I Got Back Up: Getting back up with...

What happens when the thing you thought would define your future suddenly disappears, and you’re forced to find a completely different path?

In this episode of I Got Back Up, Sid Batty, joins Talia for a raw and relatable conversation about injury, mental health, acceptance and finding purpose in the unexpected. Having both experienced ACL surgery, they reflect on the physical and emotional challenges of recovery, and the frustration of watching life carry on while you feel stuck.

At just 21, Sid suffered an ACL and meniscus injury that ended his football career. After being told he would never play contact sport again, it took three years for him to realise that what felt like the end of his dream was actually the beginning of something new.

Sid also opens up about living with social anxiety, depression and OCD, and how he learned to stop fighting his mental health and instead find ways to live alongside it. From a stuffed duck called Quack that became a symbol of hope, to a viral video that reached over two million views, Sid’s journey is full of unexpected moments that changed his life.

But perhaps his most incredible achievement was running more than 300 miles from East London to the Isle of Man, raising an incredible £22,000 for Samaritans.

Together, Sid and Talia explore the importance of acceptance, the power of perspective, and why sometimes the smallest things can help us keep moving forward.

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What happens when life forces you to start again, and you discover that the person you were trying to be was never really you?

Joining Talia this week is Sarah Nilson, a full time artist based on the coast of North Carolina, whose journey from bartending to building a thriving creative career is anything but ordinary. Since discovering her love of painting during the Covid lockdowns, Sarah has gone on to work with major brands including Shopify, Headspace and Rainforest Alliance, publish her first book, and see her products stocked in Walmart, Whole Foods and more than 200 retailers across the US.

But behind the colourful artwork and creative success is a story of resilience, reinvention, and learning to embrace who you really are.

Sarah opens up about growing up in an alcoholic home, battling people pleasing tendencies, surviving a serious moped accident, and navigating physical rehabilitation. She reflects on the experiences that pushed her to rethink her life and find a path that felt more authentically her own.

Together, they explore how setbacks can become opportunities for reinvention, why we need to make more room for play and laughter, and how community, friendship, and small moments of human connection can make a huge difference.

This is a reminder that sometimes getting back up isn't about becoming someone new. It's about unbecoming the person you thought you had to be and finding the freedom to become yourself.

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What happens when you lose the identity you’ve built your entire life around, and everything begins to fall apart?

In this episode of I Got Back Up, Ryan opens up about the devastating impact of losing his rugby career, battling depression, falling into addiction, and reaching a point where he had to confront the reality of his life. But this is more than a story about hitting rock bottom. It’s about rediscovering who you are, taking responsibility for your choices, and finding a way forward when the life you once knew no longer exists.

Ryan reflects on retiring from rugby at 30, struggling to let go of the identity of “Ryan the rugby player”, and the painkillers, destructive habits, and low self-worth that followed. He shares how prison became a turning point, giving him the space to reflect, challenge old beliefs, and begin rebuilding his life from the inside out.

Together, Ryan and Talia explore why we cling to identities that no longer serve us, how fear traps us in unhealthy patterns, and why meaningful change often starts with small, everyday decisions.

From meditation and movement to spending time in nature and learning to keep promises to yourself, Ryan explains how simple daily habits can rebuild self-trust, strengthen self-worth, and help you take control of your future.

Because sometimes, you don't need to have your whole life figured out. You just need to do the next right thing.

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How do you do legendary things? Is there actually a plan B?

In this episode of I Got Back Up, Talia is joined by Ronde Barber, former American NFL cornerback who spent his entire 16 year career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A five time Pro Bowl selection, he helped the Buccaneers win Super Bowl XXXVII in 2003, and was inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023.

In this conversation Ronde draws on why it is not an easy and linear path into the NFL, resilience, the things he had to go through to get to where he got to, exploring how he stepped through self doubt and overcoming the little and big things that stood in his way along his path, whilst navigating his career with his unique situation of having a twin brother Tiki who also played in the NFL for the New York Giants as a successful running back, and not being able to match his expectations.

In Ronde's first year in the NFL he only played one game. And in facing adversity and having to find himself he turned his career around in one year. Together, the conversation explores only really having a plan A in life, believing in yourself, noticing that you are a mosaic of everyone you meet, and understanding that no one does it on their own.

As the only way to become legendary is to do legendary things.

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What does it really mean to get back up when life takes you in a completely different direction?

In this episode of I Got Back Up, Talia is joined by Chris Robshaw, former England rugby captain, for an honest conversation about resilience, identity, and overcoming setbacks in sport and in life. Drawing on his career in professional rugby, Chris reflects on the highs, the injuries, the public scrutiny, and the challenges of walking away from the game that shaped so much of who he was.

Chris shares how trust, preparation, self-belief, and the support of those around him helped him navigate difficult moments, rebuild confidence, and embrace new challenges. From managing the physical demands of professional rugby to finding purpose after retirement, taking on a marathon and triathlon, and stepping into the spotlight on Strictly Come Dancing, his journey is a reminder that resilience is not always about returning to who you were. Sometimes, it is about discovering who you can become.

Together, they explore the importance of showing up on the tough days, learning to accept support, facing fear, and having the confidence to step outside your comfort zone, even when you feel far from ready.

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What happens when your own thoughts become your biggest source of fear?

Joining Talia in the studio this week is Oliver Moorhouse, for a raw and honest conversation about OCD, health anxiety, intrusive thoughts, resilience and learning to live with uncertainty.

Ollie shares his personal experience of health anxiety and the obsessive thoughts and behaviours that can come with it, including checking, researching symptoms, avoiding triggers, and getting caught in cycles of fear. He explains how therapy, acceptance, self-awareness, exercise, sleep and building a personal "toolbox" of coping strategies have helped him manage his mental health and stay grounded.

The conversation also explores the importance of vulnerability, family and friendship, why picking up the phone can sometimes mean more than sending a text and how checking in honestly with the people around us can make a huge difference.

Rather than searching for a quick fix, Ollie discusses learning to manage anxiety, recognise patterns and keep moving forward - even when difficult thoughts return.

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What happens when alcohol stops being the solution and starts becoming part of the problem?

Joining Talia this week is Millie Gooch, author, speaker and founder of Sober Girl Society, for an honest conversation about drinking, anxiety, sobriety, confidence, and learning to navigate life without alcohol.

Millie shares her journey from university drinking culture and blackout anxiety to nearly nine years sober, exploring how alcohol became a way to manage confidence and difficult emotions before ultimately making her mental health worse. She also explains the science behind alcohol-related anxiety, sleep disruption, and blackouts, while opening up about the identity shift that came with sobriety.

The conversation also explores therapy, panic attacks, self-discovery, and how sobriety helped Millie better understand herself. She shares how Sober Girl Society grew from a small idea into a community supporting sober and sober-curious women, alongside practical advice for building confidence without relying on alcohol.

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Joining Talia this week is professional footballer Tom Lockyer for an honest conversation about surviving cardiac arrest, trauma, resilience, and discovering who you are beyond football.

Tom's career took him from being released by a professional academy at just 15 for being considered too small, through non-league football and spells with Bristol Rovers and Charlton Athletic, before spending six years at Luton Town and helping the club reach the Premier League. But his life changed dramatically after suffering cardiac arrests on the pitch.

Tom opens up about collapsing during Luton's Championship play-off final at Wembley, later being diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, and then suffering another cardiac arrest while playing against Bournemouth in the Premier League. He recalls waking up surrounded by paramedics and discovering that he had been clinically dead for 2 minutes and 42 seconds.

The conversation goes far beyond football, exploring the delayed impact of trauma, anxiety, identity loss, and the challenge of rebuilding your life when the career that defined you is suddenly taken away.

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What happens when the applause fades and you're left to face your biggest battles alone?

Joining Talia in the studio this week is former Premier League footballer, professional boxer, mental health advocate, and author Leon McKenzie for one of his most honest conversations yet.

After a successful football career with clubs including Norwich City, Coventry City and Crystal Palace, Leon transitioned into professional boxing before dedicating his life to raising awareness of mental health. Having experienced depression, trauma, and suicidal thoughts, he now uses his platform to help others realise that healing is possible and that asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness.

Together, Talia and Leon explore the lifelong impact of childhood experiences, the non-linear journey of healing, and how faith, purpose, self-love, and vulnerability have helped him rebuild his life. This is an emotional conversation about surviving the darkest moments, embracing authenticity, and discovering the strength to keep getting back up.

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What if the biggest setback of your life became the foundation for your greatest achievements?

In this inspiring episode Talia is joined by Paralympic gold medallist, MBE, motivational speaker, and disability advocate Aaron Phipps. After contracting meningitis as a teenager, Aaron underwent life-saving surgery that resulted in the amputation of both legs. Rather than allowing adversity to define him, he rebuilt his life, becoming one of Great Britain's most celebrated wheelchair rugby players and helping Team GB win Paralympic gold at the Tokyo 2020 Games.

Aaron shares the mindset that has carried him from hospital beds to the Paralympic podium, opening up about resilience, mental health, embracing risk, and finding purpose through life's greatest challenges. He also reflects on pushing beyond perceived limits, including becoming the first person to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in a wheelchair, proving that impossible is often just a starting point.

This conversation is a powerful reminder that resilience isn't about avoiding hardship, it's about choosing to rise every single time life knocks you down.

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