The Mettleset Podcast
Episodes
EP25: 🚴🏽♀️ 🇷🇼 Ultra Women Pt 2 - The Women of Race Around Rwanda
21 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hi 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 ...
EP24: 🚴🏽♀️ 🇷🇼 Ultra Women Pt 1 - The Women of Race Around Rwanda
21 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hi 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 ...
EP23: Coming Full Circle: Former Olympic Gymnast Sarah Mercer on creating a cultural shift in gymnastics
13 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest on today’s episode has had an illustrious career in gymnastics, starting at a young age when most Olympics hopefuls spend uncountable hour...
EP22: Mentorship: Prof. of Sport Psychology, Maria Kavussanu, on the role of coaches to promote good values and fairness in sports
27 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We have hosted athletes from across the Middle East, and some of the common factors among them has been their growth mindset, positive competitive spi...
EP21: REWIND - RESOLUTE: UAE’s first female camel jockey trainer Linda Krockenberger on introducing women’s camel racing in the region
20 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I 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 ...
EP20: 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 world
13 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode with our guest Faranak Partoazar, a mountain biker from Iran with several accolades to her name, Dawn and I want to first acknowl...
EP19: DEFYING ODDS: Mountaineer Nelly Attar, on facing one of the most dangerous climbs in the world to honour her father
06 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
July 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 ...
EP18: INCLUSION: Disability awareness advocate and former Paralympian swimmer Jessica Smith on creating effective inclusion and diversity in sports
30 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Former Paralympian Jessica Smith joins us on the episode for a very honest discussion on diversity, and inclusion for people with disabilities. A...
EP17: GROWTH MINDSET: Mountaineer Tima Deryan on going to the ends of the Earth to inspire others to be limitless
23 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dubai-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 onl...
EP16A: Ultra-Eating: Ultra-Cycling Coach Niel Copeland chats with Dawn Barnable about race nutrition when riding your bike a really really long time
20 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
So 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. We...
EP16: So you want to be an Ultra Cyclist? Coach Niel Copeland chats with Dawn about just exactly what it takes
16 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hello! 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 o...
EP15: IRONWOMAN: Saudi triathlete Dina Al Tayeb on unintentionally blazing a trail for Arab athletes
09 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If 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 th...
EP14: 2023 INSPO: Reflections, lessons and adventures from our 2022 guests to get you excited about the year ahead
02 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hey 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...
EP13: SPORTS SAVED ME: The UAE’s First Emirati Pro Surfer, Mo Rahma On Happiness and The Healing Power of Sport
19 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Our 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 includ...
Race Around Rwanda - RAR Organiser Simon De Schutter on the race and cycling in Rwanda
16 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Hello! 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...
EP12: BREATHTAKING: World Champion Freediver Nataliia Zharkova on going deep, finding purpose, and mastering the mind
12 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s episode features a real life mermaid. Nataliia Zharkova is a world record breaking freediver and five-time World Champion but she didn’t f...
BEIRUT INTERNATIONAL MARATHON: My First Marathon Debrief
09 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Mettleset’s bonus episodes, which complement our regular Monday interviews with athletes from the region, are out on Fridays. Our bonus episodes...
EP11: GOALS: Onyx FC Co-Founder Georgia Adderley on community, inclusion and sharing the beautiful game
05 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We 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 fou...
EP10: DRIVE: Saudi Motorsport Athlete Dania Akeel on the ‘in the moment’ mindset and racing in the Dakar Rally
28 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest today, Dania Akeel, is the first motorsport athlete on our podcast. And it's fitting since she has a lot of firsts herself: ...
SHE CAN TRI: Founder Jackie Faye on preparing Afghan women for triathlons
25 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Mettleset’s bonus episodes, which complement our regular Monday interviews with athletes from the region, are out on Fridays. Our bonus episodes...
EP9: HOPE: Zeinab Rezaie, the First Afghan woman to race 70.3 Ironman Championship, on fleeing Afghanistan in 2021 and continuing to dream big
21 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If 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’...
EP8: 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 talent
14 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dara 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 ...
EP7: EXPLORER: Deep Dive Dubai Director and world record-setting cave diver Jarrod Jablonski on exploring the spellbinding underwater world safely
07 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There’s something unexplainable and enigmatic about underwater caves, which Jarrod Jablonski, the Director of Deep Dive Dubai - the world’s deepes...
BEIRUT INTERNATIONAL MARATHON: Can anyone run a full marathon?
04 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Mettleset’s bonus episodes, which complement our regular Monday interviews with athletes from the region, are out on Fridays. Our bonus episodes...
EP6: FORTITUDE: Women for Tri Ambassador Melina Timson-Katchis on returning from the brink of giving up in one of her hardest races
31 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest Melina Timson, a triathlon coach and Women for Tri Ambassador, recently completed a 30KM UltraOceanman Kalamata, Greece, open water swim. Sh...
BEIRUT INTERNATIONAL MARATHON: A story of unity and peace in the region through its beautiful course
28 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today, The Mettleset launches a new series of bonus episodes, which complement our regular Monday interviews with athletes from the region. Our bonus ...
EP5: RESOLUTE: UAE’s first female camel jockey trainer Linda Krockenberger on introducing women’s camel racing in the region
24 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Camels 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 unt...
EP4: SILENT ASSASSIN: Muay Thai champion Anisha Shetty on never throwing in the towel
17 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Can 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 c...
EP3: WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY: Emirati weightlifter and mental health advocate Amna Al Haddad on the story behind the headlines
10 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Before becoming a well-recognised mental health advocate, Amna Al Hadad was the UAE’s most talked about powerlifter. She is the first Arab and ...
EP2: TENACITY: Ultra athlete Ivana Kolaric on going from fitness to seeking the world’s toughest races
03 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A 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:...
EP1: TMS Co-Host Dawn Barnable on How I went from Zero to Ultra Cyclist in (a little over) 3 months
03 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dawn 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 f...
Introduction to The Mettleset Podcast
29 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The 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...