Not by the Playbook

We start with the story of an empty seat in a packed stadium. The seat is reserved for Holly George. Out on the basketball court making history is her daughter, Charelle George. The seat remains empty because Holly died unexpectedly in 2010, but Charelle still always leaves a ticket for her mum. It shows just how significant Holly's role has been in Charelle's success. In 2025 she became the first ever female "Show-woman" for the Harlem Globetrotter. Basically, Charelle is the main star running the show on the court for the world-famous exhibition basketball team.
There are few things as iconic in rugby union than the All Blacks... But the British and Irish Lions certainly give them a run for their money. Every four years since the late 1800's players from each of the "home nations" of Britian and Ireland too, come together as one to take on the rugby world... Well in 2027 the Lions will break new ground by forming a women's team and traveling to South Africa on tour. It's caused great excitement amongst fans, coaches and players current and former, like England's Maggie Alphonsi a World Ruby Hall of famer who wishes she was still out there playing.
A good parent with do whatever is necessary to protect their child, even if that means telling a white lie, or at least not revealing the whole truth about something... Funso Banjo was a professional boxer who fort for the British heavyweight title... but his children knew nothing about his sporting prowess. Instead, concerned by their safety he funnelled their talents in to dancing. It paid off. In 2009 and beating Susan Boyle into second place, Funso Banjo's sons Ashley and Jordan won Britain's Got Talent as part of the dance group "Diversity". Nearly 20 years on Jordan Banjo has swapped his dance shoes for boxing gloves.
Photo: The Harlem Globetrotters team on Celebrity Feud on ABC. Including (second left) Cherelle "Torch" George (Credit: Wilford Harewood/Disney via Getty Images)

"Making your mark on the world is hard. If it were easy, everybody would do it. But it's not. It takes patience, it takes commitment, and it comes with plenty of failure along the way." The words of President Barack Obama. This week, four remarkable athletes all of whom have made their mark in unique ways achieving amazing feats way beyond their sporting endeavours.
We first spoke to Camille Herron in 2022 after she had broken her own 100-mile women’s world record, completing it in less than 13 hours. We chatted again in 2024 when she broke the six-day world best, clocking an astonishing 560 miles! Two years on it was time to speak again, but this time the focus was away from running. Camille talks to us about her Autism and ADHD diagnosis she received in her 40's and her decision to fund her running career by setting up an account on an adult content platform.
There's something so majestic about the ocean. Its power is both wonderfully beautiful and incredibly dangerous. It's something that surfers must respect every time they enter the waves. They have to weigh up the risk and the reward. But I guess that's true of most things in life and no one knows that better than surfer Chelsea Woodey. A nurse by profession Chelsea she sees the results of miscalculations of risk daily. She experienced herself after losing a baby in pregnancy to Preeclampsia. That's why heading down to the beach with her daughter is right up there as the most wonderful things she does in her life.
Sweden's Ida Zetterström goes from naught to 335 miles per hour in under 4 seconds! She does it sat in her "Top Fuel" drag racing car. The fastest car in the sport! Quite appropriately she also happens to be the fastest talking guest we have ever had! I promise you we have not played this at double speed! So, strap yourself in for quick spin around the world of Drag Racing!
In 1967, the British cyclist, Beryl Burton, set a world record in the 12 hour time trial... So good was that time that the record stood got FIFTY Years! It was arguably the greatest in a long list of achievements which also included seven world championships and numerous British records. Many now consider Beryl the finest female cyclist of all time.
Photo: Ida Zetterstrom looks on from her cockpit after doing a burnout during the DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals, July 25, 2025 at Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, California. (CREDIT: Jeff Speer/Sonoma Raceway/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

What could you achieve if fear wasn't standing in the way? Fear exists in so much of what we do; a scary interview on the horizon, standing on top of a terrifyingly tall building, fear of the unknown, fear of failing, fear of being different. Yet what about those who we laud as fearless? Athletes who push the boundaries, adrenaline junkies who jump at anything bigger, higher, faster -- is there such thing as fearlessness? But behind the roar of the crowd, away from the podium, do even athletes feel fear?
Matt Formston has challenged perceptions throughout his life. Where others saw limitations and said "he couldn't" Matt's family asked a very simple question -- "why not?" Diagnosed with macular dystrophy at just five years old, Matt has gone on to break records in cycling, surfing and freediving. In November 2022, Matt surfed a fifty-one-foot wave at Nazaré, Portugal. The biggest wave ever surfed by any para athlete, proving that vision loss is no barrier to extraordinary achievement.
During her years as an extreme skier, Kristen Ulmer knew her relationship with fear was different than most. For a decade, Kristen reigned as one of the world’s leading big-mountain skiers. In that high-stakes world, fear was not an obstacle, but a dare—driving her to attempt even bigger cliff jumps and conquer more treacherous descents. But after retiring from professional skiing in 2003, Kristen became obsessed with the very thing she'd always been praised for not feeling -- fear. Was fear really a bad thing, or could it be moulded into something far more powerful in our minds? Well, she's become an expert in all things fear and has published a book all about it The Art of Fear.
For Nik Wallenda, walking hundreds of feet above the ground is all in a day’s work. Known as the ‘King of the High Wire’, Nik is a seventh-generation member of the legendary Flying Wallendas, a high-wire dynasty whose circus roots trace back to 18th-century Europe. He reflects on a legendary career of death-defying performances, the power of family and the lessons fear can teach us about life. From taking daring leaps into the unknown to turning anxiety into a competitive advantage, how do athletes embrace what many would be scared of to reach new heights? This week, on Halloween, we explore the power of fear in sport.

The Barry Family are basketball royalty. Rick Barry is an NBA Hall of Famer known for amongst other things his unorthodox underhand free throw technique.. Well, his son Canyon uses the exact same method and it's taken him all the way to the Olympics. And whilst Canyon's basketball success might not be a surprise to learn, what might be is that he helped NASA get the far side of the moon! Because off the court Canyon is literally a rocket scientist!
Canadian basketballer Paige Cozen is determined to set the Olympic record straight. I mean is there a worst place to finish at a Games than 4th, staring up at the podium wondering what might have been? Yet for Paige simply getting to the Games meant she had to face down what seemed like insurmountable challenges. But a change in mindset inspired by working with the Indigenous Basketball Leagues in Canada changed her, and her daughter Poppy's life forever.
Since the 1950s, basketball's Harlem Globetrotters have entertained audiences with their showboating, dunks and pranks in exhibition games all over the world. Their perennial opponents, the Washington Generals, have endured more than 17,000 defeats at their hands, with crowds booing and mocking them as the Globetrotters bamboozle them with flashy skills, tricks and dribbles. So, what's it like to play for a team whose only job is to lose? Some former Generals say it's one of the best jobs they've ever had, even if it did involve being humiliated on the court every night. That is, except for the one night that it didn't...
On 19 November 2004, the game between the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons spiralled into one of the most infamous brawls in sports' history. Mark Boyle, a veteran radio broadcaster known as 'the voice of the Pacers’ was there that night, an evening which almost left him with life changing injuries.
Photo: USA's Canyon Barry celebrates after winning the men's pool round 3x3 basketball game between China and the USA during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at La Concorde (Credit: David GRAY / AFP via Getty Images)

The story of Nicole Ver Kuilen and her non profit Forrest Stump is a remarkable one. At the age of 10 she made the difficult decision to have her leg amputated and save her life from cancer. Nicole has since become one of the most accomplished endurance athletes on earth. Her achievements include an incredible 1500 miles bike, run and swim down the west coast of America. Sounds tough, but as it turns out the harder battle was the one for the right kind of care and help she needed. In turn she is trying to improve the fate of millions like her throughout in the United States.
On November 29, 1997 Tiffany Yu was being driven home by her dad when he lost control of the car. Her dad lost his life and Tiffany was left with permanent paralysis in one of her arms. Since then she has dedicated her life to creating communities where people with disabilities of every kind can be seen, supported, and celebrated. She's also aiming for a place as the only one armed climber on the US Paralympic team for LA in 2028 where her sport, para climbing will debut. She is also the author of the book "The Anti-Ableist Manifesto."
The clarity that comes with a diagnosis can be incredibly powerful. It can shed light on the challenges and difficulties someone might struggle through on a daily basis. Taylor Swanson always dreamt of becoming an Olympian, and got closer than most. But it was only after a career ending injury that she was offred answers to questions that had baffled and beset her stretching all the way back to childhood. Set free she reached the podium in Paris!
In 2004, the British wheelchair racer, dame Tanni Grey-Thompson, faced the toughest challenge of her career at the Paralympic Games in Athens. Suffering from a loss of form, the great champion was humiliated in her best event leaving her only chance of glory in the 100-metre sprint. She tells us about that race and how becoming a mother gave her a fresh perspective on sport.
Photo: Adventurer, advocate and ultra marathon runner Nicole Ver Kuilen campaigns for better care and help for amputees (Credit www.forreststump.org)