On the Podium

When Maarten van der Weijden was diagnosed with leukaemia at the age of 19, he thought it was not only the end of his sporting career, but his life. According to Maarten, he was a “lazy” patient and didn’t “win a fight” against cancer; he says he survived simply because he was “lucky”. But having been given a second chance at life, he was determined to make the most of it.

Just a few years after recovering from cancer, Maarten won open-water swimming gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He reveals the techniques and mindset that got him through his darkest days, and the significance of setting goals in order to achieve things, whether that be in sport or life.

He retired from competitive swimming after winning Olympic and World championship gold in 2008, and dedicated himself to raising funds for other leukaemia sufferers by completing the most severe of swimming challenges. So far, he has raised more than $15 million.

Tunisian Ines Boubakri won bronze in fencing in Rio after a thrilling comeback in her final bout. Crippled with back and knee pain, she dug deep to claim the medal and become the first North African and first Arab woman to win a medal in fencing. It was the culmination of a lifetime proving other people wrong.

Ines reveals the secrets behind her success and how she controls her aggression when duelling, a crucial element to her success.

She also talks about her other passion, fashion, and how alongside her sporting career she is promoting equal rights for women, particularly in the Arab world.

Paralympian Matt Stutzman is better known as the ‘Armless Archer’. Although he only took up archery a year or so before the Games in London 2012, he still managed to win a silver medal, and will be aiming for gold in Tokyo.

Despite being born with no arms, Matt’s talents have seen him win the US National Target Championship, shooting against able-bodied archers, as well as claiming the world record for longest accurate shot in archery.

When he’s not racing cars, he’s fixing them, and it’s no surprise that he loves comedy because his laugh is so infectious. Matt reveals how he has cultivated an attitude that has led to remarkable results, as well as providing inspiration to others.

The stories behind the medals. Scout Bassett, Eliza Skinner and Ed Harry find out what it takes to make it to the Games. All episodes available Monday 19 July.