Sporting Witness

In 2005, British motorcycle rider, Maria Costello, became the first ever woman to reach the podium at the infamous Isle of Man TT course.In doing so, she also became the fastest woman ever around the course.The Isle of Man TT is one of the most challenging and unforgiving motorsport events in the world, the ultimate test for both riders and machines.Maria was awarded an MBE in 2009 in recognition of her career as one of Britain's leading female racers.She shares her memories with Artemis Irvine.A Whistledown production for BBC World Service.Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive and testimony. Sporting Witness is for those fascinated by sporting history. We take you to the events that have shaped the sports world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes, you become a fan in the stands as we take you back in time to examine memorable victories and agonising defeats from all over the world. You’ll hear from people who have achieved sporting immortality, or those who were there as incredible sporting moments unfolded.Recent episodes explore the forgotten football Women’s World Cup, the plasterer who fought a boxing legend, international football’s biggest ever beating and the man who swam the Amazon river. We look at the lives of some of the most famous F1 drivers, tennis players and athletes as well as people who’ve had ground-breaking impact in their chosen sporting field, including: the most decorated Paralympian, the woman who was the number 1 squash player in the world for nine years, and the first figure skater to wear a hijab. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the tennis player who escaped the Nazis, how a man finally beat a horse in a race, and how the FIFA computer game was created.(Photo: Maria Costello. Credit: Getty Images)

In March 1975, West Germany – the newly crowned world champions – came to London’s Wembley Stadium for a friendly against England.Among the German squad was a 28-year-old striker who’d already attracted a lot of attention from the British media: not because he’d been hailed as the new Gerd Müller, Germany’s legendary goal scorer, but because of the colour of his skin.Erwin Kostedde was the son of a white German mother and a black US soldier, and he had been on the receiving end of racism for most of his life – even during what he considered to be the best years of his career, at Kickers Offenbach. He talks to Kristine Pommert about how racist taunts from supporters and even fellow players affected his game – and how he feels about being a trailblazer for young black players today. A CTVC production for the BBC World Service. Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive and testimony. Sporting Witness is for those fascinated by sporting history. We take you to the events that have shaped the sports world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes, you become a fan in the stands as we take you back in time to examine memorable victories and agonising defeats from all over the world. You’ll hear from people who have achieved sporting immortality, or those who were there as incredible sporting moments unfolded.Recent episodes explore the forgotten football Women’s World Cup, the plasterer who fought a boxing legend, international football’s biggest ever beating and the man who swam the Amazon river. We look at the lives of some of the most famous F1 drivers, tennis players and athletes as well as people who’ve had ground-breaking impact in their chosen sporting field, including: the most decorated Paralympian, the woman who was the number 1 squash player in the world for nine years, and the first figure skater to wear a hijab. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the tennis player who escaped the Nazis, how a man finally beat a horse in a race, and how the FIFA computer game was created.

In 2014, fighter Cecilia Braekhus helped end Norway’s 33 year ban on professional boxing, thanks to a parliamentary points decision. The so-called ‘knockout’ law had been in place since 1981 because the Norwegian parliament thought professional fights - lasting up to 12 rounds and with no helmets - were too dangerous. It meant that Cecilia and other Norwegian boxers had never been able to fight professionally in their home country. They also had to train abroad.Despite the ban, in September 2014, Cecilia became the first undisputed world champion in women’s boxing after unifying the welterweight titles. She then turned her attention to securing another victory, and three months later, the Norwegian parliament voted 54 to 48 to lift the ban on boxing. Cecilia Braekhus spoke to Jane Wilkinson about being able to fight professionally in Norway for the first time.Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive and testimony. Sporting Witness is for those fascinated by sporting history. We take you to the events that have shaped the sports world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes, you become a fan in the stands as we take you back in time to examine memorable victories and agonising defeats from all over the world. You’ll hear from people who have achieved sporting immortality, or those who were there as incredible sporting moments unfolded.Recent episodes explore the forgotten football Women’s World Cup, the plasterer who fought a boxing legend, international football’s biggest ever beating and the man who swam the Amazon river. We look at the lives of some of the most famous F1 drivers, tennis players and athletes as well as people who’ve had ground-breaking impact in their chosen sporting field, including: the most decorated Paralympian, the woman who was the number 1 squash player in the world for nine years, and the first figure skater to wear a hijab. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the tennis player who escaped the Nazis, how a man finally beat a horse in a race, and how the FIFA computer game was created.(Photo: Cecilia Braekhus at the International Boxing Event, Finland. 2009 Credit: Jussi Nukari/AFP via Getty Images)

In 2004, the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico went into their opening basketball game of the Athens Olympics as massive underdogs against the USA. The Puerto Rican side had lost five consecutive games by double digit points to the USA's star-studded squad in qualifiers and warm ups. But the unfancied team defied the odds with the performance of a lifetime, led by their own inspirational star, Carlos Arroyo. Robert Nicholson hears his story in this Whistledown production.Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive and testimony. Sporting Witness is for those fascinated by sporting history. We take you to the events that have shaped the sports world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes, you become a fan in the stands as we take you back in time to examine memorable victories and agonising defeats from all over the world. You’ll hear from people who have achieved sporting immortality, or those who were there as incredible sporting moments unfolded.Recent episodes explore the forgotten football Women’s World Cup, the plasterer who fought a boxing legend, international football’s biggest ever beating and the man who swam the Amazon river. We look at the lives of some of the most famous F1 drivers, tennis players and athletes as well as people who’ve had ground-breaking impact in their chosen sporting field, including: the most decorated Paralympian, the woman who was the number 1 squash player in the world for nine years, and the first figure skater to wear a hijab. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the tennis player who escaped the Nazis, how a man finally beat a horse in a race, and how the FIFA computer game was created.(Photo: Carlos Arroyo of Puerto Rico. Credit: Getty Images)