The Mettleset - Podcast Details

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The Mettleset Podcast🏃‍♀️ How to HYROX with Jess Towl, One of the World’s Best (Summer Series)Today’s episode is brought to you with the support of New Balance 👟In this episode of The Mettleset Podcast, we kick off our Summer Series - a special “How To” series focused on giving you the tools, info and inspo to get started in a new sport. From running your first 5k to training for a Triathlon, to going deep into the world of freediving, we’re sharing real advice, inspiring journeys, and expert tips to help you get started.To launch the series, we’re joined by Jess Towl, Head of HYROX at GymNation and...2025-07-251h 03

The Mettleset Podcast🏈 'Innovation is the Baseline' with San Francisco 49ers' SVP Marketing, Stephanie RogersToday’s episode is brought to you with the support of New Balance. 👟In this episode of The Mettleset Podcast, we’re joined by Stephanie Rogers, Executive Vice President of Marketing for the San Francisco 49ers, one of the NFL’s most storied and valuable franchises.Stephanie takes us inside the 49ers’ global brand strategy, sharing how a legacy team balances tradition with forward-thinking innovation, from data-driven marketing to fan engagement that spans millions of people worldwide.We dive into Stephanie’s impressive career across the PGA Tour, NHL, and now NFL, and how the world...2025-07-1146 min

The Mettleset Podcast🇦🇪 🚵🏽‍♀️ SEEKALL: Off-road dreams with the UAE’s only women-led gravel cycling communityToday’s episode is brought to you with the support of New Balance. 👟In this episode of The Mettleset Podcast, host Dawn Barnable heads off-road with two riders helping shape the future of cycling in the UAE.Emirati gravel cyclist Rawdha Alfalasi has created something quietly radical: Seek.All, a new women-led cycling group dedicated to building confidence, connection, and community - one trail and one adventure at a time. We join Rawdha and fellow cyclist Sunshine Salgado Fearn at Dubai’s Mushrif Park, fresh off one of Seek.All’s very first group rides.Toget...2025-06-3024 min

The Mettleset Podcast🏀 From Delulu to Deal Maker: Stacey Leawood’s Path to Becoming the NBA's Youngest Player AgentToday’s episode is brought to you with the support of New Balance. 👟In this inspiring episode, we chat with Stacey Leawood, who just a few years ago, made headlines as the world’s youngest NBA player agent. who made a remarkable leap from small-town Newfoundland to managing athletes in the world’s top basketball league. Stacey takes us on her incredible journey of perseverance, self-belief (or delusion), and innovation, sharing how she broke into the world of sports management with no prior connections and little formal guidance.From a childhood dream of playing in the WNBA...2025-06-1658 min

The Mettleset Podcast🚲 ‘I got it from Saudi’ - Cyclist Elisa Grassi on winning more than medals at the Saudi Games (Rewind)Today’s episode is brought to you with the support of New Balance. 👟The third edition of the Saudi Games concluded in October 2024, leaving a lasting legacy in the hearts and minds of those who took part.Some 9,000 local and expatriate athletes competed in 52 sporting disciplines, among them Elisa Grassi. The Italian expat, competing in her second Games, took gold in the women’s road cycling event.Grassi, 28, is originally from northern Italy. A biomedical researcher by profession, she discovered a passion for cycling not at home, but after moving to Saudi Arabia in 2019...2025-06-1033 min

The Mettleset Podcast🇸🇦 ⚽ The Saudi Women’s Football Episode with the Legendary Monika StaabToday’s episode is brought to you with the support of New Balance. 👟In this episode, host Dawn Barnable is joined by Monika Staab, a true pioneer in women’s football, to discuss the incredible journey of developing women’s football in Saudi Arabia. Recorded late last year, Monika reflects on her incredible role as the technical director for the Saudi women’s national football program, a role she has since stepped down from but whose impact continues to shape the sport in the Kingdom.Since the establishment of the Saudi Women’s Premier League (SWPL) in 2022...2025-05-1948 min

The Mettleset Podcast🏁 Aliyyah Koloc on Rally, Records, Determination, and the Dakar 🇸🇨🇨🇿🇦🇪Today’s episode is brought to you with the support of New Balance. 👟In this episode, host Dawn Barnable sits down with motorsport athlete Aliyyah Koloc, who has already made racing history, and she’s only just getting started.Born and raised in Dubai, Aliyyah became the youngest-ever competitor in the Dakar Rally at just 18 - but before that, she had already secured two truck racing speed records. Since then, she’s added a GT4 endurance championship title to her name, continuing to make her mark on motorsport. They talk about:What it takes t...2025-05-0953 min

The Mettleset Podcast🏎️ From Karting to F1 Academy: 10-Year-Old Atiqa Mir is a Champion of the FutureAt just 10 years old, Atiqa Mir is one of the most exciting young names in global motorsport. The first Indian and Asian girl selected to the F1 Academy’s Discover Your Drive program, she’s already won at Le Mans and collected over 30 trophies. But her journey hasn’t been easy.In this episode of The Mettleset Podcast, Atiqa opens up about overcoming bullying on and off the track, staying focused in a male-dominated sport, and how she’s training — physically and mentally — to reach Formula 1. Her father, former national karting champion Asif Mir, joins to share the behind-t...2025-04-2139 min

The Mettleset Podcast🪂 High On Life: EXIT 139 - BASE Jumping from the Burj Khalifa with Katie Hansen & Cornelia MihaiIn this episode of The Mettleset Podcast, we take you into the world of BASE jumping with two of the sport’s top athletes, Katie Hansen and Cornelia Mihai. Fresh off their participation in EXIT 139—a historic two-day event where 31 jumpers from 15 countries completed an astonishing 437 jumps from the Burj Khalifa—they share what it means to take that leap, both physically and mentally.Beyond the spectacle, BASE jumping isn’t just about adrenaline—it’s about trust, presence, and embracing life at full intensity. In a short but sweet episode, Katie and Cornelia reflect on their experiences...2025-02-2407 min

The Mettleset Podcast🚴‍♀️ BTS at the UAE Tour Women 🇦🇪 UAE Team ADQ’s Historic Victory- Elisa Longo Borghini, Silvia Persico, Cherie Pridham & Melissa Moncada - EP3 of 3The UAE Tour Women (Feb 6-9) is the Middle East’s first and only Women’s WorldTour race, where the world’s best cyclists battle it out over four intense stages covering 540km across the UAE’s desert landscapes. In this special three-part series,In Episode 3 of our three part BTS series we celebrate UAE Team ADQ’s incredible victory, with insights from key figures who made it happen:🚲 Melissa Moncada, Head of Team, on the significance of this win for UAE cycling and the growth of women’s cycling in the region.🚲 Cherie Pridham, Head of Sport, a trailbl...2025-02-1419 min

The Mettleset Podcast🚲 BTS on the UAE Tour Women 🇦🇪 Live from Human Powered Health's Support Car - EP 2 of 3Welcome to The Mettleset Podcast! This is Episode 2 of our special three-part series taking you behind the scenes at the UAE Tour Women—the Middle East’s first and only Women’s WorldTour race, held from February 6-9, 2025. I go BTS in Human Powered Health team’s support car during Stage *, the final stage of the race. Riding alongside Communications Director Oscar Skarsbrook and Soigneur Jose Leite—also known as a swanny,the ultimate Swiss Army knife of a cycling team—I get an exclusive look at the inner workings of a pro cycling team on race day. In...2025-02-1438 min

The Mettleset Podcast🚴‍♀️ BTS at the UAE Tour Women 🇦🇪 Inside the Race with Journalist Emma Cole - EP 1 of 3The UAE Tour Women is the Middle East’s first and only Women’s WorldTour event—where the best cyclists in the world battle it out across four days and 540km of intense racing in the UAE’s desert landscapes. In this special three-part series The Mettleset takes you behind the scenes of the race (Feb 6-9). In Episode one of three, I speak with journalist Emma Cole, who has been covering the race for Cycling News. Recorded just ahead of the final stage, we discuss Emma’s impressions of the event, the growth of women’s cycling, and...2025-02-1422 min

The Mettleset Podcast77. 🦄 Embracing Change: Jola Chudy's path to Marathon des SablesHappy New Year! After a much-needed break, we’re kicking off 2025 with a truly inspiring story. Host Dawn Barnable sits down with Jola Chudy, an ultra-runner and former luxury fashion editor who transformed her life to embrace adventure, resilience, and self-discovery. Jola’s journey—from the glamorous fashion industry to conquering one of the toughest foot races in the world, the Marathon des Sables—reminds us all that it’s never too late to pivot, dream big, and chase extraordinary goals.In this episode, Jola shares:👠 ➡️ 👟 How she transitioned from the high-paced fashion world to the rugged trails of...2025-01-241h 08

The Mettleset PodcastWomen’s Sports News This Week 🏉 🎾🤺 & an Interview with Moroj Adil, Saudi’s First Pro Cyclist 🇸🇦Published on Friday, November 8th, this is an episode packed with women’s sports news from the Middle East and beyond as well as an interview with Saudi Arabia’s first pro cyclist, Moroj Adil. Catch Moroj’s first appearance on the podcast: 🎙️ EP. 61 - The Mettleset Podcast with Moroj Adil This week we discuss:🏉 Dubai Rugby Sevens: November 30 - December 1. Olympic medalists New Zealand, Canada, and Australia in action. Tickets & info🎾 Ons Jabeur in Riyadh: Guest of honor at the WTA Finals, hosting tennis clinics and inspiring future stars. Full interview: Arab New...2024-11-0832 min

The Mettleset PodcastEP67: Women’s Sports News This Week 🇸🇦🏏 🤿 + a Chat with UAE Team ADQ President, Melissa Moncada at Sport Industry ForumHello, Welcome to our new format, featuring the news headlines for the week, centering women and women’s stories! We hope you like this new format. The Mettleset is now two years old so a big thank you to everyone who has supported us, followed and engaged and liked our content, especially the athletes who have entrusted us to share their stories. More info on the news shared this week: The Saudi Games The Women’s T20 Women’s World CupThe ESeries announces DohaTeam Saudi at the World Freediving ChampionshipThe Sport Industry Forum 2024-10-0421 min

The Just Bikes Podcast16. Lost: My cycling mojo - a dispatch from Alpe D'Huez 🏔🇫🇷Today’s episode is a little Bonus update from me on what’s been happening in my world and what’s coming up. Maybe you can relate, maybe you can’t, but I hope some people will find it helpful. And my next race - as noted - is: 🇸🇦 The NEOM Titan Desert Race KSA 🚲 380 KM⛰️ 2800m 🗓️ Nov 17-23 - 5 days of racing including the Prologue 📍 NEOM, Saudi Arabia 🔗 https://titandesertksa.com/en/ 🇫🇷 Recorded on top of Alpe D’Huez, I did make it out downhill mountain bik...2024-07-0417 min

The Mettleset PodcastEP61. 🚲 Saudi's first pro-cyclist Moroj Adil 🇸🇦 on self-belief and her road to the Liv AlUla Jayco Continental TeamThe Mettleset is back, We have an amazing array of guests lined up, and kicking off this new era is a guest who is simply remarkable. Moroj Adil is Saudi Arabia’s first pro cyclist and you’d be forgiven for not knowing her name yet as she only started cycling two years ago. Yes, that is right, from not knowing how to ride a bike, to being on the Liv Alula Jayco Continental team, her story is one that needs to be heard and what’s most exciting is that it's just getting started. In this...2024-05-131h 03

The Just Bikes Podcast12. 🏔️🚲 Elevation Revelation: Nick Glover 🇮🇲 on Triple Everesting, mindset, the peloton of sherpas and processing it allToday’s episode features a member of a very elite club with member numbers totalling around 50 worldwide at the time of recording. This club is the Triple Everest Hall of Fame. Not just any old member of this club, Dubai-based Nick Glover is a unique one as he is also believed to be the first type one diabetic to ever Triple Everest, and the first in the UAE to do so. Nick is exceptional in every sense of the word. He is also a two time cancer survivor and someone who’s not just satisfied with a personal accomplishment, but w...2024-04-172h 21

The Mettleset PodcastEP57 Women of Wisdom - IWD 2024, the first in a seriesThis is a very special edition of The Mettleset Podcast, the first of a series, with episodes going live daily next week as well. For us, everyday is International Women’s Day as we work to help create a more welcoming, equitable and just sports industry for all athletes. Since our first episode went live in October 2022, we’ve had the opportunity to speak with an amazing array of wise women in sport - from across the region, and beyond it - who were kind enough to share their stories, their insights and advice and throughout it all, thei...2024-03-0831 min

The Just Bikes Podcast4. 🇦🇪 🚲 A slice of UAE cycling history: The Spinneys Dubai 92 Cycle ChallengeThis is Episode 4! Today’s episode gives a glimpse into the history of cycling in Dubai as I speak to the Race Director of the oldest mass participation cycling race in the United Arab Emirates, The Spinneys Dubai 92 Cycle Challenge. I owe a lot to Dubai when it comes to cycling and this race was actually my very first ever. A race I did a week after buying my first bike, without a bike computer, clipped into for the second time ever! Now in its 14th year, I had the opportunity to speak with Stewart Howison, who...2024-02-021h 04

The Just Bikes Podcast3.2 Ultra-Eating 🍕🚲 Ultra-Cycling Coach Niel Copeland & Dawn chat race nutrition when riding your bike a really (really) long time (Rewind from The Mettleset) This is Part 2 of a 2 Part series and If you missed the first part, you may want to go check it out. I chatted with my coach Niel Copeland about all things ultra-cycling - Ultra Cycling 101 - but we saved perhaps the best, for this episode and that is ultra-eating or how to eat and fuel when riding your bike for a very very long time. As I mentioned in the intro to Part 1, this episode was released just about a year ago on my first podcast, The Mettleset. That means that some of the events th...2024-01-271h 09

The Just Bikes Podcast3.1 Ultra-Cycling 101 📚 🚲 Coach Niel Copeland & Dawn chat about what it takes to be an ultra-cyclist (A Rewind from The Mettleset)EP 3.1 is actually a rewind from The Mettleset, and if you haven’t checked that out, you really should. Released a year ago, this EP is still very relevant for anyone who has ultra-cycling on the 🧠. Maybe you want to be an ultra-cyclist? Maybe you are one already, or maybe you’re just curious to know how one can race distances 700 km to 7000 km +, all self supported. Well, today’s episode aims to share a good overview of the sport with Niel Copeland, one of the world’s most experienced ultra-cycling coaches. We chat getting started, training differences for women and men...2024-01-271h 20

The Just Bikes Podcast1. 🚴🏼‍♀️ Dr Sarah Ruggins on endurance and signing up to The Transcontinental, without a bikeThe Transcontinental (TCR) is an annual, self-supported ultra-cycling race that, as the name suggests, spans almost across the entire European continent. It is widely considered one of the toughest on the planet, testing rider’s fitness, mental strength, planning, problem solving and ability to endure as they ride 4000km with approx 40,000m of climbing. So what type of person decides that they’re going to take on the TCR without being a cyclist? Well, meet our guest for EP 1, Dr Sarah Ruggins who took part in the last edition. In our chat we learn that her story...2023-12-121h 18

The Mettleset Podcast🎙️ We have news... 🚲As you just heard, The Mettleset is launching a new podcast, The Just Bikes Podcast - hosted by Dawn and friends. As the name suggests, the podcast is all about bikes. From ultra- to adventure, the pain cave to the peloton and lots of type-two fun, The Just Bikes Podcast will feature a host of guests from all over the world to talk about all things cycling and cycling culture. Follow us on IG at @justbikesthepodcast.Don’t forget to subscribe, like and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Five stars only...2023-12-1200 min

The Just Bikes Podcast🚲 What's all this about then? The Just Bikes Podcast is a new podcast from The Mettleset, hosted by me, (slow) ultra-cyclist Dawn Barnable and friends.As the name suggests, the podcast is all about bikes! From ultra to adventure, the pain cave to the peloton and lots of type-two fun, I'm going to be speaking to. feature a host of guests - new and old friends - from all over the world to talk about all things cycling and cycling culture. In this trailer, preview, whatever you'd like to call it, we go through the why and who b...2023-12-0605 min

The Mettleset PodcastEP49:⛵Making Waves 🌊: Sailing legend Hannah Mills, OBE 🇬🇧 on Sail GP, realising your dreams and powering purposeToday’s guest is the most successful female sailor in Olympic history, Hannah Mills, OBE. Among Hannah’s many accolades are a Silver in the 2012 London Olympics, a Gold in the 2016 Rio Olympics and another gold in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. That’s certainly not where it started or ended for Hannah with multiple gold, silver and bronze medals to her name from the World Championships, World Junior Championships, European Championships and European Junior Championships. In this episode, we chat through Hannah’s start in sport, her early ambitions - sparked by watching the Olympics as a child - a...2023-11-2844 min

The Mettleset PodcastEP48:🇴🇲 🧗🏽‍♀️Why not?! The first Omani woman to summit Everest, Nadhira Al Harthy on stepping outside your comfort zone and transforming your lifeWhen we sat down with Nadhira Al Harthy for this episode in early October, we knew that we were going to discuss her journey to become the first Omani woman to summit Mount Everest. We also knew we’d discuss how she became the first Arab woman to climb Ama Dablam, one of the most beautiful and technical peaks in Nepal. What we didn’t know, and as she announced on our show, is that she has become the first ever civilian woman to be embedded with Oman’s military mountaineering team where she is learning techniques to cope...2023-11-071h 18

The Mettleset Podcast🍉 This is not an episode but a message from us to youThanks for listening. As we mentioned, here are some resources and information below. Remember, your voice matters!🇵🇸 Relief Efforts Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF)- https://www.pcrf.netEmirates Red Crescent - https://www.emiratesrc.aeInternational Committee of the Red Cross - https://www.icrc.org/en Share Your voice, If you live in Canada, Australia, the UK or the US, please find below links to help contact your elected representatives: 🇨🇦 📝Canada - Independent Jewish Voices Canada (IJV) 🇦🇺 📝Australia - Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN) 🇺🇸 📝United States - Jewish Voices for Peace 🇬🇧 📝United Kingdom - Muslim Council...2023-10-2501 min

The Mettleset PodcastEP47: The fast track:🏃🏽‍♀️ 🇱🇧 Fastest Woman in Lebanese History, Aziza Sbaity, on uncovering identity and purpose through sprintingHi Guys,Our show today is as power-packed as our guest when the gun goes off on a run track.Aziza Sbaity, who has earned the title of the Fastest Woman in Lebanese History, joined us for a chat right after her first track and field training session of the season - as she starts her prep to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.Aziza has come out of a very busy first half of the year, winning gold in the 200m sprint at the West Asian Athletics Championships in April, at the Arab...2023-10-161h 17

The Mettleset PodcastEP46: Me to We: 🇸🇦 Next Gen Saudi Sports Leader, Jeddah Tribe’s Jude Jamjoon on how triathlon helped her find her tribeToday’s guest is one of the next generation of Saudi Arabian sports leaders. Jude Jamjoon is the Co-Founder and President of Jeddah Tribe and to call this a Tri Club, would be accurate but it would miss the fact that it is also an event series and really at its core, a robust community that offers training, mentorship, support & encouragement for triathletes of all levels, including those who are yet to become triathletes. This episode is about the power of community or tribe as it were. As you'll hear, Jude shares with us her own...2023-10-091h 09

The Mettleset PodcastEP45: 🇲🇦🏌🏽‍♀️The Long Game: Maha Haddioui, the first Arab golfer on the Ladies European Tour, on the mental fortitude required to stay on top in the sportHi guys, Our guest today is from Morocco, a country that was recently rocked by a devastating earthquake. We would like to take a moment to acknowledge the loss that Morocco has experienced and our thoughts are with its people during this difficult time. We’ve also linked some global aid initiatives that you can support below. Back to today’s guest and an honest unveiling of the hustle behind the glamour of professional golf. Moroccan golfer Maha Haddioui made headlines when she became the first Arab to gain playing privileges on the Ladies European Tour 1...2023-10-021h 19

The Mettleset PodcastEP44: 🏔️ 🏃🏽‍♀️🇧🇭 Move Mountains: Fatema Husain on UTMB and being the first Bahraini - and GCC national woman - to complete the world's toughest ultramarathonToday’s guest is from one of the flattest countries in the world, Bahrain. In fact, the highest point in the entire country is only 134m above sea level and that’s not even open to the public. Why is that relevant you may ask? Well, our guest today just completed what is widely considered the hardest ultramarathon in the world, UTMB. For those who don’t know UTMB stands for the Ultra Trail Du Mont Blanc, a 171 km trail race with 10,000m of elevation - all with a time limit of 46 hours and 30 minutes. Fatema H...2023-09-251h 00

The Mettleset PodcastEP43: 🇰🇷 🚴🏻‍♀️ K-Bikepacking: Exploring South Korea’s 600km Four Rivers Path in four (and a half) daysHello Dawn here, I hope you’re all doing well. Summer 2023 is over and well, mine was EPIC with not one, but two adventures involving bikes. Today’s episode is all about bikepacking in South Korea, more specifically, the 4 Rivers BIke Path in South Korea: approx 600 km of mostly car-free, dedicated bike paths extending from the Capital city, Seoul, to the southern sea-side city of Busan. I did this in four and a half days in early July. In today’s episode, Afshan and I chatted through what Bikepacking in Korea was like. The good...2023-09-1959 min

The Mettleset PodcastEP42: 🏊🏼‍♀️🚴🏾‍♀️🏃🏻 Triathletes & the Beginner's Mindset: Four triathletes recount their first ever start line experience in the sportHi Guys - Afshan hereDawn and I are enjoying a summer away from our adopted home Dubai, but are always thinking about you, our listeners, and how we can bring you the most diverse and relatable chats with athletes from the region and beyond.If you’ve arrived at our show for the first time - welcome, there’s a lot of amazing content to go through, and hit that like and subscribe button for future updates and episodes. If you’ve been following us for a while, you’re always in good company. Keep lis...2023-08-2850 min

The Mettleset PodcastEP41: 🚴‍♀️🚴‍♀️🚴‍♂️ Ultra-Cycling & the Beginner’s Mindset: Three Ultra-Cyclists share their first race experienceHi, Dawn here,I hope you are having a wonderful summer. Before I get into this episode, we want to remind you that we now have a YouTube channel. Expect video episodes - live right now- and new and fun types of content. Please subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@themettleset So back to this episode. This is the start of a new series which is dedicated to the Beginner Mindset. If you’ve been following along you’ll know that throughout the podcast, we’ve had the opportunity to talk with so many amazing women...2023-08-1443 min

The Mettleset PodcastEP40a: Voices of Challenge Roth 🏊🏼‍♀️🏃🏼‍♀️🚴🏾Hey guys, Afshan here - I recently came pretty close to being swept away by the fanaticism of cycling spectators that I had only ever seen when sitting on my couch miles away watching livestreams and reruns of Tour de France.Last month, I was among thousands of fans crammed on either side of Solar Hill , a climb that is one of the most anticipated points for the 3,500 triathletes participating in Challenge Roth, the annual long-distance triathlon in Germany. Earlier this week, we released our interview with Felix Walschofer, the director of the race. You c...2023-08-1119 min

The Mettleset PodcastEP40: 🏊🏼‍♀️🏃🏼‍♀️🚴🏾 Why is Challenge Roth on every triathlete's bucket list? Race Director Felix Walchshoefer discusses why this record breaking long-distance triathlon in Germany is among the top three races in the worldMore than 3,500 triathletes, 7,500 volunteers and 300,000 spectators have been descending on a small town in Germany every summer since 1990.There’s a reason Challenge Roth is considered among the top three long-distance triathlons in the world. And each year, the race sells out in under a minute - this year in 40 seconds for the 2024 edition.As you’ve heard from two triathletes from the Middle East who took on the challenge in June this year, this race is a celebration of endurance, determination and camaraderie - all of which I too got to experience as a...2023-08-0747 min

The Mettleset PodcastEP39a: MORE METTLE - with UAE National Team Football Player and Adidas Athlete Areej Al HammadiHi Guys, Afshan here,You’ve probably listened to our FIFA special episode with UAE National Football Team player and Adidas athlete Areej Al Hammadi last week. And if you haven’t, click through to EP39: ⚽⚽⚽ and FIFA Women's World Cup: UAE National Team football player and Adidas athlete Areej Al Hammadi on the changing face of women's football in the region and globally to hear about how she carved her own path in this sport, and her insights on the ongoing Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.And here’s the fun spill over...2023-07-2804 min

The Mettleset PodcastEP39: ⚽⚽⚽ and FIFA Women's World Cup: UAE National Team football player and Adidas athlete Areej Al Hammadi on the changing face of women's football in the region and globallyHello, it’s AfshanWe’re only days away from the 9th edition of the Fifa Women’s World Cup, which is held every four years.There’s a palpable excitement in the air as women’s football has grown in stature, with an expanding fan base that is now being recognised by sports associations, brands, governments and the media.This edition of the World Cup, which is being held in Australia and New Zealand from July 20 to August 20, is set to become the most attended standalone women’s sporting event in history. FIFA h...2023-07-171h 01

The Mettleset PodcastEP38: Rewind -🏊🏼‍♀️🚴🏾‍♀️🏃🏼‍♀️ IRONWOMAN: Saudi triathlete Dina Al Tayeb on unintentionally blazing a trail for Arab athletesHi, Afshan here - We’re continuing our rewind series this week as Dawn and I are taking a break for some summer adventure.But we are also working hard on exciting new content and sports stories from the region and beyond. So, keep listening!In the meantime, here’s an episode that I’ve chosen because I just witnessed one of the most electrifying long-distance triathlons in the world – Challenge Roth in Germany – and our guest was among the 3,500 participants who were there and smashed her race. I hope this chat inspir...2023-07-1048 min

The Mettleset PodcastEP37: Rewind - HISTORIC: 🧗🏽‍♀️Mountaineer Nelly Attar, the first Arab woman to summit K2Hi all, We hope you're having an amazing summer. We're working on some great new episodes at the moment. We're also having some new adventures that we can't wait to share with you all. In the meantime, we wanted to share once again the story of Nelly Attar, the first Arab women to summit K2. We hope that it inspires you to reach new heights! xDawn*****July 22, 2022 – On this day our guest, Nelly Attar, became the first Arab woman to summit K2.This is historic for the Ar...2023-07-0352 min

The Mettleset PodcastSummer Plans 🇩🇪 🇰🇷 and New Challenges 🇮🇳🇿🇦… A Mid-Year Check-In with Dawn and AfshanWow, how is it June already!? So much has (and is happening) at The Mettleset that we decided to do a little mid-year check in to share what’s been happening in our world, and what new challenges we have in the works. We also give you a preview of our upcoming summer series. In what may need a spoiler alert if you’re reading this before listening, links to some of the events discussed are as follows: Challenge Roth https://www.challenge-roth.com/en/ The Ladakh Marathon - https://ladakhmarathon.com/The Sani2Sea MTB...2023-06-2332 min

The Mettleset PodcastEP36: 🚴🏾‍♀️🏃🏼‍♀️🏊🏼‍♀️Sports for Life: Community athlete Najla Hallit on finding the training and life balance to train the long-distance triathlon Challenge RothHi Afshan here,In a new book by sports journalist Sally Jenkins called The Right Call - What sports teach us about work and life, she says that we are all a combination of light and electricity as much as tissue. Sports and exercise light us up like a swarm of fireflies. It sounds romantic but if I have to bring it to reality and layman terms, it’s that rush of joy I feel when I get off my bike after a ride or the sustained high after a run. It’s what m...2023-06-1942 min

The Mettleset PodcastFrom the Bike to the Barre - Barre Effect’s Nora Hameidani on why Barre if for all athletesHello Dawn here, If you’ve been following along, you know I spend a lot of time on a bike. Particularly in the lead-up to a big race. Like many cyclists or athletes who absolutely love one particular sport, I sometimes ignore strength & mobility. Two areas of fitness I also love, but always seem to come second place to cycling. Enter Barre Effect in Dubai, which was recommended after a conversation with my coach about cross training. In this episode, I speak with Barre Effect Founder Nora Hameidani who shares just exactly what Barre...2023-06-1632 min

The Mettleset PodcastEP35: Should cyclists fuel with Haribo gummy bears? Sports and exercise medicine doctor Kate Jordan answers this and other burning questions from athletesHey Guys,Today, we’ve got a special episode with questions about athlete health that you shared with us on our social platforms.Dr Kate Jordan, a sports and exercise medicine physician at Mediclinic Parkview Hospital in Dubai, stayed back after our two-part episode on female athlete health, which you can find here: Part 1 , Part 2 , to answer them.So, if you ever wondered why and how to top up on your collagen, how to improve your cycling power, supplements you may need as an athlete, or should you train through a niggle, you’ve co...2023-06-1221 min

The Mettleset PodcastEP34: Part2 Female athlete health: Talking hormones, menstrual cycle and menopause with sports and exercise medicine doctor Kate JordanToday’s episode is a continuation of our discussion on female athlete health with Dr Kate Jordan, a sports and exercise medicine physician at Mediclinic Parkview Hospital in Dubai.The first part of this episode came out last week, and you can access it directly from here: EP33: Part1 Female athlete health: Sports and Exercise Medicine doctor Kate Jordan on common injuries, LEA and right fuelling for performance. In this episode, we go deeper into our discussion on training on your menstrual cycle, hormones, the importance of supplements, and strength and resistance training as we age...2023-06-0520 min

The Mettleset PodcastEP33: Part1 Female athlete health: Sports and Exercise Medicine doctor Kate Jordan on common injuries, LEA and right fuelling for performance and long-term healthConcussions, shoulder troubles, ACL tears, low bone density, Low Energy Availability, menopause …Sports, and injuries from it, tend to impact female athletes in a different way to their male counterparts. Yet, it is only now that awareness and medical research has ramped up around the gender differences in sports medicine. Joining us on today’s show to discuss some of the most pressing issues in female athlete health is Dr Kate Jordan, a sports and exercise medicine physician at Mediclinic Parkview Hospital in Dubai.Dr Jordan has worked with elite athletes throug...2023-05-2936 min

The Mettleset Podcast🍰 Let Them Eat Cake 🚵🏽‍♀️: A preview of Dead Ends & Cake🇨🇭, one of the most fun and accessible ultra cycling races on the calendarHello Dawn here, So earlier this year, I participated in my fourth ultra cycling race, the Race Around Rwanda. A race I did not finish. Please check out episodes 29 and 29a for my DNF race report. As with my earlier ultra races, after Race Around Rwanda was done, I quickly signed up for another race. This time, Dead Ends & Cake, a three-day self-supported ultra that sees those participating cycle 500km with 9000m of climbing. As the name suggests it has dead end checkpoints.. five to be exact, each with cake. It is due to start on...2023-05-2652 min

The Mettleset PodcastEP32: ⛷️Finding the Perfect Line: First woman on the Saudi Arabia Alpine Skiing Team Sharifa Al Sudairi on why mindset trumps over age in pursuit of competitive advantage ⛷️No matter at what age you enter a sport, your attitude is what cements your success. Today’s guest and the first woman to join the Saudi Arabia Alpine Skiing Team, Sharifa Al-Sudairi, epitomises courage in competition. The 36-year-old athlete only took up professional ski racing in 2020 and admits that she has a long way to go. But Sharifa has already become a trailblazer among Arab women for her “never give up” mindset, which she has consciously been training since becoming an athlete. From growing up tackling the slopes of Switzerland as a child to...2023-05-2247 min

The Mettleset PodcastEP31: 🏁 Rally Jameel: 2023 winning team co-driver Hanna Riehle on living outside her comfort zone and being part of a supportive sports community in the regionWhen Rally Jameel, the first navigational rally in the region exclusively for women, was launched in Saudi two years ago, we were excited to see how this event with a low barrier to entry would encourage more women into motorsports. Today, we have one half of this year’s Rally Jameel’s winning team Hanna Riehle, who takes us a little bit closer to what it was like on ground, navigating the desert of Saudi with 81 other women who grabbed this unique opportunity to prove their mettle. This was Hanna and co-driver Evelina Chlebowska’s second y...2023-05-151h 12

The Mettleset Podcast🇦🇪 #UnitedToBeStronger 🚴🏾‍♀️: Head of Team at UAE Team ADQ, Melissa Moncada shares the vision and mission powering the growth of UAE women’s cyclingToday’s guest is playing a big role in the development of cycling in the UAE, particularly for women. Melissa Moncada is the Head of Team at UAE Team ADQ - that’s the UAE’s Women’s WorldTour Cycling Team. She’s also Vice President at Colnago. As you’ll hear in this episode, UAE Team ADQ extends beyond a pro team, it's a movement. It features a pro team, a development team - the first of its kind in the Women’s WorldTour may we add, - as well as a grassroots movement, Women Moving Forward which prov...2023-05-1258 min

The Mettleset PodcastEP30: 🌊🚣🏽 Courage In Motion: Toby Gregory on rowing the first UAE-flagged boat 5000km across the Atlantic OceanWhat does it feel like to row across the Atlantic Ocean? What motivates you to do something like that? Toby Gregory, the Founder and Director of the Arabian Ocean Rowing team, is here to tell us exactly what it felt like to row the first UAE-flagged boat across the Atlantic Ocean unsupported and unassisted. Interestingly, more people have been to space and climbed Mount Everest than actually taking on this 5,000 km journey from the coast of Africa to Antigua. So, having Toby share how he conceived the idea and what it took...2023-05-081h 03

The Mettleset PodcastEP29a: 🇷🇼 🚵‍♀️ Race Around Rwanda: Dawn’s DNF Story - Part 2 - The AftermathHello Dawn here, So here it is, my Race Around Rwanda race report - part 2. If you follow the podcast, it comes as no surprise that it is a DNF story. For background, the Race Around Rwanda is a self-supported ultra cycling race that takes place annually in February. It is 1000 km with 20,000m of climbing and this year it was billed as 30% gravel. Joining me to relive the experience is my coach Niel Copeland who did the race a couple of years ago, and also reported on the race for Dotwatcher. Because Niel...2023-05-0539 min

The Mettleset PodcastEP29: 🇷🇼 🚵‍♀️ Race Around Rwanda: Dawn’s DNF Story - Part 1 - What HappenedHello Dawn here, So here it is, my Race Around Rwanda race report. If you follow the podcast, it comes as no surprise that it is a DNF story. I did not finish the race. I peddled - and walked - some 713 km out of a possible 1000km in the race that took place in early February. For background, the Race Around Rwanda is a self-supported ultra cycling race that takes place annually in February. It is 1000 km with 20,000m of climbing and this year it was billed as 30% gravel. Joining me to rel...2023-05-051h 11

The Mettleset PodcastWings for Life World Run: Everything you need to know to run to support spinal injury research with race ambassador Gada ShaikliHey guys, Afshan here!The Mettleset is doing its first running race as a team…and it’s all for a good cause. Dawn and I have signed up for the amazing annual Wings for Life World Run, which supports the Wings for Life Foundation for spinal injury research. The race happens around the world on the same day and at the same time - this year being May 7. It’s exciting for us to join this year’s event because the race is celebrating its 10th year. In 2022 alone, the Wings for Life World...2023-04-2811 min

The Mettleset PodcastEP28a: MORE METTLE - with UAE Team ADQ rider Safiya Al Sayegh, the First Arab and Emirati on the UCI Women’s WorldTourHello, it is us again Ever wondered what three things your favourite athlete would take with them on a deserted island? Or what their favourite food is? Or perhaps the worst advice they’ve ever received? Yes, we know you can’t get enough of our guests. In our new bonus series More Mettle, we fire 10 fun questions at our in-studio guests to peel back their professional layers and get to their humorous, quirky and uninhibited side. Our first guest on the series is UAE Team ADQ rider Safiya Al Sayegh, First Arab and Emir...2023-04-2109 min

The Mettleset PodcastEP28: 🇦🇪🚴🏾‍♀️ First Arab rider on the Women's WorldTour: Safiya Al Sayegh on pedalling for passion and pushing the power metre with UAE Team ADQToday’s guest is Safiya Al Sayegh, and if you don’t know that name yet - where have you been hiding? Remember it because this Emirati cyclist is the heroine we need! Safiya is the first Emirati and first Arab woman to join a WorldTour Pro Team, UAE Team ADQ. The 21-year-old athlete kicked off her cycling career in 2016 and turned pro last year, displaying remarkable growth under the guidance of UAE Team ADQ.She closed 2022 with six medals from the Arab Track Championships, including two gold, three silver and one bronze. And she has be...2023-04-1751 min

The Mettleset PodcastLeaders in Sport: Women's sports, opportunities and inspiration in the UAEHello Dawn here, Today we have a special bonus episode that’s a little different to our usual athlete interviews as we touch upon the business of sport and sport leadership here in the United Arab Emirates. As someone who’s worked in sports communications for over 11 years, I recently had the opportunity to go to the Leaders in Sport Business Summit in Abu Dhabi held on 1-2 March. This episode shares some observations and snippets from just one of the many thought-provoking panels that took place. If you’re unfamiliar with Leaders in Sport...2023-04-0722 min

The Mettleset PodcastEP27: 🏋🏻‍♀️ 🇦🇪 Fittest in the UAE: CrossFitter Shahad Budebs on burpees, bars, bulk and heading to the CrossFit Games 2023 semisEmirati CrossFitter Shahad Budebs doesn’t shy away from telling women - “Let’s get bulky”. Because getting swole is exactly what will get you to the top of the sport. The four-time Fittest in the UAE athlete sits down with us in-studio days before she dives into her intense training for the CrossFit Games semi-finals in June.The 28-year-old, who only began CrossFit in 2017 after being on the UAE National football team and the UAE athletics team, has had a meteoric rise in world rankings. In just five years, she went from 34,506th worldwide and 90th in the UAE...2023-04-0336 min

The Mettleset PodcastEP26: The Godzone Adventure: Adventurer Ivana Kolaric on taking on the trials and highs in the largest expedition race in the worldUltra running and adventure sports athlete Ivana Kolaric is back with us for this episode where she talks about her most recent and very exciting multi-day, non-stop adventure in New Zealand - Godzone - also known as the largest expedition race in the world. For those of you who haven’t heard our first chat with Ivana on the podcast where she tells us what makes her push her limits in sports and discusses her self-supported Trans Balkan Ultra Cycling Race in 2022, don’t worry, head to EP2 here: ‘TENACITY: Ultra athlete Ivana Kolaric on going from fitness...2023-03-2756 min

The Mettleset PodcastEP25: 🚴🏽‍♀️ 🇷🇼 Ultra Women Pt 2 - The Women of Race Around RwandaHi Dawn here, As you may know, I recently took part in the Race Around Rwanda, a 1000km self supported cycling race in early February. It was my fourth ultra cycling race in total, and my first since 2019. Spoiler alert, it was also my second scratch or DNF. I did make it 712 km along the route and I’m detailing my experience in an upcoming episode. But before that, I had the chance to speak to 9 women I raced with - and alongside - to get their thoughts on the race to share with y...2023-03-2141 min

The Mettleset PodcastEP24: 🚴🏽‍♀️ 🇷🇼 Ultra Women Pt 1 - The Women of Race Around RwandaHi Dawn here, As you may know, I recently took part in the Race Around Rwanda, a 1000km self supported cycling race in early February. It was my fourth ultra cycling race in total and my first since 2019. Spoiler alert, it was also my second scratch or DNF. I did make it 712 km along the route and I’m detailing my experience in an upcoming episode. But before that, I had the chance to speak to 9 women I raced with - and alongside - to get their thoughts on the race to share with y...2023-03-2134 min

The Mettleset PodcastEP23: Coming Full Circle: Former Olympic Gymnast Sarah Mercer on creating a cultural shift in gymnasticsOur guest on today’s episode has had an illustrious career in gymnastics, starting at a young age when most Olympics hopefuls spend uncountable hours in the gym perfecting routines to now coaching young athletes in the sport - coming full circle in her sport. Sarah Mercer, who is from South Africa, represented Great Britain in the 1992 Olympics that took place in Barcelona. That was the ultimate goal for which, in her own words, she “put horse blinkers on” to achieve it. No injury, no amount of overtraining and not even the bureaucratic process could stop her from her...2023-03-131h 01

The Mettleset PodcastEP22: Mentorship: Prof. of Sport Psychology, Maria Kavussanu, on the role of coaches to promote good values and fairness in sportsWe have hosted athletes from across the Middle East, and some of the common factors among them has been their growth mindset, positive competitive spirit and, importantly, the guidance of good coaches and mentors in their sports. Maria Kavussanu, a professor in sports and exercise psychology at the University of Birmingham in the UK has dedicated several years to understanding what causes prosocial and antisocial behaviours in sports, and its consequences. In this discussion with her, we talk about morality in sports, developing the right mindset and her most recent study on “authentic leadership”, which looked...2023-02-271h 16

The Mettleset PodcastEP21: REWIND - RESOLUTE: UAE’s first female camel jockey trainer Linda Krockenberger on introducing women’s camel racing in the regionI am just back from Race Around Rwanda and Afshan and I are busy working on a whole bunch of new episodes for you. Expect a full race debrief from me and other women on the race, as well as a host of new athletes, new sports, new stories and new perspectives. We’ll be back next Monday with a brand new episode but until then we wanted to reshare one of our first and favorites with Linda Krokenberger, the UAE’s first female camel jockey trainer. If you’re a new listener, we hope you enjo...2023-02-2047 min

The Mettleset PodcastEP20: GO-GETTER: Mountain biker Faranak Partoazar on leading the charge in women’s cycling in Iran and being the voice of encouragement for women around the worldIn this episode with our guest Faranak Partoazar, a mountain biker from Iran with several accolades to her name, Dawn and I want to first acknowledge the challenges and obstacles women in Iran continue to face today, which makes Faranak’s journey into mountain biking even more compelling. The safety of our guests, who come from across the region, is of utmost importance to us, and we have avoided sensitive topics in this discussion. At the age of nine, Faranak had to give up cycling because it was frowned upon for girls to be seen riding in Iran...2023-02-1350 min

The Mettleset PodcastEP19: DEFYING ODDS: Mountaineer Nelly Attar, on facing one of the most dangerous climbs in the world to honour her fatherJuly 22, 2022 – On this day our guest, Nelly Attar, became the first Arab woman to summit K2. This is historic for the Arab world. Not only is this the world’s second-highest peak after Mount Everest but is also one of the most dangerous mountains to climb. With its peak 8,611 meters high, located in the Karakoram Range in Pakistan, this is famously known as the Savage Mountain.It was a challenge that the 33-year-old mountaineer took on to honour her late father, who was responsible for sparking that spirit of the outdoors and adventure in her...2023-02-0652 min

The Mettleset PodcastEP18: INCLUSION: Disability awareness advocate and former Paralympian swimmer Jessica Smith on creating effective inclusion and diversity in sportsFormer Paralympian Jessica Smith joins us on the episode for a very honest discussion on diversity, and inclusion for people with disabilities. As an elite swimmer who represented Australia in the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, Jessica isn’t a stranger to the pressures of performance and scrutiny. But when it comes to athletes with disabilities, this is compounded by the lack of much-needed psychological, financial, and infrastructural support, as well. After retiring at the age of 22 to address her eating disorders and mental wellbeing, the athlete turned to being a loud and strong advocate for disabi...2023-01-3058 min

The Mettleset PodcastEP17: GROWTH MINDSET: Mountaineer Tima Deryan on going to the ends of the Earth to inspire others to be limitlessDubai-based mountaineer Tima Deryan joins us today, a month after she became the first Lebanese woman to ski the last degree of the South Pole and only a few months away from skiing the last degree of the North Pole. This will conclude her seven-year expedition to achieve the Explorers Grand Slam. It’s a mountaineering challenge that only about 73 people have completed of which fewer than 20 are women, according to the Explorers Grand Slam website. As part of the challenge, the 30-year-old has also summited the highest mountain on every continent, and became the youngest Arab to...2023-01-231h 13

The Mettleset PodcastEP16A: Ultra-Eating: Ultra-Cycling Coach Niel Copeland chats with Dawn Barnable about race nutrition when riding your bike a really really long timeSo hopefully you have listened to our earlier episode (Episode 16) this week where we chat with my coach Niel Copeland on all things ultra-cycling. Well, almost all things. One major aspect of these long distance races is eating … eating a lot, a lot, a lot of food. So today, that’s why we’re bringing you a bonus episode on Ultra Eating. We start off with a quick check-in on my training for the Race Around Rwanda and then go into the importance of nutrition, how you train to eat (yes, you actually need to do this), how much...2023-01-201h 08

The Mettleset PodcastEP16: So you want to be an Ultra Cyclist? Coach Niel Copeland chats with Dawn about just exactly what it takesHello! Dawn here. So you want to be an ultra-cyclist? Well, maybe you do, maybe you are one already, or maybe you’re just curious to know how one can race distances that range from 700 km to up to over 7000 km, all self supported. Well, today’s episode aims to share a good overview of the sport and how you can get involved as I speak with my coach, Niel Copeland, one of the world’s most experienced ultra-cycling coaches. I’m in full training mode for Race Around Rwanda, a 1000km self supported road and gravel...2023-01-161h 18

The Mettleset PodcastEP15: IRONWOMAN: Saudi triathlete Dina Al Tayeb on unintentionally blazing a trail for Arab athletesIf you’ve been paying attention, triathlons are having a moment in the Middle East. More and more athletes from all over the region are taking up the sport. Equally, Saudi Arabia is seeing a booming interest in sports, especially triathlons, and our guest today has and continues to play a key role in developing it in the region. This unintentional trailblazer is Dr. Dina Al Tayeb, who began competing in triathlons back in 2005 when no one was doing it and there really wasn’t any tri community to fall back on. Dina became the first A...2023-01-0947 min

The Mettleset PodcastEP14: 2023 INSPO: Reflections, lessons and adventures from our 2022 guests to get you excited about the year aheadHey Team, Happy New Year! It’s a whole new year for all of us, and for The Mettleset Podcast and what better way to start it than with a little reflection and all of the lessons that we’re taking with us into 2023. 2022 was phenomenal for us - The Mettleset was born and with it, we shared stories from athletes from across the Middle East representing all sorts of sports. They’ve pushed boundaries, overcome challenges and fears, jumped into the deep end without a moment’s hesitation, found a flow that balances their sporting e...2023-01-0251 min

The Mettleset PodcastEP13: SPORTS SAVED ME: The UAE’s First Emirati Pro Surfer, Mo Rahma On Happiness and The Healing Power of SportOur last full episode of 2023 features the energetic and joyful Mo Rahma. Mo brings heart to everything he does, which at the time of recording includes 60 different sport disciplines… and counting. Mo’s sport journey started in childhood has many twists and turns and he’s represented the UAE in football as a youth, and later rugby and surfing all while managing ulcerative colitis, a chronic health condition. In our chat with Mo, he talks about focus, motivation, mindset, managing a chronic illness, why competition matters, and the importance of the basics. He also discusses becoming...2022-12-191h 00

The Mettleset PodcastRace Around Rwanda - RAR Organiser Simon De Schutter on the race and cycling in RwandaHello! Dawn here. In case you missed it, I am training for the Race Around Rwanda, a 1000km self-supported ultra cycling race, scheduled to start on the 5th of February, 2023. It just so happens that our guest today, one of the race organizers, Simon De Schutter, is a friend of mine. I first met Simon back in 2019 as we traveled to Oman together for what was for each of us, our first ultra cycling race, BikingMan Oman. This is the first in what will be a Bonus Series around the Race Around Rwanda and...2022-12-1648 min

The Mettleset PodcastEP12: BREATHTAKING: World Champion Freediver Nataliia Zharkova on going deep, finding purpose, and mastering the mindToday’s episode features a real life mermaid. Nataliia Zharkova is a world record breaking freediver and five-time World Champion but she didn’t find freediving, freediving found her. Co-host Dawn first met Nataliia in 2021 when she worked with the team at Deep Dive Dubai and took an introductory freedive lesson with her. Yes, you too can train with this phenomenal athlete in Dubai! What struck Dawn about freediving at the time was the slow and graceful athleticism that freedivers need to be successful in their sport. As you’ll hear in Nataliia’s discussio...2022-12-121h 03

The Mettleset PodcastBEIRUT INTERNATIONAL MARATHON: My First Marathon DebriefThe Mettleset’s bonus episodes, which complement our regular Monday interviews with athletes from the region, are out on Fridays. Our bonus episodes will bring to you a range of trending and topical discussions around sporting news, races and events, along with our co-founders Dawn and Afshan’s own training and upcoming races.Hi Listeners, it’s Afshan This bonus episode concludes our series on the Beirut International Marathon, which took place on November 13. This week, the marathon organisers shared the official race photos and, as I was sifting through the gallery to find my picture...2022-12-0935 min

The Mettleset PodcastEP11: GOALS: Onyx FC Co-Founder Georgia Adderley on community, inclusion and sharing the beautiful gameWe couldn’t let the FIFA World Cup pass us by without a chat about football In this episode we chat with Georgia Adderley, one of the four Co-Founders of Onyx FC, the UAE’s first fully female owned football club. Despite being from the football-mad UK, Georgia didn’t take up football until moving to Dubai. It was in Dubai that she also found friendship, fun and community, as well as the three other founders of Onyx FC. In this episode, we discuss how Onyx FC came about, what football brought to her life...2022-12-0541 min

The Mettleset PodcastEP10: DRIVE: Saudi Motorsport Athlete Dania Akeel on the ‘in the moment’ mindset and racing in the Dakar RallyOur guest today, Dania Akeel, is the first motorsport athlete on our podcast. And it's fitting since she has a lot of firsts herself: The first Saudi woman to hold a National Competition License for Speedbike Circuit Racing. The first Saudi woman to participate in an international Rally Competition. The first woman globally to win an FIA Cross Country World Cup in the T3 Category. The first Saudi woman to complete the Dakar Rally and last but not least, the first Arab woman to finish in the top ten of that same Dak...2022-11-2859 min

The Mettleset PodcastSHE CAN TRI: Founder Jackie Faye on preparing Afghan women for triathlonsThe Mettleset’s bonus episodes, which complement our regular Monday interviews with athletes from the region, are out on Fridays. Our bonus episodes will bring to you a range of trending and topical discussions around sporting news, races and events, along with our co-founders Dawn and Afshan’s own training and upcoming races.Our Bonus Episode today follows our interview with Zeinab Rezaie, the first Afghan woman to race and finish the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Utah, this week.We invited Jackie Faye, the Founder of the non-profit She Can Tri, on a virtual chat to d...2022-11-2541 min

The Mettleset PodcastEP9: HOPE: Zeinab Rezaie, the First Afghan woman to race 70.3 Ironman Championship, on fleeing Afghanistan in 2021 and continuing to dream bigIf you missed recent headlines about the first Afghan woman to complete the 70.3 Ironman Championship in Utah in the United States on October 28, we’re here to tell you - Zeinab made history. And it’s no surprise that getting there was far from straightforward.Afghanistan is a country where people have been suffering for decades as a result of war and terror and women have been repressed and denied their rights in many areas of life. Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in 2021 made matters much worse for women who are now battling for their right to educat...2022-11-211h 26

The Mettleset PodcastEP8: COURAGE: Saudi cyclist Dara Sahab on competing in her first ever race at the inaugural Saudi Games and the potential it holds to uncover the Kingdom’s talentDara Sahab is a woman after our co-host Dawn’s own heart. Like her, our 29-year-old gutsy guest took up cycling as a sport only three months before doing her first ever race, and that too in the historic Saudi Games. The biggest national multi-sport, Olympic-style sporting event in Saudi, which took place from October 27 - November 7, was launched to draw out the Kingdom’s athletic talent and provide them an opportunity to grow in their sport. The games are part of the country’s wider ‘Vision 2030’ to diversify the economy and improve the quality of life of citizens. Dara r...2022-11-1449 min

The Mettleset PodcastEP7: EXPLORER: Deep Dive Dubai Director and world record-setting cave diver Jarrod Jablonski on exploring the spellbinding underwater world safelyThere’s something unexplainable and enigmatic about underwater caves, which Jarrod Jablonski, the Director of Deep Dive Dubai - the world’s deepest diving pool - beautifully paints for us in this episode. He should know! The accomplished explorer, educator, published author and world-record setting diver has spent countless hours navigating caves all around the world with an upward of 10,000 dives in his 30-year career. We sat down with Jarrod to discuss his childhood and university days diving in Florida, where he also set a world record for the longest cave dive, a 90m dive spanni...2022-11-0748 min

The Mettleset PodcastBEIRUT INTERNATIONAL MARATHON: Can anyone run a full marathon?The Mettleset’s bonus episodes, which complement our regular Monday interviews with athletes from the region, are out on Fridays. Our bonus episodes will bring to you a range of trending and topical discussions around sporting news, races and events, along with our co-founders Dawn and Afshan’s own training and upcoming races.Can anyone do a marathon? What is the benefit of doing a mix of aerobic, tempo and recovery runs in the lead up to a marathon? Can you overeat during a run? Should you train through pain? What should you be doing a week befo...2022-11-0430 min

The Mettleset PodcastEP6: FORTITUDE: Women for Tri Ambassador Melina Timson-Katchis on returning from the brink of giving up in one of her hardest racesOur guest Melina Timson, a triathlon coach and Women for Tri Ambassador, recently completed a 30KM UltraOceanman Kalamata, Greece, open water swim. She walked into our recording studio with pictures of a swollen tongue from a condition called salt mouth that open water swimmers have from long durations of time in salt water. This was only one of the many challenges that she faced during this mind boggling race, including choppy conditions and sea sickness, which she tells us made her want to give up several times while on the course. But there was always something that kept her...2022-10-311h 23

The Mettleset PodcastBEIRUT INTERNATIONAL MARATHON: A story of unity and peace in the region through its beautiful courseToday, The Mettleset launches a new series of bonus episodes, which complement our regular Monday interviews with athletes from the region. Our bonus episodes will bring to you a range of trending and topical discussions around sporting news, races and events, along with our co-founders Dawn and Afshan’s own training and upcoming races.Hi Listeners, Afshan here!The first in our series of bonus episodes documents my road to the Beirut International Marathon, which is on November 13. This is my first ever marathon and I believe it is a good opportunity to discuss why I...2022-10-2821 min

The Mettleset PodcastEP5: RESOLUTE: UAE’s first female camel jockey trainer Linda Krockenberger on introducing women’s camel racing in the regionCamels are an integral part of the region’s heritage and the embodiment of the Bedouin way of life. But seeing a woman race a camel was uncommon until last year when we started seeing images of female jockeys racing camels to the finish line go viral on social media. Our guest Linda Krockenberger, UAE’s first female camel jockey trainer and the co-founder of the Arabian Desert Camel Riding Centre in Dubai, which is the first licensed camel riding school in the region, is to credit for this revolution in a sport that has traditionally been pract...2022-10-2447 min

The Mettleset PodcastEP4: SILENT ASSASSIN: Muay Thai champion Anisha Shetty on never throwing in the towelCan you win a boxing match with a dislocated shoulder? Our guest, Anisha Shetty, a two-time UAE Muay Thai Champion and three-time National Muay Thai champion for India, can and did!The 26-year-old athlete with an unwavering dream of making Muay Thai a household name in the UAE went against her family’s wishes to pursue a career in mechanical engineering and learnt everything there is to know about the sport first in India and then in Thailand before moving to the UAE to become a coach. Anisha is ready to conquer the UAE’s profe...2022-10-1740 min

The Mettleset PodcastEP3: WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY: Emirati weightlifter and mental health advocate Amna Al Haddad on the story behind the headlinesBefore becoming a well-recognised mental health advocate, Amna Al Hadad was the UAE’s most talked about powerlifter. She is the first Arab and GCC National to compete in the Reebok Crossfit Asia Regionals in Korea in 2012, the First Arab and GCC Woman to become a competitive covered weightlifter and first Emirati to compete in the 10th International Women Weightlifting Grand Prix in 2013, and played a crucial part in the 7-member Female UAE National Weightlifting team that competed to earn a quota for the Rio Olympics, in 2016. But her most fulfilling accomplishment has been inspiring othe...2022-10-1058 min

The Mettleset PodcastEP2: TENACITY: Ultra athlete Ivana Kolaric on going from fitness to seeking the world’s toughest racesA pro endurance athlete based in Dubai, Ivana Kolaric is excited by challenges that push her to extremes. She’s competed in the World Toughest Race: Eco Challenge Fiji, the 386kms MOAB240 endurance ultra trail run in Utah, the Spartan World Championship in 2021 and the very first edition of the 1,366km off-road & self-supported Trans Balkan Ultra Cycling Race in 2022.In this episode, Ivana talks to us about keeping her limitless energy for the outdoors alive since childhood, all her character-defining moments in some of the world’s toughest races, her startline rituals and the power of positive atti...2022-10-0352 min

The Mettleset PodcastEP1: TMS Co-Host Dawn Barnable on How I went from Zero to Ultra Cyclist in (a little over) 3 monthsDawn here! In late 2018, I decided to enter the world of self-supported ultra cycling with little more than a wish and a prayer, and signed up for my very first ultra race. At the time, I didn’t own a bike, had never owned a road bike and I had no racing (or real road cycling) experience at all. Three months later, in February 2019, I crossed the line at my first Ultracycling race, BikingMan Oman, having completed 1040km/7500m in 104 hours. I went on to compete in two further BikingMan races, one successfully and one, not so much.In t...2022-10-031h 08

The Mettleset PodcastThe Mettleset PodcastThe Mettleset Podcast is on a mission to bring you stories of tenacity, courage and mettle from athletesin the Middle East and beyond. From women’s sports and motorsports to adventure, action- and ultra-endurance sports, and everything in between, listeners will get a dose of the region’s most compelling -fun and funny - underreported sports stories every week.Hosts Dawn Barnable (Sports Communications Professional & Ultra Cyclist), and Afshan Ahmed(Journalist and Endurance Athlete) will be joined weekly by guests who range from record - and 2022-09-2900 min

The Mettleset PodcastIntroduction to The Mettleset PodcastThe Mettleset Podcast is on a mission to bring you stories of tenacity, courage and mettle from athletes in the Middle East and beyond. From women’s sports and motorsports to adventure, action- and ultra- endurance sports, and everything in between, listeners will get a dose of the region’s most compelling - fun and funny - underreported sports stories every week.Hosts Dawn Barnable (Sports Communications Professional & Ultra Cyclist), and Afshan Ahmed (Journalist and Endurance Athlete) will be joined weekly by guests who range from record - and boundary – breaking athletes, world-class explorers, community sports leaders and pr...2022-09-2917 min