As the sport of surfing debuts at the Tokyo Olympics, David Eades talks with Brazilian big wave surfer, Maya Gabeira about “riding the wave and changing the tides”.   Whether it’s about the physical, mental and inner strength it takes to face the unknown, tackling challenges head on and   overcoming fear and trauma; Or her perspective on being a role model for women and girls; Or her passion for the ocean and her commitment to conservation to save the planet in order to save ourselves - Maya is fearless and uncompromising, taking what it means to Live Like You Play to another level.  

With the 2021 Tokyo Olympics set to begin next month, David Eades

chats with Olympic gold medalist and World Champion bobsledder

Steve Mesler.   Steve shares his unique insight into the psyche of an

elite athlete striving for the top, reaching the pinnacle and then coming to

terms with the fulfilment of a dream. He also explains how he channeled

that intensity into “Classroom Champions”, an award-winning initiative

that connects star athletes to school children to improve their desire to

learn, to find inspiration and to do well at school.  “It’s not about telling

kids a story.  It’s about having kids be part of a story, part of a

journey”.

“You can’t change your past, but you can learn from it and change your future.” In this episode, David Eades speaks with David Grevemberg for a journey stretching back to the 1700’s, and a family legacy tied to slavery and white supremacy.   But it is also a story of sporting success and failure, the power of sport to help in a healing process, and how Sport can mean Enlightenment on many different levels.

Live Like You Play is a podcast which reveals the humanity in sport and the role that sport plays in one's faith.   In this month's episode, David is joined by Gerald Mballe, an articulate, intelligent and inspirational young man who at 23 years old has overcome challenges that many of us can only imagine.   Gerald shares his incredible odyssey across land, language, labels and identity.   They talk about faith, sport, the power of Inclusion and how Gerald’s encounter with the athletes of Special Olympics empowered him and accepted him for who he was … just Gerald!

Sport for Humanity combines the passion for sport with the values of faith to serve humanity. In this episode, David explores the relevance of Faith and Sport, and Faith in Sport, with Dr. Azza Karam, Secretary General of Religions for Peace – the largest multi-religious leadership platform in the world.  Azza conveys her views about the shared values of faith and sport, human rights, diversity, equality, love and Mo Salah!

For our second episode, David talks to Renata Simril, President and CEO of the LA84 Foundation. From Black Power protests to the ‘Reggie Bush Push’, Renata highlights the moments that have formed her view of the world.  She reflects on the impact of gang culture on her own family life, and how sport, faith – and the discipline of the army have influenced her in bringing more sporting opportunities to young people in LA.    

For the first episode of the Live Like You Play podcast, David Eades talks to Denise Barrett-Baxendale, Chief Executive of Everton Football Club about sport, faith and how the values learned from both worlds serve as inspiration for her and the club to use their position in the community for the greater good.