Having scoured the globe for the best stories from the world of sport we've decided to just drop in and hang about. Don't you think the best and most unexpected conversations often arise from just briefly stopping by? But our guests are far from slouches, in fact they are some of the most inspiring, innovative and industrious people you could ever wish to meet!

We start by dropping in on a new world record holder. Brazilian Sandro Diaz is one of those athletes whose brain seems to work slightly differently to most others, and in a most wonderful way. A skateboarder of great experience, he's 50 years old, he recently fulfilled a dream he'd had for decades. For this story it's important to learn some of the lingo ... most importantly the "drop in"... that's how you get going from the top of a ramp. You balance on the edge, shift your weight forward and off you go hurtling down the ramp on your skateboard. In competition it might be six or eight feet. That's nothing to Sandro, who has just "dropped in" from 260 feet, that's about a quarter of the way up the Empire State Building. No safety harness, no parachute, just a man, his skateboard, a ramp and very tall building in Brazil

The Olympic discipline of modern pentathlon is, well, modernising. For the LA games in 2028 running, shooting, swimming and fencing stay but OUT goes showjumping and in comes obstacle course racing to make up the five disciplines. Historically the preserve of school playgrounds or army training programmes, the Obstacle Course has been popularised in recent years by TV shows like Ninja Warriors. Britain's Mila Stanzani recently returned from the Obstacle Course World Championships with a bronze medal

Premier League side Brentford is a family club, where a warm welcome is guaranteed, proved in part by a new initiative the club have got behind. Initially it was to help the mental health of the players but now it's being rolled out across the local community. It's the simplest idea of just hanging out and chatting on a park bench. Not by the Playbook's Steve Crossman has been to find out more

Plus we're hanging out with Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci. An icon of Olympic sport she was just 14 years old she achieved the first ever 'perfect 10' at the Montreal Olympics of 1976.

PHOTO: Sandro Dias performs during Red Bull Building Drop Project in Porto Alegre, Brazil on September 07, 2025. (CREDIT: Marcelo Maragni/Red Bull Content Pool)

For nearly 50 years drivers have attempted to navigate the Paris to Dakar Rally. It is an off-road endurance event over all types of terrain from tarmac to gravel to sand. You can take part in a car or on a motor bike, but if you do not have the right skills and support team around you then you can find yourself lost in the Sahara desert. In 2001 German Jutta Kleinschmidt became the first, and still the only woman to win the event, but that is not the twist in her story.

The cult classic film Escape to Victory from the early 1980s features the unexpected mix of Hollywood mega stars Silvester Stallone, Michael Caine and football legend Pele, with a plot set in Nazi occupied France. We hear from John Smith who has recently published a book called Escape: A Love Letter to a Cult Football Classic.

Badminton is a sport watched and loved by millions of people. It is a sport dominated by athletes from the far East, but at the Athens Games of 2004 Britain's Gail Emms, along side her partner Nathan Robertson, were on the brink of mixed doubles gold. But once Gail had retired from the game the unexpected twists and turns of life saw her struggle to cope. She has detailed it all in her autobiography Grit and Goose Feathers: Chasing Medals and Finding Me. My Olympic Journey Uncovered.

Dutch goalkeeper Eddy Treijtel played more than 300 times for Rotterdam giants, Feyenoord. But he is best remembered for one of his most talked about moments and remarkable incidents in soccer history! Eddy has been telling us about the unexpected moment that went down in football folklore.

Inspirational stories from around the world. Interviews with people defying the odds

(Photo: Actor Sylvester Stallone (L) getting pointers from soccer great Pele (R) during filming of motion picture Escape to Victory. Credit: John Bryson/Getty Images)

***The first part of this interview discusses topics that some may find distressing***

Britain's Emma Finucane did not just have to overcome the physical challenges to become an Olympic champion in Paris, she had to battle her way through the stigma of developing a body built for cycling, where legs are the engine and the muscles, something that does not fit with what a stereotype of what a woman's body should look like.

The global fitness industry is estimated to be worth more than $250 billion and growing. But with so much money at stake, not to mention the health of humanity, what is the best form of training and fitness? Dr Conor Heffernan from Ulster University has recently published his latest book, When Fitness Went Global: The Rise of Physical Culture in the Nineteenth Century. It is a book about the history of the fitness industry intertwined with his own fitness journey

At the Seoul Olympics of 1988 American sprinter Florence Griffith-Joyner became the first American woman to win four medals in a single games. She also broke the world record in the 200m to go along with her 100m record achieved earlier that same year. Both records still stand to this day! But Flo-Jo, as she was nicknamed, was also famous for her flamboyant nails and unique dress sense. In a rare interview, Flo-Jo's husband Al Joyner, remembers her achievements and premature death in 1998.

(Photo: Collectible illustrated tobacco or cigarette card, published in 1938 by Ardath Tobacco Company, depicting a woman demonstrating the two positions for side stretching. Credit: Nextrecord Archives/Getty Images)

Dame Laura Kenny is the most decorated female cyclist in Olympic history with 5 gold and one silver medal. Alongside her husband Sir Jason Kenny who has 7 golds and two silvers, they are the most golden family in Olympic history! Both are now retired and are busy raising their three children. But far from falling away from the public eye, Dame Laura has used her platform to talk about subjects that are considered taboo, like her ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage. Talking openly is something that has helped Laura throughout her life and career and it could have been very very different. As a child Laura suffered with asthma, a chronic respiratory condition which resulted in her having a collapsed lung. For many it would have put them off from pushing themselves athletically, but for Laura that wasn't an option.

Marlie Packer was a member of the squad of the recently crowned Rugby Union World Champions. The Red Roses enjoyed the ultimate success by beating Canada in a final watched by a record breaking crowd of more than 80,000 fans. Marlie was also part of the England set up that won the World Cup in 2014. Now 36, her career has coincided with the growth of the women's game from the early amateur days where Marlie juggled her international career alongside her job as a plumber.

Millie Bright has just about won it all. She led the England women's football into the 2023 World Cup final, and the year before she was part of the team who won the European Championships. So her decision to withdraw from this years European championship was a shock to all. Domestically she has more than 300 appearances for Chelsea, during which time the west London side have won eight league titles, and nine FA and League cups and all through out there was Millie. So how has she done it?

In 2007 English triathlete Chrissie Wellington surprised everyone by wining the prestigious World Ironman Championship in Hawaii. It turned out to be the first in a series of victories and world records... the remarkable thing is that Wellington only became a professional athlete in her late 20s after giving up a successful career in development.

PHOTO: Gold medallist Dame Laura Kenny (nee Trott) of Great Britain celebrates after winning the Women's Omnium Track Cycling at the London 2012 Olympics (CREDIT: Phil Walter/Getty Images)

Imagine being10 metres in the air wearing nothing more than a pair of swimming trunks, with the eyes of thousands of fans staring up. It's 2008 and the Beijing Olympics are in full flow. We're at the aquatic centre as the final round of dives are taking place. Unsurprisingly there is huge backing for the pair of Chinese divers who are sitting in the top spots. Australia's Matthew Mitchum is the penultimate diver. An Olympic medal and a lifetimes dream is there for the taking. He talks us through that moment and keeping cool and executing when it really matters. Mitchum dived into the record book that day. Not only had he set an Olympic record he had won the first Olympic gold medal won by an openly gay athlete. But the media interest in him was there in the build-up to those Beijing games. Answering one question spontaneously and truthfully changed everything for Australia's golden boy.

Brazilian Roger Gracie is one of jiu-jitsu's most decorated athletes. A ten time world champion, many say he is the greatest of all time! It's no surprise that Roger's career saw him rise to and stay at the top. His grandfather created the sport and his father was one of it's greatest proponents, and that brought a pressure to succeed. So how, in the heat of battle did he manage to execute his game plan so successfully? He's recently written a book called "Warrior Mindset" and explained what the title means. And whilst the book is focused on Roger's warrior mindset, writing it caused him to open up about parts of his life that had laid dormant for many years :

One of the big events of next year is the Winter Olympics in Italy. For many sports its a chance to enjoy their moment in the spotlight that only an Olympics can bring. No surprise then there's always a queue of sports lobbying to be included. Hoping for their chance in 2030 is the sport of Freeriding. Unlike traditional slopes, where the runs are marked and controlled, freeriders seek out natural, off piste trails so they can take whatever path they choose. It will come too late for former World Champion Manuela Mandl, now retired but she still gets a buzz when the Winter Olympics comes around. But the truth is that for many winter sport athletes, particularly in a non Olympic discipline, making ends meet can be hard. So how do you execute your game plan when its not just a matter of winning or losing, but whether you can pay the bills? Speaking to us from her home in the shadow of the mountains of Austria, Manuela explained just how difficult it can be

It's nearly 35 years since Wade Leslie stunned the world of professional rodeo by becoming the first – and only – cowboy to achieve a perfect score of 100 points for a bull-ride. Leslie stayed in full control of an angry 1500-pound bull called Wolfman at a meeting in Oregon in 1991. He's been recalling that bumpy, but perfect ride

PHOTO: Matthew Mitcham of Australia competes in the Men's 10m Platform Diving at the London 2012 Olympic Games (CREDIT: Adam Pretty/Getty Images)

They say there are two types of people, those who see the glass half-empty, and those who see it half-full. Which one are you? For this edition of Not by the Playbook all our guests see their glass not just half full but positively overflowing! For them, staying positive is a way of life. They'd tell you that with the right mindset you can achieve anything. Don't believe them? Well we have four female athletes whose unshakeable belief in themselves has given them life after trauma.

When cheerleading is mentioned it might conjure up an image of the super pretty, super popular "mean girl" in high school shaking pom poms, but the competitive sport of cheerleading is very different. Physically demanding, technically challenging and fiercely competitive. Makayla Noble knows all about it. She was a high school 'All-American' for three consecutive years and when on to take part in the 2019 Cheer World Championship and then one day in September 2021 whilst practicing everything changed.

They say ignorance is bliss, that sometimes you're better off not knowing what's round the corner. That's true for golfer Alison Johns. Alison recently returned from winning a gold medal at the World Transplant Games in Germany. It featured 2,500 athletes from 51 countries all of whom owed their lives to an organ transplant. Alison received a new liver in 2009.

Ten years ago Kelsy Boyer moved from the tranquil countryside of Pennsylvania to the snow-capped mountains of Colorado. Her aim was to secure a place on the US Snowboarding team for the 2018 Winter Olympics. As she attempted to qualify she suffered a concussion on the slopes. Untreated she very nearly died. Compelled to prevent others from suffering like she had, she started Save a Brain, a non profit aimed at educating not just athletes about the dangers of concussion

In October 2013, American Minda Dentler became the first female wheelchair athlete to complete the super-endurance, Ironman World Championship ; a distance of over 250 km. Born into poverty in India, Minda has been telling Not by the Playbook how she overcame serious physical illness to realise her athletic dream in Hawaii.

Photo: Makayla Noble returns to the gym after her accident. (Credit Makayla Noble Instagram/@makaylamnoble)

You ever get that feeling things aren't quite what they seem to be? That feeling when something looks, smells and sounds as you'd expect, but there's something just a little bit different, and you can't quite put your finger on why. Like baseball, but with an unusual accent. Or the Olympic champion that uses a kite, but out in the ocean!

We're on our bikes with the oldest woman to win an Olympic cycling medal in the team pursuit discipline. Dotise Bauch was nearly forty when she won silver as part of the US team at London 2012. A remarkable achievement, made all the more remarkable by her late arrival into the sport, she was advised by a therapist to take up cycling to improve her mental health, but also because she placed on the podium on a plant powered diet.

It looks simple enough, but there are fewer more technically demanding sports than Kitesurfing. You ride a board under you, with a massive kite above you and your job is to navigate a course out on water faster than anyone else, propelled by the wind and your ability to stay on the board! And if you still aren't sure exactly what the sport involves worry not because Olympic champion Ellie Aldridge, who won gold in women's kite foiling in Paris in 2024, will explain all

As Baseball's World Series Champions are crowned you might be forgiven for thinking that your options for enjoying a game is limited... but what if i told you there was in fact a small but thriving passion for the game in a place you might not expect! And whilst we know that baseball isn’t just an American sport and it’s hugely popular in East Asia, the Caribbean, and in South and Central America as well. But Europe? Well perhaps that’s more of a surprise to fans whose commitment is to the Blue Jays, the Dodgers or the Yankee's. We are in search of baseball fanatics on the other side of the Atlantic.

Photo: Dotsie Bausch of the USA rides at the front in the Women's Team Pursuit (CREDIT: Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)

Basketball pioneer Ann Meyers Drysdale joins us to look at her remarkable career on and off the court. A leading light as women's professional basketball took off in the late 1970s, she was not afraid to mix it up with the men, even being paid to be part of the practice squad for an NBA team! Also an Olympic history maker she tells us about the changes she has seen since her playing days to now as Vice President for the Phoenix Suns and Mercury.

Ice Hockey has a rough and tumble reputation. Some suggest it's one of the reasons so few players have opened up about their sexuality. Former professional player Brock McGillis is one of the very few who has. Now retired he spends his time advocating for and educating players, fans and coaches on inclusivity and in making the sport a welcoming environment

The baseball season is coming to its exciting conclusion, but despite having some of the most recognisable names in world sport playing the game, baseball has suffered a dip in popularity in recent years. Some suggest it's become too slow, even a bit dull. The MLB, the governing body, have introduced new rules this season to speed up the game, but could they take a few notes from the creator of the hugely successful and fast moving Banana Ball? Jesse Cole, is the creator and owner of the Savannah Bananas and explained ow it works, why it's so successful, and why he was wearing a bright yellow tuxedo for the interview!?

In 1958, the New York Giants played the Baltimore Colts in the NFL championship game. The match was so exciting it turned American Football into a successful television sport virtually overnight. The clash became known as the "Greatest Game". Veteran American sports commentator, Bob Wolff, who covered the match, tells us why it was so great!

(Photo: A large United States flag as seen from right field before Game Three of the National League Division Series between the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field on October 8, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Credit: Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images)

They say if you want a stable relationship, get a horse! But hey sometimes doing things off the hoof works just as well.  This week we're saddling up and on the trail for the most inspirational stories from the world of sport - the equestrian edition...

"Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway" So said Hollywood icon John Wayne. And that's true of our first guest because Lissa Bachner's story is nothing short of incredible. Alongside her horse Milo, she's won show jumping competitions all over America. She's considered one of the best amateurs out there. Show jumping is an unforgiving sport where a horse and rider navigate a course of jumps as quickly as possible without incurring faults. The goal is to complete the course with the fewest penalties in fastest time without knocking down the fences. So, imagine doing all of that and being blind. That's right. Lissa Bachner is blind, but it hasn't stopped her and Milo making their mark on the equestrian world 

Show jumping, three-day eventing and dressage are the most common forms of equestrian sport. All Olympic disciplines they test rider and horse and the relationship they have. It's one of very very few sports in the Olympics where men and women compete together. And yet only once has a woman topped the official world rankings. So, meet Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, who was born in the USA but after marrying decided to represent Germany. She went on the win bronze at the Rio Games of 2016. 

With over two million dollars in prize money, cowboy hats as far as the eye can see and a sport that has more than a touch of the Wild West... We are going to spend a little bit of time emersed in what's known as "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth" Each July in Canada the Calgary Stampede attracts thousands of fans... But is a celebration of athletic endeavour and cultural heritage, or outdated and cruel to animals?  

If a man raced a horse who would win?  Well, it has been on the minds of a small town in Wales for quite some time. In fact, since 1980 they have been hosting an annual race to find out the answer. Not By the Playbook has been hearing from long distance runner Huw Lobb and race creator Gordon Green about the day that two legs out ran four for the very first time.

PHOTO: Saddle Bronc rider, Bailey Small in action during the 2025 edition of the Calgary Stampede in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, on July 11, 2025. (CREDIT: Artur Widak/Anadolu via Getty Images)

We like to think of ourselves as a bit maverick here on Not by the Playbook. Nothing too outrageous, but we like to think outside of the box... and so we present to you a show dedicated to those athletes whose decision to think out side of the box has served them well. People who have gone against the grain, challenged the established thinking and come out on top

Olivia Reeves has literally done the heavy lifting in making her sport more accessible to those who want to try, but were too intimidated to do so. From her home in Chattanooga in the US state of Tennessee, she has been telling us about how she became Olympic weightlifting champion, on developing a winning mind set and becoming the first American to win Weightlifting gold in 24 years, and how her life has changed since.

Yana Daniels has taken the concept of out of the box thinking and made it real. No ideas or theories... Yana Daniels literally makes boxes! A top tier footballer and Belgium international she was hoping to play a part in the country's recent Women's Euro campaign, but sadly wasn't picked in the final squad. But that didn't stop Yana from being a really important part of the competition. In fact despite Belgium not making out of the group stages they were represented in the final and indeed every single game, through Yana! She explains all

When people hit a certain age some look back on what they have achieved and wonder if it's enough.. and what could the future hold? The stereotype is the man buying a fast car, or a leather jacket... Peter Wright went in a different direction. Aged 40 and over weight, Peter's "out of the box" moment saw him change his life completely. He got FIT and set off on achieving some of the world's most difficult feat's of athletic ability. He recently wrote about his adventures a book called "A Mid-Life Less Ordinary - From Ultramarathon Insanity to Rowing the Atlantic at Fifty" and told me about some of the "hairier" moments of the past 10 years or so!

Whilst most of our guests used their "out of the box thinking" for good, our next story shows sometime it's used for villainous reasons! Join us at the finishing line of the Boston Marathon in 1980. Men's champion Bill Rodgers was very much expected to be there first, and he was. What was much less anticipated was the presence of the unheard of Cuban runner Rosie Ruiz, who was duly crowned the women's winner. But all was not quite what it seemed.

Photo: Olivia Reeves of Team United States performs a clean and jerk during the Weightlifting Women's 71kg on day fourteen of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at South Paris Arena (CREDIT: Lars Baron/Getty Images)