The Winning Mentality

Most people think that skiing is a pretty safe sport, where a broken leg is as bad as it gets. Think again - Tom Grant skis mountain sides so steep that a fall would be fatal and where avalanches and falling rocks are an everyday concern. In October 2017 he made the first ski descent of the 2000 metre high Caroline Face on Mount Cook, New Zealand's highest peak, as he continues to push the boundaries and pursue mastery of his passion.

As a former Land Speed Record holder, Richard Noble is a member of one of the World's most exclusive clubs. His passion and determination saw him claim the record in 1983 at the Black Rock Desert, Nevada, and 15 years later he was back, this time masterminding the World's first supersonic car (Thrust SSC). You'd have thought that the sound barrier was the final frontier of Land Speed Records but Richard is once again striving to go further; he is now in charge of the Bloodhound SSC Project, which is aiming to create the first 1000mph car and with it, inspire a generation of engineers and scientists.

A 2 time National Champion swimmer turned elite mental performance coach, Seth Pepper has seen top level sport from every angle. His insight - hard-won from decades of experience - is fascinating and will of benefit to any athlete at any level. Even for those of us who watch on from the sidelines, he's got some superb advice.

Sean Shelton is that rarest of things - a professional American Football player who plies his trade in Europe. The story of how he got from Tampa Bay, Florida to the Swarco Raiders in Innsbruck, Austria via Kansas, Paris and Helsinki, is fascinating, and his in depth analysis of his position on the field - quarterback - is staggering. If you don’t know much about American Football, prepare to be amazed by what you are about to hear. I say during this interview, and I’m happy to argue the point with anyone, that quarterback is the single most difficult position that anyone plays in a team sport. When you’ve heard Sean explain what his job involves, you’ll understand why.

Karen Darke MBE is a Paralympic champion, adventurer and speaker. She was keen runner, climber and orienteer in her early life but aged 21 she had a rock climbing accident and was paralysed from the chest down. Since then she’s hand cycled across Patagonia and the Himalayas, sea kayaked in Canada, skied across Greenland, climbed the 1000 metre high El Capitan in Yosemite, and won 2 Paralympic medals. It all adds up to a pretty extraordinary story.