Sportshour

Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Bára Votíková tells Sportshour's Caroline Barker about how she balances her football career alongside being one of the Czech Republic's best known and most followed content creators. She tells us about using her social media platforms to advocate for gay rights, and how she deals with the haters.New Zealand pole vaulter Eliza McCartney is about to take a leap of faith ahead of the Paris Olympics. Since winning bronze at the 2016 Games in Rio, the 27-year-old has suffered many years of injury frustration. However 2024 brought silver at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow - her first international podium finish in six years, since taking Commonwealth silver on the Gold Coast. She tells us about life on the road with a massive stick!When French midfielder Aurelien Tchouemeni was asked earlier this season by his team Real Madrid to play a match for them in central defence, all he needed to help him prepare for the game was a virtual reality headset in his living room.

Please note: This episode contains discussions and references to mental health and drug abuse. If you are suffering distress or despair and need support, you could speak to a health professional, or an organisation that offers support. Details of help available in many countries can be found at Befrienders Worldwide: www.befrienders.orgFor 10 years, quarterback Erik Kramer had it all - fame, fortune and the chance to land the NFL's biggest prize with the Detroit Lions and then the Chicago Bears. Despite the trappings that success brings, Kramer carried a burden - crushing depression that worsened following personal losses after retirement. He's been telling Sportshour's Caroline Barker about what led him to the depths of despair and redemption.India's premier triathlete Pragnya Mohan is attempting to qualify for Paris and become the first Indian triathlete to compete at an Olympic Games. If she does, she hopes it will produce the kind of media exposure which will encourage other girls to take up professional

In March 2024 Camille Heron cemented her place as the greatest Ultra Marathon runner of all time. She broke the six day world best, clocking an astonishing 560 miles. That's further than running from New York to Washington and back in 6 days, roughly the distance of Accra to Lagos and back in SIX DAYS!! She's been telling Sportshour's Nishat Ladha about her achievement.As Cambridge and Oxford line up against each other, who will mastermind their way to victory in the 2024 University boat race? Oxford Women's President Ella Stadler takes on her Cambridge counterpart Jenna Armstrong in special edition of Sportshour's University Challenge.Football means a lot of things to different people and for many it's an integral part of life. It certainly is for author Mark Davies, who a few years ago was diagnosed with an incurable cancer. His whole world changed forever, except for one thing, one constant. Football was his crutch that, as it turned out, supported him through the very darkest times and it's why he wrote h

Rikke Sevecke was living the dream! She'd fought the odds to make it into professional football despite all the barriers in her way. She'd played in England for Everton and represented her country, Denmark at the World Cup, and had just signed for one of the biggest teams in America. Living the dream. Then just two months ago in January 2024, out of nowhere, she was ordered to stop playing, immediately. It had taken just one phone call from a doctor to bring her world crashing down around her. Rikke had been diagnosed with a serious heart condition, and if she carried on playing it could have proved fatal. She's been speaking to Sportshour's Caroline Barker about how she is coming to terms with the life changing moment.US women’s scrum half Alena Olsen on channelling the heart break of missing out on the Tokyo Games, by putting in everything she can into making the Paris Olympics, as part of the US Women’s Sevens squad. She's tells us that despite being a part of the bronze medal winning World Cup team in 202

Sport, racism and protests are about to change the lives of “the Black 14” American footballers. It’s 1969 in the United States. They’ve arrived on scholarships at the University of Wyoming to play for its Cowboys American football team. It was a predominantly white college. The team is treated like a second religion. Then, the players make a decision to take a stand against racism in a game against another university.This is episode one of a four-part season from the Amazing Sport Stories podcast. Content warning: This episode contains lived experiences which involve the use of strong racist language.

Rikke Sevecke was living the dream! She'd fought the odds to make it into professional football despite all the barriers in her way. She'd played in England for Everton and represented her country, Denmark at the World Cup, and had just signed for one of the biggest teams in America. Living the dream. Then just two months ago in January 2024, out of nowhere, she was ordered to stop playing, immediately. It had taken just one phone call from a doctor to bring her world crashing down around her. Rikke had been diagnosed with a serious heart condition, and if she carried on playing it could have proved fatal. She's been speaking to Sportshour's Caroline Barker about how she is coming to terms with the life changing moment.Photo: Rikke Sevecke #4 of Denmark goes forward during a FIFA World Cup 2023 Group D match between Denmark and China PR at Perth Rectangular Stadium on July 22, 2023 in Perth, Australia. (Creidt: Daniela Porcelli/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

Racing Louisville FC defender Carson Pickett was born without part of her left arm and Pickett went viral in 2019 after she was pictured giving an arm-bump with a young fan who was also missing part of his left arm. In 2022, Carson Pickett became the first player with a limb difference to play for the United States women's team and she told BBC Sportshour's Caroline Barker how her life has changed since that photo went viral.Where to start with Merle Liivand? A friend of the show, she spoke to us last year about how she combines her sports career as an open water swimmer with her environmental campaigning. Something she is about to be honoured for by the Estonian government. She's known as "The Mermaid" because she picks up rubbish when she's swimming at sea. Check out the Sportshour archive for more about that, but for now she is simply the latest in our series "Olympic Hopefuls" as we hear about her attempts to make it to Paris in July. Baseball's MLB season gets underway on Wednesday, but the first game be

Some say that golf is "a good walk ruined", for others the sport is where they go to escape. For Patrick Koenig it became a quest to discover more about himself, the sport and the country he lives in. He tells Sportshour's Caroline Barker what he learned as he broke the record for most number of 18 hole golf courses played in one year.Ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix we look at the future of motor sport and it's reliance on gas and petrol, as it is hosted in the country that produces the second most amount of oil in the world. But could it be other factors, as well as environmental concerns, that promotes electric car racing to prominence in the years to come? In Ellis Spiezia the evidence looks strong. At just 17 he's already making a name for himself in electric car racing, turning his back on the traditional F1 dream, but not just because its cleaner for the world.Fencer, environmentalist, wedding officiant... Is there anything Oppong Hemeng Ghana's Olympic hopeful can't do?! He tells us about his ec

Back in September, just days before she was due to give birth Sportshour's Shabnam Younus-Jewell spoke to one of the current triathlon team Olympic Champions, Jess Learmonth. She spoke about her concerns and hopes about becoming a first time mum and balancing her new responsibilities with a desire to defend the title she won in Tokyo by making Team GB and competing in Paris in just 4 months time. Well find out how it's all going!From the chill of Iceland comes a story to warm your heart! Kari Vidarsson grew up in a small village on the island and watched as his father spearheaded and attempt to build a football pitch and get a team together to compete in the Icelandic FA Cup... It ended in a single 10-0 defeat away from home... 20 years passed and Kari decided he wanted to complete the journey and get a local team to play a home game in the village. A documentary "The Home Game" which is being screened at the Glasgow Film Festival, followed Kari and the 350 others in his village as they came together and prov

Caroline Barker speaks to the first women of colour crew members to race around Cape Horn. Vuyisile Jaca from South Africa, Junella King from Antigua and Maryama Seck from France made history while taking part in the Ocean Globe Race on the iconic yacht, Maiden. We also hear from Tracy Edwards MBE, who skippered the first ever all female crew to round the horn 35 years ago on the same vessel Could Patrick Mahomes add Olympic Gold to his Super Bowl rings? Winning an Olympic gold medal to go alongside Super Bowl rings is now a very real prospect for NFL, as flag football makes its debut at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028. Flag football is five-a-side game, played on a smaller pitch and no contact is allowed. So how did the relatively unknown sport of flag football get to the Olympics? And will we see another US Olympic Dream Team? Milan fashion week is in full flow so what better time to look at the 'haute couture' of the humble and sometimes stylish football kit. We try to distinguish between th

Tobey Berriault took up speed skating in her teenage years, spending many hours training at the famous Olympic Oval in Calgary. After just missing out on qualifying for her home Winter Olympics in Vancouver in 2010, she took up a new career as a peacekeeper for the United Nations. She tells Sportshour what her role entails and how she's used her sporting career to help her in conflict areas and warzones.Have you ever worn protective headgear while surfing? Davon Larson tells us about the stigma around wearing helmets out on the waves, after he invented a new helmet called Surf Skull, designed to appeal to the most fashion conscious surfer. He describes the accident that inspired the invention. Gregg Stevenson lost both his legs in an improvised explosive device blast in Afghanistan in 2009, while serving as a Royal Marine Commando in the British Military. He goes into the 2024 Paralympics in Paris as a favourite for rowing gold. Gregg’s tells us how the sport helped get his life on track. We'll also cover sno

Game day has arrived, so join Caroline Barker and former Buffalo Bills coach Phoebe Schecter for the complete guide to Super Bowl 58. Who to look out for, how the game will be won and if history will repeat itself as Kansas City look to defend their title against the San Francisco 49ers? Plus an exclusive interview with SpongeBob Square Pants best mate Patrick Star as they prepare to give an alternative commentary of Sunday's game for younger viewers for the first time.Photo: Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs hoists the Lombardi Trophy after Super Bowl LVII against the Philadelphia Eagles at State Farm Stadium on February 12, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona. The Chiefs defeated the Eagles 38-35. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

Some claim that the romance between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce has been manufactured by the NFL for political gain, and whilst that is clearly nonsense we look at the impact of Swift's relationship with the NFL.Shaquem Griffin was born with amniotic band syndrome causing the fingers on his left hand not to fully develop. The pain was so intense that at 4 years of age he grabbed a butcher knife, planning to cut the hand off. His mother took the knife away, and scheduled an amputation the next day… Despite the obvious setback of only having one hand, Shaquem still fulfilled his dream and played in the NFL for four seasons. He tells us his story. And Cyndy Feasel who watched on helpless as her husband, former NFL star Grant Feasel died the victim of alcohol abuse and a degenerative brain disease known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. She tells us about one NFL wife’s story of concussions, loss, and the faith that saw her through.Plus, in the year America elects its next president we explore the re

Alex Gold and Cody Tapp from KCSP 610 Sports Radio in Kansas join Caroline Barker to discuss the hopes of the reigning Super Bowl champions, and if they can become the first team in twenty-years to win back-to-back? Plus could Patrick Mahomes win something not even Tom Brady has? The man behind the push to get Flag Football to the Olympics tells us that he expects Patrick Mahomes to be at the front of the queue to represent Team USA and add an Olympic gold to his Super Bowl rings. We hear from a host of top NFL names on what they want more Olympic gold or Super Bowl ring.Photo: Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) calls the play in the huddle during the second half against the Philadelphia Eagles at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. (Photo by Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports)

We look into the San Francisco 49ers as they attempt to stop the reigning champions Kansas from back to back Super Bowls. Caroline Barker is joined by CBS’s Gianna Marie Franco. Next to her is KNBR’s Greg Papa who gives us a demonstration of the call he hopes to make as he commentates on his side on Sunday. We’ll also analyse the strengths of quarterback Brock Purdy as he attempts to go from Zero to hero. Picked last in the 2022 draft he has defied the odds and the nickname given to the last player drafted Mr Irrelevant. We hear from the first and only Mr Irrelevant to have won a Super Bowl ring, Marty Moore… Plus NFL journalist and San Francisco fanatic Anthony Wootton on how he accidently gave 9ers “Big Play” Dre Greenlaw a pep talk ahead of Sunday’s game and why Travis Kelce’s opposite number is better than him, no not Taylor Swift but 49ers tight end George KittlePhoto: Christian McCaffrey #23 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates after rushing for a 2-yard touchdown during the NFC Championship game again

The Super Bowl is in Las Vegas. The greatest show on turf, but everyone is talking about the story off the field - Taylor Swift’s romance with Kansas Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has dominated the headlines.Even the commissioner of the NFL Roger Goodell was asked about a conspiracy theory that the NFL has scripted the romance between Taylor and Travis.Sportshour's Caroline Barker explores the phenomenon, excitement and conspiracies with CBS NFL insider Jonathan Jones and USA Today’s Victoria Hernandez.Image: Taylor Swift reacts during the first half of a game between the Chicago Bears and the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on September 24, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jason Hanna/Getty Images)

Betty Brussel from Canada has broken the 100-104-year-old age class world record in the 400m freestyle, knocking nearly four minutes off the previous standard, and then repeated her record-breaking performances in 50m backstroke and the 50m breaststroke that same day. Caroline Barker speaks to the 99-year-old swimmer who is proving age is no barrier to sporting success.We hear from the charity called Tackle, who are using football to raise sexual health and HIV awareness in Africa.With six months to go until the start of the Paris Olympics, three-time world break dancing champion Menno Van Gorp will be chatting about his preparations as the sport makes its debut at the Games. Bryan’s Gunn is not a messiah, but is he a very naughty boy? We speak to the man behind the social media sensation, who regularly makes fun of footballers and their poor choice of vocabulary.(Photo: Betty Brussel with her medals. Credit: Hannah Walsh)

Former Premier League footballer George Elokobi is the first Cameroonian to manager an English football club. On Saturday 27th January, he will take charge as Maidstone United face second tier Ipswich Town in the fourth round of the FA Cup. George chats about his managerial ambitions as well as tough upbringing in Cameroon. On Sunday 28th January, it will be International Lego Day. It was on that day, that Danish carpenter Godtfred Kirk Christiansen submitted his patent for the original brick. Former Premier League footballer Darren Ambrose began his hobby when his parents in law bought him the toy as a present. It's since developed into a passion and even a social media channel. Plus, we'll hear from the Mother and Son coaching duo Anne and Tom Davies, who will be leading Team UK’s Flag Football Team at the NFL Pro Bowl Games.

Please note: This programme contains discussions about mental health. If you are suffering distress or despair and need support, you could speak to a health professional, or an organisation that offers support. Details of help available in many countries can be found at Befrienders Worldwide. www.befrienders.orgThe co-founder of campaigning charity Black Trail Runners, Sabrina Pace-Humphreys tells us how the group was founded as a safe space for people of colour to enjoy the outdoors. Pace-Humphreys recalls the racism she has encountered in running, which included being left for dead in the French Alps. She also explains how getting into running helped her cope with severe postpartum depression.Canadian Paralympic shot put champion, Greg Stewart, says his decision to come out of retirement is about more than trying to win a second gold medal in Paris. Stewart tells us he learned a lot about his identity after quitting the sport in 2022.And – Jack Smith discusses overcoming cancer twice, impending fatherhood

Indian tennis great Leander Paes joins us to reflect on his glittering career ahead of his induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Paes tells us he gave up on his dreams of making it as a footballer with FC Barcelona, when a coach told him he would need to relinquish his Indian passport in favour of a European one, in order to progress in the sport. He also reflects on his early struggles in tennis and how he met Muhammad Ali at the 1996 Olympics after he won a bronze medal at the Games.Zion Clark is an MMA fighter, wrestler and Olympic hopeful. The American was also born with a rare condition called Caudal Regression Syndrome, which left him without legs and after being given up for adoption, he spent his childhood in the care system. He joins us along with his mentor Craig Levinson to discuss his remarkable story.And – former England netballer Sonia Mkoloma tells us how excited she is about being a referee on the television sports entertainment show Gladiators. It's been a hit everywhere from