On the Podium

BBC World Service
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The stories behind the medals. As the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics approach, comedian Eliza Skinner and athletics commentator Ed Harry interview remarkable athletes about the journeys they took to the Games. Basketball champion Breanna Stewart and shot-putter Raven Saunders explain why they use the platform sport gives them to act as advocates. Swimmer Anastasia Pagonis and rower Brigit Skarstein share how sport helped them rebuild their futures after life-changing events, while John McFall, Markus Rogan and Maarten van der Weijden talk about the lives they have found after leaving competition behind. Multi-sport stars like Oksana Masters and Jana Pittman reveal what it's like to compete at both the summer and winter Games. There's stories of memorable victories, like the moment high jump champion Gianmarco Tamberi chose to share his gold medal, and Shaunae Miller-Uibo putting everything on the line to reach the top step of the podium. Plus, the triumphs nobody predicted, including Molly Seidel's shock marathon bronze, and the day Anna Kiesenhofer rode away from cycling's biggest names to claim gold in Tokyo.

  1. Marit Bouwmeester: Perfection and parenthood

    07/24/2025

    Marit Bouwmeester: Perfection and parenthood

    Marit Bouwmeester is the most decorated female sailor in Olympic history, winning medals at four consecutive Games, including two golds. She credits her success to the mental strength she amassed over the course of two decades, committing herself to constant improvement, and succeeding where people she regarded as more talented failed. But has becoming a mother changed the way she sees sport and the world? Eliza Skinner and Ed Harry talk to Marit about how she worked to build a champion's mentality, including deliberately using worse equipment in her training to force her to improve her skills, and how difficult it can be to pursue perfection in a sport where so many factors can be out of your control. She also reveals why she doesn't keep her medals at home, and shares her thoughts on the future of sailing - and how her sport has brought her face-to-face with the climate crisis. On the Podium is the podcast that sits down with Olympic and Paralympic medallists to discover the real stories behind their success. Pole vault pioneer Stacy Dragila talks about her battle to get her sport on the Olympic programme, and triathlete Jess Learmonth reveals what led her back to sport after walking away as a teenager. Basketball champion Breanna Stewart and shot-putter Raven Saunders explain why they use the platform sport gives them to act as advocates. Swimmer Anastasia Pagonis and rower Brigit Skarstein share how sport helped them rebuild their futures after life-changing events, while Markus Rogan and Maarten van der Weijden talk about the lives they have found after leaving competition behind. Multi-sport stars like Oksana Masters and Jana Pittman reveal what it's like to compete at both the summer and winter Games. There's stories of memorable victories, like the moment high jump champion Gianmarco Tamberi chose to share his gold medal, and Shaunae Miller-Uibo putting everything on the line to reach the top step of the podium. Plus, the triumphs nobody predicted, including Molly Seidel's shock marathon bronze, and the day Anna Kiesenhofer rode away from cycling's biggest names to claim gold in Tokyo.

    35 min
  2. Derrick Loccident: A new challenge, a new life

    07/24/2025

    Derrick Loccident: A new challenge, a new life

    Derek Loccident was a college American football player when, in 2018, an accident changed the course of his life. But despite becoming a below-the-knee amputee, he refused to give up on returning to the football field, and ended up exceeding everyone's expectations. Then another opportunity arose that set him on a path he'd never expected - competing at the 2024 Paris Paralympics. Eliza Skinner and Ed Harry hear Derek's story, from why he draws inspiration from his Haitian mother to how he rebuilt his mentality as he faced new challenges. He also explains what it's like to compete in the unusual pairing of high jump and long jump, and why the brilliance of his biggest rival, German long-jumper Markus Rehm, is inspiring him to see just how far he can go. On the Podium is the podcast that sits down with Olympic and Paralympic medallists to discover the real stories behind their success. Pole vault pioneer Stacy Dragila talks about her battle to get her sport on the Olympic programme, and triathlete Jess Learmonth reveals what led her back to sport after walking away as a teenager. Basketball champion Breanna Stewart and shot-putter Raven Saunders explain why they use the platform sport gives them to act as advocates. Swimmer Anastasia Pagonis and rower Brigit Skarstein share how sport helped them rebuild their futures after life-changing events, while Markus Rogan and Maarten van der Weijden talk about the lives they have found after leaving competition behind. Multi-sport stars like Oksana Masters and Jana Pittman reveal what it's like to compete at both the summer and winter Games. There's stories of memorable victories, like the moment high jump champion Gianmarco Tamberi chose to share his gold medal, and Shaunae Miller-Uibo putting everything on the line to reach the top step of the podium. Plus, the triumphs nobody predicted, including Molly Seidel's shock marathon bronze, and the day Anna Kiesenhofer rode away from cycling's biggest names to claim gold in Tokyo.

    33 min
  3. Monica Puig: Puerto Rican pride

    07/24/2025

    Monica Puig: Puerto Rican pride

    Puerto Rican tennis player Monica Puig wasn't ranked among the favourites for the women's singles at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Though she was in the best form of her life, she hadn't been seeded in the draw, which contained multiple Grand Slam champions and finalists, including both Venus and Serena Williams. Nobody knew that she was about to have the best week of her career - including Monica herself. When she beat reigning French Open champion Garbiñe Muguruza, she began to think she had a shot at a medal; when she beat two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, the chance of winning her country's first ever Olympic gold medal was within sight. As she faced reigning Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber in the final, Puerto Rico held its breath. Eliza Skinner and Ed Harry hear the story of how Monica became a national hero, and what it meant for her to be the first Puerto Rican to ever reach the top step of the Olympic podium. She explains why, eight years later, she feels she still hasn't fully processed the significance of that week, and just what her achievements have meant for her island. She also gives Eliza and Ed an insight into how tough it is to maintain a career on the professional tennis tour, and why a new sporting adventure has helped her deal with retiring from the court. On the Podium is the podcast that sits down with Olympic and Paralympic medallists to discover the real stories behind their success. Pole vault pioneer Stacy Dragila talks about her battle to get her sport on the Olympic programme, and triathlete Jess Learmonth reveals what led her back to sport after walking away as a teenager. Basketball champion Breanna Stewart and shot-putter Raven Saunders explain why they use the platform sport gives them to act as advocates. Swimmer Anastasia Pagonis and rower Brigit Skarstein share how sport helped them rebuild their futures after life-changing events, while Markus Rogan and Maarten van der Weijden talk about the lives they have found after leaving competition behind. Multi-sport stars like Oksana Masters and Jana Pittman reveal what it's like to compete at both the summer and winter Games. There's stories of memorable victories, like the moment high jump champion Gianmarco Tamberi chose to share his gold medal, and Shaunae Miller-Uibo putting everything on the line to reach the top step of the podium. Plus, the triumphs nobody predicted, including Molly Seidel's shock marathon bronze, and the day Anna Kiesenhofer rode away from cycling's biggest names to claim gold in Tokyo.

    48 min
  4. Noemie Fox: Paddling out of the shadows

    07/24/2025

    Noemie Fox: Paddling out of the shadows

    Noemie Fox grew up in a family of canoeing and kayaking champions, but she didn't believe she could become one herself. She struggled to master the skills that seemed to come naturally to her relatives, and felt like she didn't have what it took to reach the top. Then, in her mid-20s, things began to change. With the addition of the chaotic, high-intensity discipline of kayak cross to the Olympic programme in Paris, Noemie seized her opportunity to finally step into the spotlight. But when the draw for her first race at the Games was made, she discovered she'd be lining up against the most decorated canoe slalom racer in Olympic history: her own sister, Jess. Eliza Skinner and Ed Harry hear from Noemie about what it's like to grow up surrounded by sporting success, what drove her on to overcome her doubts, and why the support of her family has been crucial to her success. She also shares her thoughts about what comes next - and why a gesture from a Sydney zoo might be an even bigger honour than making Olympic history. On the Podium is the podcast that sits down with Olympic and Paralympic medallists to discover the real stories behind their success. Pole vault pioneer Stacy Dragila talks about her battle to get her sport on the Olympic programme, and triathlete Jess Learmonth reveals what led her back to sport after walking away as a teenager. Basketball champion Breanna Stewart and shot-putter Raven Saunders explain why they use the platform sport gives them to act as advocates. Swimmer Anastasia Pagonis and rower Brigit Skarstein share how sport helped them rebuild their futures after life-changing events, while Markus Rogan and Maarten van der Weijden talk about the lives they have found after leaving competition behind. Multi-sport stars like Oksana Masters and Jana Pittman reveal what it's like to compete at both the summer and winter Games. There's stories of memorable victories, like the moment high jump champion Gianmarco Tamberi chose to share his gold medal, and Shaunae Miller-Uibo putting everything on the line to reach the top step of the podium. Plus, the triumphs nobody predicted, including Molly Seidel's shock marathon bronze, and the day Anna Kiesenhofer rode away from cycling's biggest names to claim gold in Tokyo.

    48 min

  5. 07/11/2025

    We're back!

    It takes a lot more than practice to to make it onto the podium. Eliza Skinner and Ed Harry meet four more extraordinary athletes who've won medals at the Olympic and Paralympic Games, finding out how - and why - they reached the top, and what the rest of us can learn from their journeys. All episodes available Thursday 24 July.

    3 min

  6. 06/27/2024

    Ntando Mahlangu: Walking, running and leaping into the future

    Ntando Mahlangu was born with fibular hemimelia, a condition that meant his legs didn't develop fully below the knees. After spending his childhood in a wheelchair, he made the decision to undergo amputation aged 10. When he received his first set of prosthetic "blade" legs, his whole world changed - and four years later, he was on the podium at the Rio Paralympics, with a silver medal around his neck for finishing second in the T42 200m sprint. By the time he turned 20, he'd added two gold medals for sprinting and long jumping to his collection. So what's he planning to do next? Eliza Skinner and Ed Harry hear from Ntando about growing up in rural South Africa, and how he's taught those around him to appreciate disabled people for who they are. He explains how seemingly small things in life have made a huge difference to him, and how walking on blades helped him develop as both an athlete and a human being. He also shares his perspective on being a veteran in his sport at the age of 22, the lessons he's learned about balancing his athletic career with personal development, and why he now feels a responsibility to build para-athletics for the generations coming through behind him: "Those hurdles are for me to jump, and to make sure the guys that come after me just walk through them." As the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics approach, delve into our archive to discover more stories of extraordinary sporting journeys. Basketball champion Breanna Stewart and shot-putter Raven Saunders explain why they use the platform sport gives them to act as advocates. Swimmer Anastasia Pagonis and rower Brigit Skarstein share how sport helped them rebuild their futures after life-changing events, while Markus Rogan and Maarten van der Weijden talk about the lives they have found after leaving competition behind. Multi-sport stars like Oksana Masters and Jana Pittman reveal what it's like to compete at both the summer and winter Games. There's stories of memorable victories, like the moment high jump champion Gianmarco Tamberi chose to share his gold medal, and Shaunae Miller-Uibo putting everything on the line to reach the top step of the podium. Plus, the triumphs nobody predicted, including Molly Seidel's shock marathon bronze, and the day Anna Kiesenhofer rode away from cycling's biggest names to claim gold in Tokyo.

    43 min

  7. 06/27/2024

    Stacy Dragila: Vaulting the barriers

    Men's pole vaulting has been part of the Olympics since the inaugural modern Games in 1896 - but there was no women's competition until more than a century later. When America's Stacy Dragila became the first woman to win gold in the event at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, it was the culmination of years of campaigning from athletes and coaches, who'd been training for an opportunity they were never sure they'd get. As she stood on the podium, Stacy thought about the criticism she had and her fellow competitors had faced - from disapproving comments on their appearance to being repeatedly told their bodies weren't strong enough for the sport. Stacy tells Eliza Skinner and Ed Harry about the "hot mess" that was her introduction to the sport, when her athletics coach in Idaho decided to see if her team of multi-event athletes might have an aptitude for vaulting. She recalls her journey from tentatively vaulting into a long-jump pit to setting her sights on an Olympic medal that didn't yet exist, and the battles that had to be fought to gain acceptance from athletics authorities in both the US and internationally. She also shares the unique mental and emotional experiences that come from landing a perfect jump, and reveals a few things about the event that spectators might not appreciate. Now her competitive days are over, Stacy's devoted herself to introducing children in Idaho to pole vaulting, and she explains why she finds training reluctant or unlikely athletes to be the most rewarding experience of all. As the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics approach, delve into our archive to discover more stories of extraordinary sporting journeys. Basketball champion Breanna Stewart and shot-putter Raven Saunders explain why they use the platform sport gives them to act as advocates. Swimmer Anastasia Pagonis and rower Brigit Skarstein share how sport helped them rebuild their futures after life-changing events, while Markus Rogan and Maarten van der Weijden talk about the lives they have found after leaving competition behind. Multi-sport stars like Oksana Masters and Jana Pittman reveal what it's like to compete at both the summer and winter Games. There's stories of memorable victories, like the moment high jump champion Gianmarco Tamberi chose to share his gold medal, and Shaunae Miller-Uibo putting everything on the line to reach the top step of the podium. Plus, the triumphs nobody predicted, including Molly Seidel's shock marathon bronze, and the day Anna Kiesenhofer rode away from cycling's biggest names to claim gold in Tokyo.

    42 min

  8. 06/27/2024

    Jess Learmonth: The unexpected triathlete

    Jess Learmonth was a talented junior swimmer, but aged 15, she decided she'd had enough. Over the next few years, she and her partner worked in supermarkets, and travelled through Asia. When they returned home, Jess realised she wasn't done with sport yet - but she didn't expect that her desire to get back into shape would eventually lead her to the top step of the Olympic podium. Eliza Skinner and Ed Harry hear how Jess's decision to take part in a triathlon as a fitness challenge eventually spiralled into a full-time career, and a spot on the UK's gold medal-winning triathlon mixed relay team in Tokyo. She shares what it was like to take up one of the Olympics' most demanding sports in her 20s, often finding herself in the company of much younger competitors, and why imposter syndrome is something she says she deals with every day. Jess also reveals how sport and confidence have been intertwined throughout her life - from feeling it was the only thing she was good at while struggling academically at school, to why she believes a lack of self-belief has helped in her competitive career. She also discusses the unique physical demands of a sport that combines swimming, cycling and running, and how becoming pregnant with her first child changed the way she thinks about her own body, as well as her attitude towards life and competition. As the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics approach, delve into our archive to discover more stories of extraordinary sporting journeys. Basketball champion Breanna Stewart and shot-putter Raven Saunders explain why they use the platform sport gives them to act as advocates. Swimmer Anastasia Pagonis and rower Brigit Skarstein share how sport helped them rebuild their futures after life-changing events, while Markus Rogan and Maarten van der Weijden talk about the lives they have found after leaving competition behind. Multi-sport stars like Oksana Masters and Jana Pittman reveal what it's like to compete at both the summer and winter Games. There's stories of memorable victories, like the moment high jump champion Gianmarco Tamberi chose to share his gold medal, and Shaunae Miller-Uibo putting everything on the line to reach the top step of the podium. Plus, the triumphs nobody predicted, including Molly Seidel's shock marathon bronze, and the day Anna Kiesenhofer rode away from cycling's biggest names to claim gold in Tokyo.

    46 min
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About

The stories behind the medals. As the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics approach, comedian Eliza Skinner and athletics commentator Ed Harry interview remarkable athletes about the journeys they took to the Games. Basketball champion Breanna Stewart and shot-putter Raven Saunders explain why they use the platform sport gives them to act as advocates. Swimmer Anastasia Pagonis and rower Brigit Skarstein share how sport helped them rebuild their futures after life-changing events, while John McFall, Markus Rogan and Maarten van der Weijden talk about the lives they have found after leaving competition behind. Multi-sport stars like Oksana Masters and Jana Pittman reveal what it's like to compete at both the summer and winter Games. There's stories of memorable victories, like the moment high jump champion Gianmarco Tamberi chose to share his gold medal, and Shaunae Miller-Uibo putting everything on the line to reach the top step of the podium. Plus, the triumphs nobody predicted, including Molly Seidel's shock marathon bronze, and the day Anna Kiesenhofer rode away from cycling's biggest names to claim gold in Tokyo.

Information

  • Creator
    BBC World Service
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2025
  • Episodes
    40
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © (C) BBC 2025
  • Show Website
    On the Podium

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