Athletics

In this inspiring episode, Ruth Mwandumba, a British Olympic World Class Programme athlete and target shooting sensation, joins me to share her incredible journey. Ruth made history in 2018 as the first black athlete to represent both Great Britain and England in target shooting, and she’s been breaking barriers ever since. Ranked number one in England, a two-time English champion, and a two-time British record holder, Ruth opens up about her unique path to the sport and her unwavering determination to reach the top.

We dive into Ruth’s early days in shooting, starting as an army cadet at school, and how she had to wait until her 20s to pursue competitive rifle shooting due to the lack of nearby clubs. Ruth explains the different styles of shooting, especially in light of the viral Olympic pistol shooting videos, and reflects on the pivotal moment when she started believing the Olympics could be a real goal.

Ruth also shares her exciting experience as a travelling reserve for the Paris Olympics, the lessons she learned, and her ambitions for the 2028 Games. We discuss her #targetchange initiative with British Shooting, aimed at increasing diversity and accessibility in the sport for young athletes.

Drawing from her Malawian heritage, Ruth Mwandumba talks about how it shapes her identity and how her family has supported her career. One of the most touching parts of our conversation is about Ruth’s journey through pregnancy. She opens up about managing morning sickness while preparing for the upcoming European championships, and how female athletes, particularly moms, are changing the landscape for mothers in sports.

As the FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup approaches, Africa is set to shine with two powerhouse teams: Namibia, the Nkosi Cup champions, and South Africa, the African champions. In this episode, I sit down with Sunelle Ludwig, the dynamic captain who led the Namibian women’s team to victory at the Nkosi Cup and is now gearing up for her third Indoor Hockey World Cup in Croatia.

Sunelle shares her excitement about representing Namibia on the global stage, reflecting on her journey through the World Cup tournaments, the triumphs and challenges that shaped her path. From her first steps into hockey to becoming a captain and leader, she opens up about her approach to team dynamics, leadership, and what it means to carry the hopes of a nation.

We dive deep into Sunelle’s inspiring personal story—her growth through setbacks, from not making the first team at university to overcoming doubts and pushing herself beyond limits. With 2025 shaping up to be a monumental year—featuring a World Cup, a wedding, a full-time career in bookkeeping, and a return to university for financial management studies—Sunelle reflects on how she balances it all with grace and determination.

Esti Olivier is a South African sprint kayaker and recently an honoured Olympian. She is the South African national champion, the 2019 and 2023 African champion and a world cup silver medallist.

On the podcast, Esti straight talks on the journey of mental health for athletes, and how under – resourced athletes are in South Africa. Beyond the Olympic qualification Esti has always been open about her mental health journey and advocates strongly for mercy from the public. We also talk about Kgothatso Montjane who recently withdrew from the paralympics and how tough that decision is for an athlete and the understanding needed for supporting mental health. In a deeply emotional, open way we talk about the current health battle Esti’s mom is fighting with stage 4 cancer, and the meaning behind her presence in Paris with Esti when she competed. Did Esti visit Disney Land in Paris and what did she do on her day off? Why doesn’t Esti kayak on rivers? What role did her father play in her journey choosing kayaking? The conversation on support, sponsorship and finances continues as we round off our conversation, with the challenge to support women in sport, and develop young talent from the onset.

We would also like to take this opportunity to say a prayer for anyone who is currently battling cancer, or who has a family member fighting this hard fight.
This show is dedicated to every brave warrior.

Lucie Ehrmann is a field hockey goalkeeper for the French senior team since 2017. She played at the Dutch club Den Bosch for the past 3 years as second goalie where her team won the Dutch league in 2022 and in 2024. They also won the EHL in 2023. Lucie is an aspiring high performance and mindset coach, with the purpose of teaching people how to think a differently, in order to unlock their potentials and reach their goals. She is currently living out her childhood dream by playing for the French team in the Olympics as first goalie. 

On the podcast, Lucie and I jump into truths about living a life of identity, and how she discovered her true identity in her values, and self-worthiness. By living a life of value and worthiness as a person who embraces every part of themselves, and understanding that there is beauty in the bad moments, Lucie has a strong foundation to tackle good and bad days as an athlete. We talk about Lucie’s start in hockey, how she had to work her way to the top, which led her to feel like the underdog, but the superpower of being an underdog, is something she considers powerful. Lucie also talks about the hard work of living an Olympic dream, and the relief of what this means for her as a first goalie for her country, especially as this French women’s hockey team are the first to qualify for the Olympics. “Does she ever get nervous before games?” “Why does she watch Netflix before her games?” “And what role does rap music, black war paint and Italian music have to do with hockey?” Lucie answers these and more, and she also writes a letter to her younger self, as well as all of us. Lucie radiates kindness and motivation, not only is this episode about sport, but it’s filled with jewels for the pathways of life.