancer of the kidney. Phil tells how he has lived with this prognosis and how he has changed his life. His approach has bee...

This episode of the Be Braver podcast features a man with a remarkable story to tell, the broadcaster JJ Chalmers. JJ is a regular face now for BBC Sport at the Olympics and has had a life journey that is full of resilience and courage. As a teenager he wanted to be a Royal Marine Commando and achieved this at 18. He went on to enjoy his time as a Commando, learning that his body and mind were bot...

Today's guest is one of GB's most successful women athletes. She's Olympic gold medal winning cyclist Victoria Pendleton CBE and she's total fun and full of incredible experiences which have given her strength in life and shaped her new book. Victoria won 9 cycling world titles along with Olympic triumphs in Beijing and London. After retirement, she switched to being a jockey, winning a race and f...

"How to Face Big Change and Come Back Stronger "....the title of Helen Thorn's book gives you a peep in to what today's podcast is all about. Helen has been one of the Scummy Mummies comedy duo for more than a decade, an author and a marathon runner. But her life changed overnight when she discovered her husband of 22 years had been having an affair. What followed was divorce and, eventually, a co...

Today's guest is a campaigner, advisor and ultrarunning athlete. Her first event was the iconic Marathon des Sables before she'd ever run more than a mile. And she has never looked back. Sophie Power switched from being an investment banker to setting up her organisation SheRACES with an aim to educate races to be more inclusive to women. This followed a photo of her breaastfeeding her three-month...

We've got a brilliant guest today. She specialises in communication, negotiation and influencing skills. Nicky Perfect worked for the Met Police, becoming a hostage and crisis negotiator ending up in some high-stakes situations, working closely with the Government on overseas training, kidnap and terrorist incidents. In 2018 she retired from policing and bought her local village garage, turning it...

Today's guest is making a switch in careers after being forced to quit cycling after an horrific accident. Imogen Cotter grew up doing lots of sport, particularly running, and won the all -Ireland cross country and track medals when she was in her teens. She went on a talent transfer programme and became a full-time cyclist with the Irish track cycling team based in Majorca. When things didn't wor...

Hello and it's lovely to be back with our 3rd season. This episode is a catch-up on the thing that have happened to both Annie and Josie this year. Annie reveals that her plan to take on a challenging race in early 2026 had to be abandoned. She lost confidence after a training accident and decided not to take part, just 36 hours before she was due to fly out. Annie reveals how she came to terms wi...

Hello, we're closing season 2 with a very special episode in which Josie builds a confidence jar for Annie....and at the same time shows how we all can do the same at home. It's a technique to boost confidence and self-esteem and is easy to replicate. The jar is for Annie who will start 2026 taking on an endurance challenge and it's there to dip in to when there are moments of doubt. You'll hear J...

Today's guest is Richard Whitehead who so many different insights in to bravery and living life with no limits. Richard was born with no legs and has gone on to be a double Paralympic Gold medal winner in 200m, a world record holder in marathon and a competitor in many TV shows such as Hunted and Splash, the celebrity diving show. His story is one about taking on the norm from an early age. His pa...

Today's podcast is a really powerful chat with someone Annie has known for a long time. Siri Lindley became World Triathlon Champion whilst she was training alongside Annie. But that's just part of Siri's story. Siri's family life was shaken as a young girl when her parents separated and she and her sister found their mother trying to commit suicide. Siri's suffered anxiety and OCD during her life...

Our guest today is someone who has played sport at the highest level! Charlie Hodgson is a former England international rugby player. He marked his debut with a national record-breaking 44 individual points...just missing out on a world record. He ended up with 38 caps. It would have been many more but he suffered from some serious injuries, including 2 ACL's, which kept him on the sidelines for l...

Today's guest is Michael Caulfield who's an experienced sports psychologist with quite a story! It's a special pod for us as we all met in person at a studio in West London and the outcome is a terrific podcast. Michael has quite a story. He developed an early love of horse racing and went on to work in a stable yard before a chance meeting saw him become Chief Executive of the Professional Jockey...

Today's guest comes from a very different world! Joakim Mortensen was a Danish gymnast who is now an artist at the world famous Cirque Du Soleil -the show which combines acrobratics dance and music. Joakim is one of those who fly through the air doing twists and tumbles and he talks about how he got their and the sort of bravery it takes to perform new skills. Josie met him when she got an opportu...

Today's chat really digs deep into showing bravery and transforming adversity into something empowering. Dr Liz O'Riordan is a former breast surgeon, who, at the age of 40, was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. She realised just how little she knew about the treatment she used to offer her patients. She began using talks and social media to improve the quality of cancer care. Her own cancer re...

Today's guest is Joe Tidy who gives a great insight into life working in the world of cyber crime. In October 2019 he became the BBC's first Cyber Correspondent - a long way from the early days of presenting on CBBC's Newsround. Annie first met Joe as a triathlon commentator. Joe's competed in Ironman and talks about how long-distance training has helped him in life. But he's made his name as a jo...

Today's podcast is a little different..with a series of tips and insights from across the globe. Josie's at the annual conference of the Association for Applied Sports Psychology and has been chatting to some fascinating fellow delegates. Dr John Coumbe-Lilley specialises in relationship therapy and sports psychology. Ceci Craft is the mental performance coach for the Philadelphia Phillies Basebal...

This week’s episode is all about mindset — the power that keeps us moving forward when things get tough. And we've an amazing guest in the incredible Stef Reid. Stef is a Paralympian, broadcaster, and motivational speaker. Stef talks brilliantly about resilience, self-belief and finding motivation when you don't feel like showing up. She talks honestly about a terrible boating accident as a teenag...

This is a remarkable chat. Jaz Turner is our youngest guest so far. We've been following her progress sailing around the British Isles and she's become the first wheelchair user to do it without any support. Jaz has a rare debilitating and progressive genetic condition, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome(EDS). But she grew up in an abusive home and so her condition wasn't spotted or treated and by the age of...

We decided to have a chat and go solo this week to talk about resilience and how we can find more of it to help in all parts of our life. It's an essential quality which we have to cultivate throughout our lives to navigate the challenges which are thrown at us. So today we bring our experiences as a Sports Psychologist and an elite athlete and we've plenty to share which we think you'll find both...

Today's guest has come to the conclusion that our time is far too short to be preoccupied by what's not essential to life and happiness. Dr Mark Hines has pushed himself both physically and mentally to some remarkable achievements. He's raced in rainforests, across deserts, over mountains and in the Artctic and sub-Arctic. He's run, climbed, pulled a sled and paddled a board. And has written books...

Today's guest is Allie Bailey, a phenomenal athlete, adventurer and mindset coach, who has survived alcoholism, depression and suicide attempts. It's such a powerful, inspirational and raw chat. Allie has run over 200 marathons and 80 ultra marathons. She's crossed deserts and run the length of the Panama Canal amongst her many challenges. She says, from experience, running won't save you, but mig...

Be Braver is back! Annie Emmerson and Dr Josie Perry return to help you discover how to find courage, stretch your comfort zone, and live with more confidence. We hope you've had a good summer! And in this episode we catch up on the last few weeks. Annie has been globe-trotting commentating on triathlon and the World Games in China. She talks about how she was introduced to lots of new sports from...