Unsung

This is Unsung. Introducing the sports stars you don’t know, telling the stories you can’t miss. There are hundreds of visually impaired athletes around the world who aren’t able to see the finish line yet can complete a race quicker than most of us can tie our shoelaces. Some run far, rather than fast. Some even try swimming or cycling. That they’re able to do so is thanks to a largely undocumented partnership that deserves a bit more love and attention.And so, in this new episode of Unsung, we’re delving into the hidden world of para sport guides.We speak to visually impaired Welsh sprinter James Ledger, along with his Scottish guide Greg Kelly, to discover the nuances and challenges involved in building a strong relationship both on and off the track. We also speak to American triathlete and Ironman legend Ben Hoffman, as he embarks on a new career as a guide for Owen Cravens, one of the USA’s brightest talents in the paratriathlon. Many thanks to all the athletes who spoke to us between their training and events, and best of luck to them in their future events.Head to the links below to find out more about becoming a para guide. Quotes:James“For me growing up it was very much around fitting in and not standing out for having a disability.”“I went down to my local Swansea Harriers track and from that moment on, I became obsessed with trying to be as fast as I could be.”“It’s never nice hearing your sight is getting worse, but thankfully, in the amazing world we live in para sport, I'm still able to do the sport I love.”“One of the biggest challenges to T11 running is finding a guide. It’s tough to find somebody who's fast enough because I need a guide runner who can pretty much run a second faster than me, so that they can run within themselves, control me to run straight, and also communicating as much as possible throughout the race.”“I’m really grateful for Greg joining me on my journey. Because he definitely came at my hour of need.”"The amount of trust I have to put into Greg to allow me to run as fast as I can in a straight line in the dark. Having that relationship is vital.”“I'll always aim to promote guide runners because I think they're incredible people, you know, they allow people like me to follow their dreams. I think they should be really championed as very much the unsung heroes of my sports” Greg“It’s almost like riding a bike, the faster you're going, the more stable it feels. Sometimes with jogging and drills, that's actually the hardest in terms of timing. When we're running fast, it's more normal to keep the arms pumping and legs coming up.”“The trajectory was just going up and up, with some of our best races being in Switzerland and Paris big. It was great to be given that opportunity and in Switzerland, where we got a PB for James, a British record.”“James said that he doesn't want me to stop competing and striving for my individual aspirations, but it's something that can develop both of us. So hopefully that’s something that breaks the stereotype that if you're a guide runner, you're only a guide runner.” Ben“It's rewarding. It feels good to contribute to somebody else's dreams and goals. Because I can remember what it was like to be that age and it's a special time to be setting out on that mission, on that career that's in front of you.” “The first race we did in Tasmania I made a mistake, and I actually did an extra lap on the bike of the 20k course, and so we went from...

This is Unsung. Introducing the sports stars you don’t know, telling the stories you can’t miss. In this opening episode of a new series of Unsung, we’re telling the story of the IOC’s Olympic Refugee Team. This year, the Olympics will feature 36 athletes from 11 different countries of origin, competing in 12 different sports. At the Paralympics, eight athletes and one guide runner will make up the refugee team This will be the team’s third appearance at the Games, after making its debut in Rio in 2016. Back then, there were close to 60 million displaced people globally. On the eve of Paris 2024, that number has now soared to well over 100 million and is still rising – that’s around 1 in 70 people living on our planet. Putting them all in one place would create the 14th most populous country in the world – and that population is increasing all the time. But especially in a year typified by highly emotive elections all over the world, there is a tendency to distil the topic of refugees and immigration to faceless numbers and dispassionate data. But each statistic has a human story behind it. You’ll hear a couple of those in this episode. Matin Balsini and Dorsa Yavarivafa were both born in Iran, the country where almost half of this year’s Refugee Team comes from Iran, giving some indication as to just how bad the situation is for Iranian athletes.  The Iranian government exerts significant control over sports and often uses athletes for political propaganda, enforcing strict compliance with its ideological mandates. Those who dissent or fail to conform face dire consequences.  It’s a repressive environment that stifles freedom of expression and forces many talented athletes to defect in search of safety and the liberty to compete without political interference. Athletes like Matin and Dorsa, who share their painful experiences and emotional journeys in finding a new home in the UK, and the stories of their successful route to the Olympics in Paris. Many thanks to Matin and Dorsa for speaking to us just weeks before their appearance in Paris, and to the IOC for facilitating the interviews.  Quotes:Matin"The one thing I really love about swimming is when you are in the water you cannot hear anything, you basically cannot see anything. And you can scream and no one can hear you." "At 17, I decided to coach myself. And the hardest thing was, after one year when I improved a lot, the coaches were jealous. They didn't want me to improve because they thought that it made them look small." "During the session I'd be swimming alone in the pool, and they would just turn the lights off.I had to swim in the darkness." “I'm so happy that I am going to the Olympic Games and I'm super excited as well. But it's a bit sad for me because I can’t represent my nation anymore.” Dorsa“All I had with me for a whole year was my racket. It was just me, my racket, and my mom." "I was about 14 when we left. It was really hard because I had to leave my family and my friends. I was quiet, depressed, and sad at first, because I was really shocked. But I had to do it, it just wasn't safe for my mom and me to stay in Iran." "We tried to go, and they pointed a gun at us. They thought we were armed. And then they put us in jail. They separated me from my mom, which was really difficult. I remember how scared I was then. Imagine a 15-year-old girl being away from her mom in a jail. It was the worst nightmare of my life." "Imagine representing your own country, there is such a power in that. But I'm not

With 2023 coming to a close, there’s something a little different for you in this rather frenetic episode of the Unsung podcast.In just 40 minutes, we rattle through the sporting year via the perspective of its unsung heroes, beginning way back in January at a boisterous and disbelieving darts crowd in Ally Pally, before ending with a tenuous reference to the late Mystic Meg to review a sporting event that is yet to occur.You’ll also discover the Augusta National golf legend you're unlikely to have heard of, find out why Phil Foden can’t stop eating salmon and soy, and discover a good reason to raid the drinks globe for the winter's first drop of snow. If you’ve listened to previous Unsung episodes, you might recognise some of the voices featured here. We’ve got anecdotes and insight for every month of the year, and if you’d like to hear more from anyone involved, be sure to check out episodes 1 to 9 from our archive.It all makes for a whistlestop tour of 2023, and I think you’ll enjoy it. If you do, please consider leaving a review to help others discover it.And if you know of someone who’d make a good subject for a future Unsung podcast, get in touch with a recommendation at unsungpodcast.com. Quotes: “The real skill in my job is you wait until everybody is at the pinnacle of their set position and they have all been absolutely still in that position. And when you're happy that they've all had that opportunity to get into the still position and concentrate, you pull the trigger. It's fair to say probably at a major event between set and pulling the trigger, I'm holding my breath. I'm holding my breath, because I'm praying I don't have to pull the other trigger." “Climate change is real. It’s something that’s very heavily linked to snowmaking, which is becoming more popular with resorts just to ensure that they can open for their customers and provide a great experience. Instead of having snow machines that are 100 to 150 metres apart from each other, they’re going to 20 to 50 metres apart. You’re getting snow guns that are closer and closer. That has been a trend that we’ve been seeing in this industry.” “Last season, it was absolute chaos because of the World Cup. Quite a lot of people thought, "well, I'll go to the World Cup, I'll come back a mega star and PSG or Real Madrid will be on the phone, and it's the transfer window immediately afterwards." So when people came back from the World Cup, they were like, "oh Real Madrid's not on the phone. I haven't heard from Barca. Uh, I guess I'm staying. Better get a chef then." "I built my business, and I wasn't going to let any of these guys [dopers] ruin it for me. So, I found a way of enjoying it, of getting over the shock and any disappointment and just moving on. And cycling's also a sport which is very beautiful. Um, I don't just mean the scenery, I mean the beauty of riding a bicycle is a very beautiful thing." “In groundsmanship, everybody knows if you let the underdogs train on the pitch first, they're going to do it over because that's going to give them an advantage, to make the pitch bobbly. So, Portsmouth came and hammered it, then did a penalty shoot-out. Then Petr Cech came on and said, 'why am I playing on a potato field?'." Charity PartnerLeading social care charity Community Integrated Care delivers 10 million hours of care annually to people with learning disabilities, autism, mental health concerns, dementia, and complex care needs. Their revolutionary ‘Inclusive Volunteering’ model sees it partner with top sporting events to tackle society’s deepest inequalities, enabling thousands with complex barriers to enjoy sport.To find out more about the charity, visit a...

Our guest this time around is Phil Neale, who enjoyed a 47-year career in professional sport. Having played 369 games for Lincoln City and 354 first-class matches for Worcestershire; he’s believed to be the last man to play both professional football and professional cricket at the same time.But it’s his post-playing role that we’re mostly discussing in this episode, first as county-level coach and then with the England A setup, before moving on to become England cricket’s first-ever operations manager. Appointed to help out Duncan Fletcher and captain Nasser Hussain in 1999, it’s a role he stayed in for over 20 years, encompassing 257 Test matches, 422 ODIs and 110 T20Is. He was also there throughout the tenure of six head coaches and 11 Test captains.During our chat, which took place as the early stages of the 2023 Cricket World Cup unfolded in India, the man who became known to England’s top cricketers as Uncle Phil talked about his versatile yet integral role behind the scenes. He recalls his memorable experiences, including five Ashes series victories, the 2010 T20 World Cup triumph, and, of course, the famous 2019 World Cup win at Lords.Phil describes being peppered in the nets by Freddie Flintoff, navigating a floundering Michael Vaughan through an Indian airport, and revealing which cricketer’s bag was the only one he lost in over two decades. There are also tales from that infamous Germany boot camp ahead of the 2010 Ashes and the time he tried his best to keep a lid on post-World Cup celebrations in 10 Downing Street.Many thanks to Phil for taking the time out to speak to me, and also to Luke Thornhill and Donald Nannestad at Lincoln City for putting me in touch with their former player.If you know of someone who’d make a good subject for a future Unsung podcast, get in touch with a recommendation at unsungpodcast.com.Quotes:"Alistair Cook sat down with me, towards the end of my time with England, and we were rained off one day, and he said, 'come on Phil, let's work out how many days you've spent on a sports field'. And we worked it out that I'd spent basically 10 years of my life, 24 hours a day, day and night, on a cricket field. Never mind getting into the football." "I really enjoyed those first five years with Duncan Fletcher, where I had a fair bit of responsibility on the cricket side as well, I became the throw down guy. I did some throws with Freddie Flintoff, which was a nightmare because Freddy's way of practicing was, I only want to hit straight drives. I just want to hit the ball hard and straight so you throw it and get out the way as quick as you can. I've got quite a few, got quite a few bruises on my shins from Freddie peppering it back at me.  There was one period where he was out of form and then he got some runs in the one-dayseries and won the man of the series and he presented me with his jeroboam of champagne as thanks for getting him into nick. So it was nice when those little bits of appreciation came back." "Monty Panesar was in front of me. And Monty was on the edge of this cliff facing with his back down the cliff, holding onto the rope. And I watched Monty, and his feet were moving, but he wasn't going backwards. He was walking on the spot. He just couldn't get himself to go over the edge. And I watched him for about five minutes, and he pulled out in the end. And I said, right, I'm ready to go now. And I thought, I can't be any worse than that." "One of the things I've done since I've retired is look back and see what the common factors are in the teams that have been successful, and the teams that haven't. Good senior players are one, but planning and preparation definitely...

It was 200 years ago this year that a young scholar by the name of William Webb Ellis decided to take the game of football into his own hands. Quite literally. He picked up the ball and ran from his opponents and, in doing so, invented what we now know as Rugby.The sport now boasts over half a billion fans across 132 countries, and is played by over eight million people around the world.It's more popular than it's ever been, but there are also questions around its future, with recent concerns surrounding the potential long-term health impacts of playing the game, particularly at an elite level that was professionalised only as recently as 1995.So as the tenth Rugby World Cup takes centre stage, the latest episode of Unsung sees us chat with someone who has witnessed firsthand the transformation of the professional game and who is best placed to discuss its hot-button topic.John Mayhew was doctor to the All Blacks for over 200 matches, beginning in the amateur era in 1988, before moving on to work at rugby league side New Zealand Warriors in 2003. Now in his late sixties, Doc Mayhew continues to be involved in professional level rugby in his home city of Auckland.In our chat, the doc describes tending to legends like Michael Jones, Sean Fitzpatrick, Richie McCaw, and of course, Jonah Lomu - with whom he forged a close bond while treating the winger's genetic kidney disease.We also discuss the perils of treating his own rugby-playing sons, his World Cup memories - not all of them fond - and the challenges of working with the toughest of players who refuse to hear that they're hurt. To no surprise this includes a story about renowned Kiwi hardman Buck Shelford, who once famously finished a game against France without realising one of his testicles had been ripped from his scrotum... Many thanks to John for his time and insight, and also to Ben at the New Zealand Rugby Foundation for his help facilitating our conversation. The Foundation advocates for and champions the safety of all players in rugby, and you can find out more about their work via the link below.If you know of someone who’d make a good subject for a future Unsung podcast, get in touch with a recommendation at unsungpodcast.com.Quotes:“The spectrum of injuries has changed. The training has made them bigger and stronger, and the collisions are that much harder, and there's a lot more collisions. You get props and locks now who are making upwards of 20 tackles a game. In my day, if you're a lock or a prop it's pretty unlucky if you had to make two or three tackles in a game. You went into a lot of rucks, you did a lot more running. So the game has changed, and the injury pattern has changed as well.”“I think we've got to be very careful here and look at the science rather than the emotion. And I get concerned. I mean, getting hit on the head is not good for you, that's rule number one. And rugby's tried to make the game safer by outlawing and managing the acute head injury much better.”“In the Seventies and Eighties the management of concussion wasn't as good, and rugby league was even worse. But we've tidied that aspect of the game up now, we are managing head injury. And believe me, as a practicing sports medicine doctor, the management of a concussed player is one of the hardest parts of the job.”“You do develop a relationship with these players, but as a rugby doctor you've gotta still think, okay, this may be the most famous rugby player in the world, but he's still a patient. And as a doctor you're on the field sometimes and you think, ‘well, I know the state of the game, if I take Richie McCaw off, that could affect the outcome of the game.’ But if he has to come off, he has to come off. And you've gotta put your team...

In 2007, Harry Redknapp was asked about the importance he places on the diet of his footballers. He said: “If you can’t pass the ball properly, a bowl of pasta’s not going to make that much difference.”Well, it’s fair to say attitudes have changed a little in the Premier League, and as it makes its return for the 2023/24 season, in this episode we speak to a performance chef who, for over a decade, has been feeding and fuelling the country’s top footballers in the surroundings they’re most comfortable in - their home. Rachel Muse began her career as a chef at some of the UK’s best-known hotels before she traded in the mania of hospitality for the altogether more personal setting of private dining. With her company Discreet and Delicious, she now trains performance chefs to ready them for the unique challenge of one-to-one catering for sport’s most famous faces.We discuss the intriguing dynamic between chef, footballer, and the vital third ingredient, the club nutritionist. Rachel reveals her joy of cooking for a wide variety of nationalities, explains why it's important to stay out of the family domestics, and describes why she regularly finds herself on the phone to footballers’ mothers. She also ensures that we will never get my hands on a Nando’s black card.If you’d like to make our jobs easier and you know of anyone with a unique perspective from behind the scenes of elite sport, get in touch with a recommendation for a potential future Unsung interview or story. Just head to unsungpodcast.com where you can suggest a guest. And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast to be the first to know about new episodes. Quotes:"There's a great nutritionist called Graham Close who's up at Liverpool, John Moores. And he told me his phrase for this is the stealth vegetable. So grating courgettes into bolognaises and grating carrots into things. Cook that down. No one knows they've ever been there. People go, "I don't eat vegetables." And he's like "mate, I'm sorry to tell you, but you do now." There's a certain amount of espionage that does go on."“Last season, it was absolute chaos because of the World Cup. Quite a lot of people thought, "well, I'll go to the World Cup, I'll come back a mega star and PSG or Real Madrid will be on the phone, and it's the transfer window immediately afterwards." So when people came back from the World Cup, they were like, "oh Real Madrid's not on the phone. I haven't heard from Barca. Uh, I guess I'm staying. Better get a chef then.""In the course of the whole day, maybe nobody listens to you. Nobody. Everyone's telling you what to do, do. Everybody wants something out of you, like sign this for me. You can feel really unconnected. When I ask somebody what they want for their dinner, I write it down, and I show them that I've listened to them, because I put in front of them what they have asked for. And that is a great bond of trust between two human beings. A huge thing to do. It's in the format of food but it's just a comforting, life affirming, connection between two human beings.""Particularly what people will say is, "when I was a little boy I came back from training, and my gran used to make me this with that. And you're like, okay, can you describe it a bit more? No, I'll tell you what, I'll get my mum on the phone, and she'll explain it to you.""I think players understand that it's an investment. And if you can extend your playing life and your recovery, the pain in your knees, the pain in your hip, the pain in your ankles, if you can keep the machine moving in a kind of pain-free way just for one more season. Part of that is eating well and recovering well and sleeping well."Explore moreDiscreet and Delicious websitea...

This is the Unsung Interview, introducing the sports stars you don’t know, telling the stories you can’t miss.For over a century, the Tour de France has been a summer staple in the sporting calendar. Its lavender fields, epic mountain ranges, and historic chateaux have been the backdrop to some of cycling’s most iconic and controversial moments.It’s also the most photogenic event in sport. And so in this episode, we speak to a legend behind the lens. A man who spent decades looking over his left shoulder while perched precariously on the back of a fast-moving motorbike, metres away from the likes of Eddy Merckx, Miguel Indurain, Laurent Fignon, and, of course, Lance Armstrong.  His name is Graham Watson, and he was the first English photographer to establish himself on the European cycling scene when he dared to muscle in on the Tour in the late Seventies.We discuss blurring the lines between photographer and fan, getting a sixth sense of when a crash is about to happen, and who was the nicest guy on tour. We also tackle the murkier topic of doping, and how tainted champions have affected his business.Graham spoke to us from his home in Nelson on New Zealand’s beautiful South Island, where he’s lived since his retirement in 2017, exactly 40 years after the Tour de France that would change his life forever. PLEASE NOTE: This episode was recorded in mid-May, a month before the tragic death of cyclist Gino Mäder at the Tour de Suisse. We join the entire cycling community in sending our thoughts and condolences to Gino's family and friends. May he rest in peace.If you’d like to make our jobs easier and you know of anyone with a unique perspective from behind the scenes of elite sport, get in touch with a recommendation for a potential future Unsung interview or story. Just head to unsungpodcast.com where you can suggest a guest. And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast to be the first to know about new episodes. Quotes:“You really are in the thick of the peloton. If they are able to talk, you hear what they're saying. If they're not able to talk, then you just watch them sweating and perspiring and usually having a pretty horrible time. But you're also there when they're in good form, when they're flying down the road, leading the Tour of France in the yellow jersey. You're so close up you feel all their emotions and all their pressures and stress. It's impossible to explain to someone who's not done it, what it's like. I can't explain it properly. It's just a very special place to be." "You have situations where a lot of them, a guy like David Miller or Lance Armstrong, the subject always comes up if you're having a coffee. Because I know I'm going to photograph them on the floor one day. And they both said, 'Graham, get the best shots you can. As much blood as we can see.'""My outright favourite, I would say is Miguel Indurain. He won the tour for five years in the mid-nineties and was six foot two, very statuesque, from Pamplona so very brown and bronzed, extremely lean. Physically, he was incredible. And the nice thing was that he was an absolute gentleman, you know? He had time for everybody.""I built my business, and I wasn't going to let any of these guys [dopers] ruin it for me. So, I found a way of enjoying it, of getting over the shock and any disappointment, and just moving on. And cycling's also a sport which is very beautiful. Um, I don't just mean the scenery, I mean the beauty of riding a bicycle is a very beautiful thing.""There are crashes which are too nasty for anyone to see. And whereas an agency photographer would see that as an absolute golden nugget and send the picture in, I would think, Nah, it's too bad."Explore moreGraham...

This is the Unsung Interview, introducing the sports stars you don’t know, telling the stories you can’t miss.In this episode, Alexis speaks with the man whose creative flourish over 30 years ago left an indelible mark on Europe’s elite football tournament. His name is Tony Britten, and he’s the composer responsible for the Champions League anthem.Ahead of the 2023 Champions League final between Manchester City and Inter Milan, Tony spoke of what it was like to silence the San Siro, how he wound up Steffen Effenberg on German TV, and why Man City fans need to grow up. We also discussed the European Super League, Tony’s royalties, and what it’s like to have Micah Richards and Jamie Carragher on backing vocals.If you’d like to make our jobs easier and you know of anyone with a unique perspective from behind the scenes of elite sport, get in touch with a recommendation for a potential future Unsung interview or story. Just head to unsungpodcast.com where you can suggest a guest. And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast to be the first to know about new episodes. Quotes:"I said to them, 'okay, so where are the words?' They said 'words?'. And I said, 'well we're not going to sing it to La, are we?'""So, I just wrote down a whole load of superlatives. The best, the greatest, the most exciting, the fastest, whatever. I've still got them somewhere. And then I employed a multilinguist. Because the official UEFA languages are English, German, and French. So, I just got him to translate literally all those phrases into French and German. And then I kind of whisked them around and the rest, as they say, is history." "It's to UEFA's credit that they wanted to restore The Beautiful Game to being a beautiful game, because it had got pretty ugly, with the hooliganism that was really bad, and they were determined that they were going to make this a class act. That was really important to them.""From what I understand, originally [Man City fans] were booing UEFA because of that whole pay cap thing. Which was all a lot of bollocks, really. They were all so excited when Pep Guardiola came to them. And they must have got really pissed off because I'm told that he publicly said to them, 'will you stop booing the anthem?' Because he really likes it. I know that for a fact. He thinks it's great. So even he can't stop them booing. I'm rather hoping that they will redeem themselves because I think they're probably going to win in Istanbul."Explore moreTony Britten's Film Companyhttp://www.capriolfilms.co.ukTony Britten's Arts Channelhttps://www.theartschannel.online/The Champions League anthem on Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/track/7HJidWHPoAXJhaKeAmqfF5?si=5863090033fa462eRonaldo singing the Champions League anthemhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-yvUgCx56MBuy the book!Unsung: Not All Heroes Wear Kits, by Alexis Jameshttp://www.unsungbook.comGuest: Tony BrittenHost: Alexis JamesProducer: Matt CheneyArtwork: Matt WalkerExecutive Producer: Sam BarryMentioned in this episode:The Unsung charity partner is leading social care charity, Community Integrated Care.They deliver 10 million hours of care annually to people with...

This is Unsung. Introducing the sports stars you don’t know, telling the stories you can’t miss. In episode four, we’re featuring F1 mechanics, and the inspirational story of one in particular. Despite Formula One being, ostensibly, a mixed-gender sport, the last woman to drive in a Grand Prix was nearly half a century ago, when Lella Lombardi came 12th at the 1976 Austrian Grand Prix.This lack of female visibility has had a knock-on effect off the grid, too. In 2018, just 28% of all F1 employees were female. And you’ll find very few of those in the pit lane. In 2021, reigning champions Mercedes’ had a core race team of 65. Only four were women.If F1 has long been seen as an "old boys’ club," then it’s a reputation that is largely deserved. And so, for many years, it’s been rare that any young girl sees the sport as an attractive career option. But occasionally, one comes along, prepared for the battle that awaits.Like Emilie Rath, who spent ten long years on a journey to make it into the F1 pit lane. Find out how she did it in Parc Fermé: The female mechanic who smashed F1’s glass ceiling.If you enjoyed the podcast, then be sure to get a copy of the Unsung: Not All Heroes Wear Kits. Written by Alexis and published by Pitch Publishing, Unsung is available from all your favourite book outlets.Along with more from Formula 1 mechanics, you’ll be able to read never-before-told tales from Winter Olympics snow makers, rugby medics, anti-doping officials, cycling moto pilots, and more from sport’s unheralded heroes. Head to unsungbook.com for more information. And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast to be the first to know about new episodes. Quotes:"I'm a 14-year-old girl from Denmark who wants to be a mechanic and I don't even know the difference between a bolt and a nut.""I started watching a lot more F1. Like live, breathe, eat F1, and I realised very quickly that it was really only the grid girls that were there, and maybe a few boss ladies in the pit lane. But that was more on the strategy side of it. I couldn't actually see anyone in a race suit. So slowly, it started to click for me that maybe this is a bit unusual. And maybe this is going to be a bit harder than expected. But who doesn’t love a good challenge, you know?""I come into this workshop. At that point, I'm 18. I'm blonde, the first female they ever had. And the first thing I think I say to these guys is 'don't get used to having me around because I'm going to become a Formula One mechanic.' That was the start of four very long years”."I have never been screamed at that much in my life. I mean, that was the most uncomfortable moment in my entire life.""I remember my first race because I've never been that sick in my life. Oh my god, the nerves."Explore moreFirst Singapore night race, 2008https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.f1-tv-archive-extended-race-highlights-singapore-2008.1745114575684992206.htmlLella Lombardi, the last woman to drive in F1.https://www.facebook.com/Motorsport.tvUK/videos/remembering-lella-lombardi-today-the-only-female-f1-driver-to-score-points-she-a/345277440857989/Former F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone in sexism rowhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvFiOhb6yv8Manor F1 enter administration.a...

This is Unsung. Introducing the sports stars you don’t know, telling the stories you can’t miss. In episode three, featuring Winter Olympic snowmakers.The effect of climate change is an increasing challenge for winter sports, as temperatures rise and viable venues reduce. Sochi in 2014 was the first Winter Olympic Games held in a subtropical climate, and not a single flake of natural snow was expected in Beijing in 2022. So who do host cities turn to when Mother Nature has other ideas? In this episode, Alexis James meets professional snowmakers to find out about the science of snowmaking, the effects of climate change on the Winter Olympics, and how one Olympic host even resorted to Shamanism to ensure the Games could begin.You’ll hear from the people whose task it is to produce snow in all seasons. To whom ‘sun’s out, guns out’ means a completely different thing to the rest of us.They include Canadian meteorologist Chris Doyle, Olympic stalwarts SMI Snowmakers of Michigan, and the beguiling Mikko Martikainen of Finland.These amazing folk are the Snow Whisperers. And without them, many winter sports events simply couldn’t happen.If you enjoyed the podcast, then be sure to get a copy of the new book. Unsung: Not All Heroes Wear Kits is written by Alexis, published by Pitch Publishing, and is available from all your favourite book outlets.Along with more from the snow whisperers, you’ll be able to read never-before-told tales from Formula 1 mechanics, rugby medics, anti-doping officials, cycling moto pilots, and more from sport’s unheralded heroes. Head to unsungbook.com for more information. And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast to be the first to know about new episodes. Quotes:“It took years off my life. All my hair fell out. I think that’s a pretty common experience for people involved with Games development. But I loved the pace, the excitement and the novelty of doing work we really knew could be used to make a difference.”“They wouldn’t wait for the weather to happen to make a decision. They would look to us and say, “what’s going to happen?” and make a decision beforehand. And that’s exactly how it worked. That was very rewarding because we could see we were making a real substantive contribution to the Games with our forecasts. Not with observed weather, which is the way decisions were made in the past.”“One of my biggest pet peeves is when people call it artificial snow. It's not artificial snow. I like to say it's machine-made snow. Natural snow sometimes takes hours or days to form as it’s going through the sky. We’re forming that snow crystal in somewhere between three and 15 seconds.”“I'll never forget the first time I got off a plane in Sochi,’ he said. ‘As I walked out of the military airport, I saw a palm tree. I thought this will be interesting. There was nothing built. There were barely roads up on that mountain. We did huge creek crossings in tracked Russian vehicles, it was a little iffy driving around these places trying to figure out where the slopes were going, and where the water sources would go.”“Climate change is real. It’s something that’s very heavily linked to snowmaking, which is becoming more popular with resorts just to ensure that they can open for their customers and provide a great experience. Instead of having snow machines that are 100 to 150 metres apart from each other, they’re going to 20 to 50 metres apart. You’re getting snow guns that are closer and closer. That has been a trend that we’ve been seeing in this industry.”Explore morePrepping Lake Placid for the 1980 Olympicshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuIZZmM4CaYFirst snowmaking machines at the 1980 Winter Olympicsa...

This is Unsung. Introducing the sports stars you don’t know, telling the stories you can’t miss. In episode two we’re featuring football ground staff. For most viewers of a football match, the pitch is merely a blank canvas awaiting its art. But before the artistry must come to the science. These days it takes more than a pitchfork and a mower to get the game’s top turfs up to standard. In this episode, Alexis James speaks to two of the best grounds managers in the business to discover how today’s ground staff have transformed from crabby Greenfingers into techie agronomists.Tony Stones was once in charge of the turf at Barnsley’s Oakwell Stadium, before being tasked with overseeing new Wembley’s troublesome turf. After working his magic at the home of English football, he was asked to do the same in Paris. As head groundsman at the Stade de France, Tony has a few tales to tell about his time working with Didier Deschamps’ World Champions.John Ledwidge is head of sports turf and grounds at Leicester City, where their state-of-the-art training ground is home to the world’s first Sports Turf Academy. John discusses some of the turf techniques revolutionising the industry, which might just make you think again about the perception of British grounds staff. If you enjoy the podcast, then be sure to get a copy of Alexis’ new book. Unsung: Not All Heroes Wear Kits is published by Pitch Publishing and available from all your favourite book outlets.Along with more from Tony, John and other ground staff, you’ll be able to read never-before-told tales from Formula 1 mechanics, Olympic snowmakers, rugby medics, anti-doping officials, cycling moto pilots, and more from sport’s unheralded heroes. Head to unsungbook.com for more information or follow @UnsungBook on Twitter and Instagram. And make sure to subscribe to the podcast to be the first to know about new episodes.Quotes:“In groundsmanship, everybody knows if you let the underdogs train on the pitch first, they're going to do it over because that's going to give them an advantage, to make the pitch bobbly. So, Portsmouth came and hammered it, then did a penalty shoot-out. Then Petr Cech came on and said, 'why am I playing on a potato field?'."“When Didier Deschamps first came to the stadium they were saying, 'you can't talk to him, it's forbidden.' But you've got to talk to the guy to find out what you need to deliver for him. So, I went up to him and said, 'how do you want me to address you, boss or gaffer?’ He said,'call me boss.' I'm like, right, boss, what do you want me to deliver? And he said, 'short and wet'. So, what I've been doing for England. And he's like, 'ah, so you are the English guy, I expect good things.' And then, of course, I produced the playing surfaces to get them into the World Cup, which they went on to win.""We are a cog in a big machine. But I think we're quite an important one. The players do up to about 90% of their work on our pitches. And I think it's important that we embrace the understanding of what's going on underneath their feet.""We have a massive bearing on the outcome of a game. If we don't get the moisture or the height of a cut right, it could kill a game. And we work closely with our manager. We know what he likes, and he trusts and respects us for what we do.”Explore more France v Portugal: Euro 2016 final highlightshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYKdqqe7YA0Moths invade the pitch at the final of Euro 2016a...

This is Unsung. Introducing the sports stars you don’t know, telling the stories you can’t miss. The series begins, rather aptly, with a look at the job of an athletics starter.The sound of gunfire is the precursor to every great sprint in athletics history. Yet those pulling the trigger are much more than a hired gun. In this episode, Alexis James meets the volunteer official whose strict codes on rule-keeping can break as many dreams as they make - for even the world’s most famous athletes. Alan Bell has presided over the biggest races in athletics for almost half a century. From dealing with stroppy sprinters to disqualifying the biggest names in the sport, Alan shares anecdotes from his time in the sport, and offers tips on how to become a starter of international pedigree.If you enjoy the podcast then be sure to get a copy of Alexis’ new book Unsung: Not All Heroes Wear Kits is published by Pitch Publishing and available from all of your favourite book outlets.Along with more from Alan Bell and other athletics starters just like him, you’ll be able to read never-before-told tales from Formula 1 mechanics, Olympic snowmakers, sports chaplains, kit designers, rugby medics, anti-doping officials, cycling moto pilots, and more from sport’s unheralded heroes.Head to unsungbook.com for more information, or follow @UnsungBook on Twitter and Instagram. And make sure to subscribe to the podcast to be the first to know about new episodes.Quotes:"That will probably be the greatest moment of my life with the exception of the birth of my kids. You know, you fire a gun at the World Championship final, which is not a bad bonus in itself. And then the big fella from Jamaica, he doesn't create history. He rewrites it with 9.58. And if you think about it, you know, nobody's been anywhere near since.""I've never made any money from it. The benefits have been, I've travelled the world. Business Class flights. I've stayed in some of the world's best hotels. I've worked with legends.""There’s a game that they often play of psyching each other out. But they also have their own idiosyncratic preparation. And part of what I have to judge is, are they playing games? Or are they doing what’s natural?" Explore moreUsain Bolt breaks World Record in Berlin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ol9fiOAditkJon Drummond at the 2003 World Championshipshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmvBI7X5iKgCindy Billaud at the 2014 European Championshipshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeFQp0m-ZlQ&t=242sZharnel Hughes disqualified at 2021 British Championshipshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?t=30398&v=QdqXGMjUlb8&feature=youtu.beUsain Bolt disqualified at 2011 World Championshipshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFb6OTmy0wc&tBuy the bookUnsung: Not All Heroes Wear Kits, by Alexis Jameshttp://www.unsungbook.comWriting & Narration: Alexis JamesProducer: Matt CheneyArtwork: Matt WalkerExecutive Producer: Sam Barry

Hello and Happy New Year! It’s Alexis here from Unsung with our first ever public service announcement. At the end of our last episode in December, I mentioned that you’d next hear from us in the Spring. But while we continue to work on series 2, forgive me for jumping on the feed a little earlier than planned. Because, like a school kid eager to show their parents their “cleaned my plate” lunch sticker, I wanted to share the news that Unsung has been shortlisted as a finalist in the 2024 Sports Podcast Awards. After our rookie season, we’ve been nominated in the Sports Talk Podcast category, pitted against the likes of football legend Ian Wright, top broadcasters Kate Abdo and Simon Jordan, snooker player Shaun Murphy, and three sporting titans from across the Atlantic who’ve nearly 5m followers between them. And then there's little ol' Unsung. Think David and Goliath, except we’re not David; we’re David’s annoying little dog, yelping for scraps and attention when he goes off to chin the big guys. Although it’s fair to say we’ve had a little more attention since our nomination. A new listener recently tweeted us to say our last episode was like, “if you purchased Roy Chubby Brown off of Wish, you would get this guy”. But hey, that counts as a download.  For anyone else who has enjoyed any of our episodes in the last year, we'd love your vote! You’ll find the link in the show notes, or head to www.SportsPodcastGroup.com and you’ll find us among the shortlist for the best Sports Talk Podcast. Finally, a thank you to all our guests, whose generosity of time and entertaining yarns are the reason our fledgling podcast has been recognised by the industry.  And another big thank you goes to you for listening and to anyone who has subscribed, reviewed, or spread the word about Unsung. This knock-off, Roy Chubby Brown, really appreciates it. Thanks for your vote, and we’ll be back in the Spring with some new episodes of Unsung - introducing the sports stars you don’t know, telling the stories you can’t miss. Vote for Unsung at the 2024 Sports Podcast Awards Click here to vote for Unsung: https://www.sportspodcastgroup.com/sports_category/best-sports-talk-podcast/ Buy the book! Unsung: Not All Heroes Wear Kits, by Alexis Jameshttp://www.unsungbook.com Host: Alexis JamesProducer: Matt CheneyArtwork: Matt WalkerExecutive Producer: Sam Barry

Introducing, Unsung, a new podcast about the sports stars you don’t know, telling the stories you can’t miss.Join me, Alexis James, as I go behind the scenes of professional sport, looking beyond the headlines and behind the athletes, to introduce and celebrate sport’s hidden stars.A sporting anthology of the unheard, the unsaid, and the unusual, Unsung shines a rare spotlight on the integral men and women in the shadows, interwoven in the fabric of sport.You'll meet the athletics starter who dared to disqualify the world's greatest sprinter. You'll learn about the snowmakers who wrestle with Mother Nature at every Winter Olympics. You'll hear from the Formula One mechanic who defused Romain Grosjean's smouldering car in Bahrain. You'll encounter the skilled moto pilots tasked with keeping up but keeping out of the way, of the biggest names in cycling.And there's plenty more from sport's unheralded heroes. For while its biggest stars and household names enjoy the glory, tucked away amidst sport’s small print and voiceless under its fanfare is a band of unsung heroes rarely acknowledged, let alone championed. It's about time that changed. Because not all heroes, wear kits.Follow or Subscribe to the podcast, and head to www.unsungbook.com for more.