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)
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Clutch mentality
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 ridePHOTO: Matthew Mitcham of Australia competes in the Men's 10m Platform Diving at the London 2012 Olympic Games (CREDIT: Adam Pretty/Getty Images)
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Glass half full
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)
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The unusual suspects
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 allAs 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)
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The all American
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 environmentThe 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)
Inspirational stories from around the world. Interviews with people defying the odds. Discover Not by the Playbook - the podcast which seeks out the most incredible stories from sportspeople and athletes. We bring you interviews with the sporting heroes who have achieved success in the face of seemingly impossible challenges.Formerly known as Sportshour, Not by the Playbook is brought to you by the BBC, the world's most trusted international news provider.Tune in to hear from some of the most famous names in sport on subjects you've never heard them discuss before. You don't have to be an Olympic gold champion to have an extraordinary story – we also scour the globe for inspiring individuals who make a difference through sport.Whether you’re a football or soccer fan, tennis lover, golf aficionado or cricket addict, or even if you're not a sports fan at all, you’ll find inspiration in the stories of resilience, determination, and discipline. Expect insightful, honest, and thought-provoking conversations from people who live and breathe sport.Listen to Not by the Playbook on the BBC World Service every Saturday at 0900 GMT, or find it as a podcast wherever you get your BBC podcasts.
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