The Mettleset Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode, we're thrilled to welcome Noemi Romero, Spain’s champion trampoline gymnast and first-time Olympian who recently competed at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics. 

Noemi’s story is a remarkable journey of resilience, hard work, and triumph.

From discovering her passion for trampoline gymnastics at just six years old to making history as one of the first Spanish trampoline gymnasts to qualify for the Olympics since the sport’s debut in 2000, Noemi shares her inspiring path. 

In our conversation, she opens up about the highs and lows of her nonlinear Olympic journey, the challenges of competing on the world stage, and what it truly feels like to soar through the air in a sport that requires both precision and mental strength.

If you're in the United Arab Emirates, don't miss the chance to meet Noemi and the Spanish National Trampoline team in person. Until 19 September, you can participate in a masterclass in trampoline gymnastics at BOUNCE locations in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah. 

Head to BOUNCE's website to book your spot and experience the thrill of this incredible sport firsthand.

🔗 Meet Noemi Romero and the Spanish National Trampoline Team at BOUNCE: https://bounce.ae/bounce-olympians/ 

🔗 Follow Noemi Romero on Instagram: @noemiiromero 

Don’t forget to follow @themettleset and please do leave us a review (five star only). 

I hope you enjoy the episode! 

Dawn

Hello Everyone,

Today's topic is a sport that some of you may or may not be familiar with: Pickleball.  And my guest is none other than one of the world’s top players, Megan Fudge. 

With roots in Europe, the American has had a meteoric rise in the sport, since she started it four years ago going from insurance advisor to now being ranked #1 in the world. 

I caught up with Megan in Dubai just prior to the Olympics at the launch of the Pickleball World Rankings (PWR), the PWR World Series and the PWR World Tour, which is an entirely new Pickleball ecosystem set to launch next year.  

In my chat with Megan, we discuss what Pickleball is and how it's not in competition with Padel, life as an elite Pickleball athlete, the expansion of the sport and who she’d most like to play with. 

About the Pickleball World Rankings -  https://pwr.global 

The new ecosystem comprises a few elements, each working together to promote excellence in the profession: 

Pickleball World Rankings: PWR is a unified global ranking system that allows a defined path for pickleball players to earn points and improve their rankings. It will enable players to accumulate points and qualify for the PWR World Series through the PWR World Tour in different regions. Different tiers of PWR events - PWR100, PWR 200, PWR 400, PWR700, PWR1000 and PWR2000 - are similar to ATP and WTA tournaments in tennis.

PWR World Series: Similar to the Grand Slam events in tennis, these marquee events will begin in March 2025, with six major tournaments, including one in the GCC region. In the first year, the PWR World Series will comprise 64 players in the individual format and six teams of four players  each, from the US and the rest of the world.

PWR World Tour: This consists of various tours worldwide where players compete to earn PWR points and qualify for the PWR World Series. Examples include the PWR CPA Pro Tour and the PWR China Collegiate Pickleball Tour. 

Find Pickleball in Dubai: 

• https://www.touchtennissportsclub.com/pickleball
• https://www.dubaisportsworld.ae/sports/pickleball/
• https://urbanplayground.ae/pickleball/

Find Megan Fudge Online: https://www.instagram.com/officialmeganfudge 

Don’t forget to follow @themettleset and please do leave us a review (five star only). 

I hope you enjoy the episode! 

Dawn

Concussions, shoulder troubles, ACL tears, low bone density, Low Energy Availability, menopause …

Sports, and injuries from it, tend to impact female athletes in a different way to their male counterparts. 

Yet, it is only now that awareness and medical research has ramped up around the gender differences in sports medicine. 

Joining us on today’s show to discuss some of the most pressing issues in female athlete health is Dr Kate Jordan, a sports and exercise medicine physician at Mediclinic Parkview Hospital in Dubai.

Dr Jordan has worked with elite athletes throughout her career. She’s been with international teams at the London 2021 Olympics, Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games,  She has also been with the British Olympic team, Scottish Rugby and Football, and at the Scottish Institute of Sports.

Dr Jordan is currently working with British Swimming, for World Rugby as a tournament doctor and a medical educator, and in anti-doping. 

Having treated a wide range of illnesses and injuries in elite sports, Dr Jordan shares insights from her personal experiences with patients and current research around female health. She also demystifies female health concerns and talks about the need to look closely at the performance vs long-term health balance. 

This is the first or our two part interview with Dr Jordan where we explore common injuries in female athletes, Low Energy Availability, disordered eating and the right fuelling for performance and health. 

Tune in next week for Part 2 where we discuss training, the menstrual cycle, hormones and menopause, as well.

We would like to add that this is a general discussion on female athlete health and any information in this podcast is for educational purposes only, and does not intend to substitute a personal consultation with a physician, diagnosis or treatment if you have any health concerns. 

Enjoy!

To know more about Dr. Kate Jordan, find her on LinkedIn.

Today’s episode was supported by the awesome and adventurous team at Deep Dive Dubai, the world’s deepest pool. Check them out for some truly awe-inspiring scuba and freedive experiences. Visit www.deepdivedubai.com

For more info,  visit www.themettleset.com , and follow us on @themettleset

Dawn

@dawnable 

It is sport event season in the Middle East and one event that we’re super excited to see roll into Abu Dhabi for its second edition is The Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open which is taking place 3-11 February at the International Tennis Center, Zayed Sports City. 

In today’s episode, we speak to one of the unsung heroines of the event, Vickie Gunnarss, Senior Director, Global Partnerships and Business Development for IMG Tennis Events.

Our Vickie  provides many lessons and learnings for any of our listeners who want to work in sport and perhaps is very relatable to those who do work in sport. We also cover: 

 🎾 Vickie’s own path into sport which started in childhood in Sweden

🎾 Tennis School and how she became a scholarship athlete in the USA 

🎾 Representation in Tennis, 

🎾 How Tennis is moving towards pay equity,  

🎾 The role of Tennis great Billie Jean King and what it means to all women in sport 

🎾 How she made the transition from athlete to sports management. 

Last but certainly not least, we chat through all the anticipated action of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open and why you must go. We get a little explainer on what it means for this event to be a WTA 500 event, we talk about the stars of the event, which this year will include World No 6, Tunisia’s own Ons Jabeur, Naomi Osaka, and Emma Raducanu just to name a few. Buy your tickets here: https://www.mubadalaabudhabiopen.com/tickets/

Another cool event that Vickie played a key role in bringing to life is the Jasmin Open in Tunisia which you can read all about HERE. 

Please also leave a review - 5 ⭐ only - and follow @themettleset on Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn. This really helps us in our commitment to bring you the best possible show and the most interesting guests. 

Our wider support team for this episode includes Editor JJ Thompson and our Artwork is by the talented Alexandra Hickey of Studio Theodore. 

We hope you enjoy the episode! 

Dawn & Afshan 

Hi Guys,

If you’ve arrived at Part 2 of our chat with Ishtar Azzawi, the founder of Baghdad Skate Girls, after listening to Part 1,  fabulous. We hope you enjoyed it! If not, we urge you to head to Part 1 of this episode to listen to the inspiring origin story of a skateboarding community exclusively for women in Iraq. 

This instalment dives into Ishtar’s professional sporting career in jiu-jitsu. Since starting the sport, after moving to the UAE in 2011, Ishtar has become a multi-national and international gold medallist competing under Commando Group UAE academy, and is part of the Iraqi National Team. Her recent and most recognised titles include World Pro Champion (April 2019) European Master Champion (May 2019) Grand Slam Champion (Jan 2019) and Asian Champion (2017).

Ishtar discusses what she has learnt from the sport that has made her the person she is today, and anecdotes from her time in the ring and off it. We also talk about the not-so-apparent connection between skateboarding and jiu-jitsu, which aren’t really at two ends of the sporting spectrum after all. 

To find Ishtar on Instagram:  @ishtar_azzawi

Baghdad Skate Girls can be followed on @baghdadskategirls

To know more about Ishtar’s efforts with Forsah, the NGO supporting Iraq’s future Olympians, visit https://www.forsah.org/

For more information about the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, visit https://events.uaejjf.org/en

If you've been enjoying our content and finding value in our discussions, please take a quick moment to show your support. Just hit the subscribe button wherever you are listening to us so that you never miss an episode.

Please also leave a review - 5 ⭐ only - and follow @themettleset on Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn. This really helps us in our commitment to bring you the best possible show and the most interesting guests. 

Our wider support team for this episode includes Editor JJ Thompson and our Artwork is by the talented Alexandra Hickey of Studio Theodore. 

We hope you enjoy the episode! 

Dawn & Afshan

Ishtar Azzawi calls this her planting season.

It’s fitting because this jiu-jitsu champ, and our guest, who has represented her country Iraq in the sport while living abroad all her life had always felt that her true calling had gone unanswered. So, last year, she decided to pack her life in the UAE and head home to Baghdad. 

The planting season symbolises more than just a departure from the comfort of a privileged life and unrestricted access to resources in professional sport for her. It signifies a profound shift in purpose and towards embracing her roots, and marks the inception of a new chapter of sowing the seeds of social change in Iraq through another sport - skateboarding. 

Remarkably, venturing into unfamiliar territory as an amateur skateboarder herself, Azzawi founded Baghdad Skate Girls in December with the aim of bringing the transformative power of skateboarding to women in Iraq. 

The benefits of introducing the sport in war-torn and war-scarred countries is well-documented. Within that backdrop in Iraq, Baghdad Skate Girls has been fostering resilience, confidence and community, particularly for young women challenging societal norms. 

In Part 1 of this episode, Ishtar shares why she had to move to Iraq in search of fulfilment and her aspiration to build foundations for young athletes with Olympic dreams. We discuss how one Instagram post began a skateboarding movement in Baghdad, and how it has been received by society. And while the first steps to building a skateboarding community have been taken, Ishtar tells us about the challenges and resources needed to grow and flourish. 

Also, don’t forget to check out Part 2 next where she discusses her journey into jiu-jitsu and some pre-fight rituals. 

To find Ishtar on Instagram:  @ishtar_azzawi

Baghdad Skate Girls can be followed on @baghdadskategirls

To know more about Ishtar’s efforts with Forsah, the NGO supporting Iraq’s future Olympians, visit https://www.forsah.org/

For more information on other skating organisations working with young people around the world:

Skatistan, visit https://skateistan.org/

Skate Pal, visit: https://www.skatepal.co.uk/

Seven Hills, visit: https://www.7hillspark.com/

If you've been enjoying our content and finding value in our discussions, please take a quick moment to show your support. Just hit the subscribe button wherever you are listening to us so that you never miss an episode.

Please also leave a review - 5 ⭐ only - and follow @themettleset on Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn. This really helps us in our commitment to bring you the best possible show and the most interesting guests. 

Our wider support team for this episode includes Editor JJ Thompson and our Artwork is by the talented Alexandra Hickey of Studio Theodore. 

On to the show…enjoy!

Welcome to 2024 and perhaps one of our most important episodes. This is the story of the Gaza Sunbirds, a Palestinian para-cycling team located in Gaza, as told by Karim Ali, the team’s UK-based International Coordinator. While we wished that sharing this story would have been under better and peaceful circumstances, we’re here to tell you that this is a story of hope and true resilience. A story of Sumud, which is explained in the episode. 

Like so many across the world, we’ve found it truly difficult to make sense of what is happening in this little strip of land on the Mediterranean Sea. Like many also, we’ve spent the past three months, learning more historical context, hoping for peace and doing what we can to show the world that athletes - living in, and from the wider Middle East, Palestinians included  - want nothing more than what any of us want, to live in peace, security, & freedom and to experience all the joy that life offers. 

In this episode, we discuss the original mission and origins of the Gaza Sunbirds including the story of its founder Alaa al-Dali and the circumstances that saw him go from Olympic hopeful to amputee and then para-athlete in his new reality. We learn about members of the team, what life was like for this team of para-cyclists before October 7, how their mission has changed and what hopes they have for the future. 

As we mention in the episode, below are some resources and further information that we invite you to check out: 

• 🇵🇸 Athletes for Palestine @AthletesForPalestine -  https://linktr.ee/athletesforpalestine 
• 🚲 The Gaza Sunbirds (@GazaSunBirds) 
• First Flight - The Gaza Sunbirds in Rouleur from August, 2022

Some historical context: 

• Amnesty International - information first published February 2022 
• Amnesty International - information on The  Great March of Return first published  2019 

Palestinian Sport Teams & Accounts to Check Out: 

• 🛹  Skate Pal (@skate_pal) - a charity organisation supporting young people in Palestine through Skateboarding 
• 🚲 Cycling Palestine (@cyclingpalestine) a cycling group in the Occupied West Bank 
• 🧗🏾‍♀️ Wadi Climbing - (@wadi_cimbing) a palestinian climbing group in the Occupied West Bank 
• 🏄🏾‍♂️ Gaza Surf Club (@gazasurfclub) - a surf club in Gaza 

We hope you were touched by this episode as much as we were and thank you again for listening. 

Dawn &

Hi Guys,

Remember the first time you heard about the sport dressage? Did you have to google it or are you reaching for your phone right now? You’re not alone! Even in a country where we are based - the UAE-  and a region where equestrian traditions date back centuries, dressage (and we’ve just dropped a hint here), is only just growing in popularity.

So, what do you find when you google dressage? A captivating equestrian art form, a meticulously orchestrated dance that unfolds gracefully between rider and horse—a true synergy of kindred spirits.

In the UAE, dressage is experiencing a surge in popularity, marked by a remarkable 120% increase in rider registrations over the past year, with 20% of them being Emirati participants. 

Today, we're joined by our guest, Natalie Lankester, an accomplished equestrian who proudly represented the UAE alongside her four-legged companion, Cash DXB, at the 19th Asian Games in September. Their performance took them all the way to the Freestyle Dressage qualifying round of the competition.

For Natalie, horse riding is a familial legacy, and upon moving to the UAE, dressage became everything from a competitive outlet to therapy.  In this sport, where proficiency deepens with age and experience, Natalie shares insights into her profound connection with her horses and their welfare in sports, the collaborative training journey, the honour of representing the UAE internationally, her remarkable performance at the Asian Games, and the promising trajectory of dressage in the Emirates.

For cyclists accustomed to only grappling with bike "mechanicals," this conversation offered us a unique perspective in the delicate partnership in equestrian sports.

To find Natalie on Instagram: @natalie_lankester_dressage and @dxbhorses

For more about equestrian sports in the UAE visit the UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation: https://uaeerf.ae/en/

Natalie's sponsors include LeMieux (@lemieuxproductsofficial) and Saddle Box Spain (@saddleboxspain)

Natalie is represented by @wearedarkhorse.co and thank you to Hannah and team for organizing this interview!

If you've been enjoying our content and finding value in our discussions, please take a quick moment to show your support. Just hit the subscribe button wherever you are listening to us so that you never miss an episode.

Please also leave a review - 5 ⭐ only - and follow @themettleset on Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn. This really helps us in our commitment to bring you the best possible show and the most interesting guests. 

We hope you enjoy the episode! 

Dawn & Afshan 

As you just heard, The Mettleset is launching a new podcast, The Just Bikes Podcast - hosted by Dawn and friends. 

As the name suggests, the podcast is all about bikes. From ultra- to adventure, the pain cave to the peloton and lots of type-two fun, The Just Bikes Podcast will feature a host of guests from all over the world to talk about all things cycling and cycling culture. 

Follow us on IG at @justbikesthepodcast.

Don’t forget to subscribe, like and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Five stars only!

The podcast is launching with the support of the @SpinneysDubai92, a cycle challenge for everyone, including host Dawn Barnable as this was her very first race.

Join one of three events, all starting & ending at Expo City Dubai this 24-25th February, 2024.  For more info on the Junior Rides, the 35 km TotalEnergies Outride, and the 92 km Main Event, hop on over to @spinneysdubai92 or visit cyclechallenge.ae. 

This episode follows UAE National Day 🇦🇪, when everyone living in the UAE celebrates the independence of the country, 52 years ago.

This is a young country with a rich history and a vibrancy that is hard to beat. That’s why it's a pleasure today to have a rising Emirati star - and our youngest guest ever -, 15 year-old snowboarder Amenah Al Muhairi as our guest. 

Yes, you heard that correctly, Amenah is an up and coming snowboarder hailing from the United Arab Emirates, a country where winter temperatures usually sit at a very nice 26 degrees celsius. 

Amenah is the first Emirati snowboarder to represent the UAE in an international snowboarding competition which she did earlier this year at the World Junior Championships in Freestyle Snowboarding in New Zealand.

Amenah is also our first snowboarder on the podcast and also in a first for us, it is the first time that we have an athlete parent duo as guests as Amenah’s Mum Maya also joins us to discuss Amenah’s exciting future in sport.  

We loved this chat so much that we covered a lot so we’ve split this episode in two parts, with Part Two live now as well. 

To find Amenah on Instagram: @itsamenahalmuhairi

For more information on: 

• Mubadala, visit https://www.mubadala.com 
• Ski Dubai, visit: https://www.skidxb.com 

If you've been enjoying our content and finding value in our discussions, please take a quick moment to show your support. Just hit the subscribe button wherever you are listening to us so that you never miss an episode.

Please also leave a review - 5 ⭐ only - and follow @themettleset on Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn. This really helps us in our commitment to bring you the best possible show and the most interesting guests. 

Our wider support team for this episode includes Editor JJ Thompson and our Artwork is by the talented Alexandra Hickey of Studio Theodore. 

We hope you enjoy the episode! 

Dawn & Afshan