The Be Braver Podcast

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 Josie asking Annie about her strengths, skills, setbacks she's overcome and successes she's proud of.

We'd just...

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 parents fought hard to get him to be able to do school sport. He then went on to work in sports coaching...

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 and being diagnosed with acute myeloid eukaemia left her with another harrowing time.

But she remains so positive and wanting to make a difference.

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 long periods.

Charlie now uses his elite sport experience to support businesses and he founded rugby buddy, an academy offering mindset training and skills coaching.

He tells...

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 Jockeys Association.

After 15 years in the job he retrained as a Sports Psychologist following a conversation with champion jockey AP McCoy.

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 opportunity to visit their training centre and this chat lifts the lid on the acrobatic entertainment world. He talks through the...

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 returned and left her unable to move her left shoulder...which ended her career as a surgeon.

Liz talks with great honesty about the challenges...

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 journalist and he gives a fascinating insight into life working in the challenging area of cyber crime including being offered potentially millions...

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 Baseball team.

Dr Peter Olusaga works in high performance looking at burn out, stress and well-being.

Lani Silversides works on building mental health stregth through mental skills.

Lloyd Emeka focuses...

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 teenager which left her needing an amputation. Stef goes on to give her take on what it really means to push through fear.

She shares how setbacks shaped her confidence and...

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 20 she became a full-time wheelchair user. The condition also affects her heart, lung and digestive and bowel system. She has seizures and fainting issues. She says she's...

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 interesting and useful.

We cover optimism, feedback and dealing with teenagers. There's the daily parent juggle and ending...

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 about his adventures.

He says mere satisfaction is not enough. He needs to know he's doing everything he can to live life to the full. He urges people to...

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 might give you the time to survive yourself and will change your life.

It's an honest and compelling interview from Allie who now reaches out to others to help teach them how brilliant they can...

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 Dragon Boat Racing to Marathon Canoe. She's candid about her self-doubts and fears and how she coped. She also talks about grappling with motherhood...

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 (Josie and Annie) have learned a thing or two ourselves — like bravery isn’t about being fearless, it’s about doing the scary stuff anyway (Josie's gearing up for gymnastics...

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 what comes next.

Vassos talks about the decision - with gut telling him to move on whilst his head shouts "Are you mad?!". He...

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 makes David’s story truly extraordinary is what came before – and what came after.

For the past 14 years, David has been living with a rare tumour wrapped around his spinal cord. He’s had...

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 walk and needing 24 hour care.

The chat delves into Sarah's journey, which includes overcoming that life-altering medical condition and the subsequent transformation into an...

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 looking back to understand present behaviours.

She shares the most memorable moments in her broadcasting career - from the front line in Iraq and Afghanistan to the dance floor of...

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 in winter from the Peak District in Scotland, a distance of 431km.

This was the second time Lucy has competed in this. And she tells the...

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 300 worldwide.

This is a lovely chat with insights into the magical world of an illusion designer. The...

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 and Josie about the relationship with his dad, who was impassionate and extremely harsh. He was once told he'd never achieve...

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, having captained the side on their last Cup Final appearance.

Geoff tells us he was training to be an electrician when he was spotted by a f...

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 start-line.

Rebecca tells Josie and Annie how alot of the tools she talks about are transferable to work...

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 this at the time. But when he found newspaper clippings he discovered a background of crime and armed robbery.

John tells us...

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 different field.

Nikki talks about the impacts on her life as a teenager - with her parents divorcing and...

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 the four qualities of the Commandos that we all can learn from:

Courage

Determinations

Cheerfulness in...

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 application of science into elite sport. But his passion for sport is much wider and his latest work includes researching exercise benefits for those with cancer.

He talks candidly about how...

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 triathlete and world champion. She's now a broadcaster and motivational speaker. She left school and education at the age of 15 after a family breakdown and that's led...

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 communications to chartered Sports Psychologist and author.

Insta: bebraverpod