The Be Braver Podcast

From War Zones to Broadcasting at the Olympics, lessons in Resilience - JJ Chalmers

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 both more capable than he ever imagined. JJ talks openly about joining this crack military team and the process of preparing and going to war. All was well until an horrific incident in Afghanistan which led to a huge explosion and left him with 5 years worth of recovery from substantial life-altering injuries. JJ talks about the resilience and mental fortitude he was taught in the Marines and how that helped him survive, along with the remarkable team of medics. His transition back in to civilian life included competing at the Invictus Games where he won a gold medal. But more importantly, it saw him back in a team environment and gave him a mental focus. And for JJ, the post-event interview led to a curiosity about the media and eventually getting a role working at the Paralympics for Channel 4, followed by BBC work at the Olympics. We hope you find this a fascinating chat. Thanks for listening. Please follow us on insta @bebraverpod

The Fear Opportunity, how Feeling Fear builds Strength and Confidence - Victoria Pendleton CBE

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 finishing 5th at Cheltenham in the Foxhunter Chase. She's attempted to climb Everest, learnt to high wire and been a contestant on Strictly and Celebrity SAS. She's now doing a major house renovation. Victoria's new book is just out. It's called The Fear Opportunity - how feeling your fear builds strength and confidence. It's published by Bluebird and is in trade paperback, ebook and audio. We hope you're enjoying the series. Please follow us on instagram at @bebraverpod

Thriving after Betrayal - 'Scummy Mummy" Helen Thorn

"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 complete rebuilding of herself. It's a compelling chat - full of laughter, the impact of betrayal and the strength of transformation. Annie tells us about helping out a local farmer with lambing and Josie gives a tip on being flexible. You can follow Helen Thorn on instagram @itsmehelenthorn and @scummymummies And please follow us on instagram @bebraverpod and we'd love you to give our podcast a rating and review.

Changing Sport for Women after Breastfeeding during an Ultra Race - Sophie Power

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-old baby during a 106 mile race, at the time there was no deferral policy in place for expectant and new mums. You can learn more about Sophie from her book The Power Within. Also on the pod Annie tells us about her experience lambing with a local farmer, feeding around 40 lambs twice a day. Please follow us on instagram @bebraverpod

Lessons in Communication from a Hostage Negotiator - Nicky Perfect

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 in to a gym and coffee shop - eventually being awarded a British Empire Medal for services to the community during Covid. There are some terrific learnings from this fascinating chat. You can learn more about Nicky from her book Crisis - True stories of my life as a hostage negotiator. Thanks for listening! Please follow us on instagram @bebraverpod