DIVE Beyond Sport

DIVE (Discovering Identity, Value, and Excellence) Beyond Sport goes beneath the surface of elite sport — into the minds, moments, and messy bits of what it really means to be an elite athlete. Hosted by Olympic divers and long time mates Yona Knight-Wisdom and Freddie Woodward, this show isn’t about stats or podiums. It’s about the people behind the performances. From mental health to identity, purpose to transition, we explore the untold stories and honest reflections that often get left out of the highlight reels. With guests like Olympic medallists, rising stars, and athletes who've redefined their lives post-sport, DIVE is for anyone curious about what drives excellence — and what happens when the lights go off and the cameras stop rolling.

DIVE Beyond Sport is a sports podcast hosted by Yona Knight Wisdom & Freddie Woodward, with 44 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Yona Knight Wisdom & Freddie Woodward hosts DIVE Beyond Sport, a sports show with 44 episodes published.

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  DIVE Beyond Sport

  Olympic Snowboarder Maisie Hill: I Can, I Will (DIVE Ep.36)

  Aug 18, 20261h 24m

  Follow us on Patreon for bonus content, extended interviews, and exclusive clips. Patreon: patreon.com/divebeyondsportpod In this episode, Olympic snowboarder Maisie Hill joins Dive Beyond Sport to share the extraordinary journey that took her from snowboarding with her dad in France to competing at the Winter Olympics. Maisie reflects on the determination that helped her break into World Cups despite limited resources, funding her career through multiple jobs, and even living in a tent at the bottom of a glacier. She opens up about a devastating crash that left her with multiple serious injuries and the long mental journey of rebuilding her confidence and relationship with fear. Maisie also discusses working with a sports psychologist, learning to focus on her own path rather than comparing herself to others, the realities of funding niche Olympic sports, and why she wants to explore the creative side of snowboarding. Her story ultimately comes back to one simple mindset: "I can, I will." Show Notes • How can unwavering belief and determination help an athlete break through when progress seems to have stalled. • What does it take to pursue an Olympic dream without the financial resources or traditional pathway available to other athletes. • How can a devastating injury change an athlete's relationship with fear, confidence, and performance. • What role does sports psychology play in rebuilding trust in your body after a serious injury. • Why is learning to focus on your own journey instead of comparing yourself to others so important in elite sport. • How can athletes use positive self-talk and small wins to build confidence under pressure. • What are the hidden financial challenges faced by athletes competing in niche Olympic sports like snowboarding. • How can taking responsibility and becoming more independent give athletes greater control over their careers. • Why can stepping away from competition create space to rediscover creativity, enjoyment, and the love of sport. • What can Maisie Hill's journey teach us about determination, resilience, independence, overcoming fear, and pursuing your own path. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Welcome 00:35 The Smiling Method 02:35 Pushing Through Plateaus 05:25 UK Beginnings to France 07:36 Early Sports and School 10:15 Van Life Competitions 14:40 Family Racing Legacy 18:06 Near Fatal Crash 29:33 Rehab and Fear Return 36:18 Funding and Side Jobs 42:21 Solidarity Funding Surprise 44:30 Athlete Support Debate 45:46 Olympics Blessing Curse 48:44 Off Season Reset Plans 51:36 Sports Psychology Tools 56:47 Olympic Pressure Sleep 59:43 Big Air Night Sessions 01:02:16 Slopestyle Crash Scare 01:07:23 I Can I Will Mindset 01:16:14 Accountability Independence Guest Pick: Book: The Burning Shore - Wilbur Smith Link: https://amzn.to/3QLq2KP Subscribe to DIVE Beyond Sport Podcast for weekly episodes diving into athlete stories, mindset, and motivation. Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/dive-beyond-sport/id1832706678 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/67pX07qo2f6AZTxOERShpn?si=95b0803ce82642a7 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/divebeyondsportpod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/divebeyondsportpod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@divebeyondsportpod YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DIVEBeyondSportPod Follow the Guest and Hosts on Instagram: Maisie Hill: https://www.instagram.com/zmaizz Freddie Woodward: https://www.instagram.com/freddie_woodward Yona Knight-Wisdom: https://www.instagram.com/yonakw Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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  DIVE Beyond Sport

  World Champion Artistic Swimmer Jacqueline Simoneau: A Life of Many Hats (DIVE Ep. 35)

  Aug 11, 20261h 14m

  Follow us on Patreon for bonus content, extended interviews, and exclusive clips. Patreon: patreon.com/divebeyondsportpod In this episode, Olympic artistic swimmer and podiatrist Jacqueline Simoneau joins Dive Beyond Sport to reflect on pursuing two lifelong dreams, competing at three Olympic Games, and building a career in medicine alongside elite sport. Jacqueline shares how she discovered artistic swimming after competing across multiple sports, overcame physical challenges that did not naturally suit her chosen discipline, and learned to advocate for herself throughout her career. She also opens up about suffering a serious bleeding stomach ulcer as a teenager just weeks before Olympic qualification, returning from a three-year break from sport, and winning a World Championship title after using visualization, preparation, and trust in her instincts. Jacqueline discusses balancing seven years of university with international competition, finding purpose beyond sport, and her work advocating for athletes and healthier training environments. Show Notes • How can an athlete pursue two lifelong dreams while navigating the demands of elite sport and education. • Why understanding that there is no linear path can help athletes navigate uncertainty and long-term goals. • How can athletes balance high-performance sport with education and prepare for a meaningful life beyond competition. • What does overcoming physical limitations and unexpected obstacles teach us about adaptability and resilience. • How can self-advocacy help athletes make better decisions about their training, recovery, and performance. • What role does intrinsic motivation and having a clear purpose play in sustaining long-term success. • How can visualization, preparation, and trust in your own abilities help athletes perform under extreme pressure. • Why athlete voices need to be represented at the decision-making tables shaping the future of sport. • How can athletes challenge overtraining culture and create healthier, smarter approaches to high-performance sport. • What can Jacqueline Simoneau's journey teach us about ambition, self-advocacy, resilience, and building an identity beyond sport.= Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Welcome 01:29 Choosing Artistic Swimming 04:08 Multi Sport Advantage 07:29 Celiac Diagnosis Spark 09:13 Why Podiatry 11:13 Balancing School Sport 15:27 Finding Mentors Purpose 19:17 Ulcer Before Qualifying 24:05 Injury Stories Compared 31:39 Support Systems Behind Success 34:25 Doha Gold Strategy 35:54 Difficulty Becomes Strategy 36:39 Risky DD Jump for Finals 39:32 Breath Hold Preparation 45:00 Training Safety and Overload 48:05 Diving Side Stories 50:33 Why Athlete Representation Matters 58:15 Athlete Voice in Practice 59:45 Identity Beyond Sport 01:07:54 Many Hats and Farewell Guest Pick: Book: Tuesdays with Morrie - Mitch Albom Link: https://amzn.to/4dAoZEW Subscribe to DIVE Beyond Sport Podcast for weekly episodes diving into athlete stories, mindset, and motivation. Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/dive-beyond-sport/id1832706678 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/67pX07qo2f6AZTxOERShpn?si=95b0803ce82642a7 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/divebeyondsportpod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/divebeyondsportpod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@divebeyondsportpod YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DIVEBeyondSportPod Follow the Guest and Hosts on Instagram: Jacqueline Simoneau: https://www.instagram.com/jacqueline_simoneau Freddie Woodward: https://www.instagram.com/freddie_woodward Yona Knight-Wisdom: https://www.instagram.com/yonakw Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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  DIVE Beyond Sport

  Paralympic Champion Stephen Clegg: Through the Wreckage (DIVE Ep.34)

  Aug 4, 20261h 15m

  Follow us on Patreon for bonus content, extended interviews, and exclusive clips. Patreon: patreon.com/divebeyondsportpod In this episode, Paralympic champion swimmer Stephen Clegg joins Dive Beyond Sport to reflect on overcoming anxiety and depression, redefining his identity after the heartbreak of Tokyo, and discovering a healthier relationship with success. Stephen shares how living with a visual impairment has shaped the way he learns, trains, and views the world, why experimentation and adaptability became his greatest strengths, and how missing out on Paralympic gold ultimately led him to enjoy the process again before reaching the top of the podium in Paris. He also discusses mental health, innovation in coaching, the extraordinary resilience of Paralympians, challenging society's assumptions about disability, and why courage is found on the other side of fear. Show Notes • How can adversity, anxiety, and depression become the catalyst for discovering purpose through sport. • Why separating self-worth from performance is one of the most important lessons every athlete must learn. • How missing Paralympic gold became the turning point that transformed Stephen Clegg's relationship with success and competition. • What living with a visual impairment teaches us about adaptability, innovation, and unlocking human potential. • How curiosity, experimentation, and embracing failure can accelerate learning and high performance. • Why the Paralympics showcase the extraordinary resilience of the human spirit alongside world-class athletic performance. • What role coaches, psychologists, and supportive communities play in building confidence beyond results. • How challenging limiting beliefs can empower people with disabilities to redefine what is possible. • Why courage is not the absence of fear, but the willingness to move forward despite it. • What Stephen Clegg's journey teaches us about resilience, identity, courage, and finding purpose through adversity. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Welcome 00:51 Near Misses and Medals 02:43 Tokyo Pressure and Reset 07:12 Early Swimming and Diagnosis 10:24 Family and Growing Up Blind 13:44 Social Stigma and Superpower 18:05 Self Worth and Sport Culture 22:28 Learning Without Visual Cues 25:28 Tactile Training Innovations 32:16 Echolocation and Human Potential 36:00 Accessibility and Physics 37:34 Learning Without Bias 39:33 Adapting to Vision Loss 42:39 Dating and Disclosure 43:55 Rethinking Parasport 49:28 Training and Injury Doubts 54:04 Purpose Beyond Results 57:29 Family and Role Models 01:02:17 Commonwealth Games Drive 01:04:25 Advice and Closing Title Guest Pick: Book: Leaders Eat Last - Simon Sinek Link: https://amzn.to/3QjHFRR Subscribe to DIVE Beyond Sport Podcast for weekly episodes diving into athlete stories, mindset, and motivation. Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/dive-beyond-sport/id1832706678 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/67pX07qo2f6AZTxOERShpn?si=95b0803ce82642a7 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/divebeyondsportpod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/divebeyondsportpod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@divebeyondsportpod YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DIVEBeyondSportPod Follow the Guest and Hosts on Instagram: Stephen Clegg: https://www.instagram.com/stephen.clegg Freddie Woodward: https://www.instagram.com/freddie_woodward Yona Knight-Wisdom: https://www.instagram.com/yonakw Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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  DIVE Beyond Sport

  England Netball Player Funmi Fadoju: Even Better If… (DIVE Ep.33)

  Jul 28, 20261h 1m

  Follow us on Patreon for bonus content, extended interviews, and exclusive clips. Patreon: patreon.com/divebeyondsportpod In this episode, England netball star Funmi Fadoju joins Dive Beyond Sport to reflect on winning London Pulse's first Netball Super League Grand Final, being named Player of the Match, and the journey that began when she joined the club's pathway at just 13 years old. Funmi shares how strong team bonds, supportive coaches and teachers, and her family's education-first values have shaped both her career and confidence on and off the court. Funmi also opens up about balancing elite sport with a biomedical sciences degree, overcoming injury and the heartbreak of the Netball World Cup final, and the importance of sport psychology in helping her grow. She discusses netball's push toward professionalism, the role players have in inspiring the next generation, her dream of seeing netball at the Olympics, and why she'd call her life story Even Better If. Show Notes • How can finding the right team, coaches, and mentors shape an athlete's confidence, identity, and long-term success. • Why separating self-worth from performance is one of the most important lessons an athlete can learn. • How setbacks, losses, and difficult performances become opportunities for growth, resilience, and self-belief. • What role family, education, and community play in building successful athletes on and off the court. • How team sports develop leadership, trust, communication, and lifelong relationships. • Why building an identity beyond netball is essential for long-term happiness and life after sport. • What challenges professional netball faces and how athletes can help grow the game for future generations. • How athletes can use their platform to inspire young people and create a lasting impact beyond competition. • What winning London Pulse's first-ever Netball Super League title reveals about perseverance, belief, and teamwork. • What Funmi Fadoju's journey teaches us about resilience, confidence, leadership, and finding purpose beyond performance. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Welcome 00:54 Grand Final Glory 02:03 Family Support and Meaning 03:05 Team Culture and Community 05:05 Finding Netball Early 07:31 Why Netball Over Solo Sports 12:46 PE Teachers and Identity 13:27 Balancing Uni and Sport 19:39 Netball Professionalism Reality 22:47 Growing the Game Grassroots 25:53 Cost Barriers and Travel 29:00 Injuries and Sudden Spotlight 31:51 Rock Bottom Match 32:14 Reframing Failure 33:01 Teammates And Therapy 34:55 Stress Injury Setback 37:43 Comeback Perspective 39:19 Olympic Dream Gap 41:10 Commonwealth Gold Hunt 43:13 Team Identity Reset 44:50 Women Sport Momentum 47:36 Marketing And Personality 51:23 Life After Netball 54:45 Even Better If 57:09 Final Thanks And Wrap Guest Pick: Book: Throne of Glass - Sarah J. Maas Link: https://amzn.to/4vFQMeO Subscribe to DIVE Beyond Sport Podcast for weekly episodes diving into athlete stories, mindset, and motivation. Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/dive-beyond-sport/id1832706678 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/67pX07qo2f6AZTxOERShpn?si=95b0803ce82642a7 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/divebeyondsportpod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/divebeyondsportpod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@divebeyondsportpod YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DIVEBeyondSportPod Follow the Guest and Hosts on Instagram: Funmi Fadoju: https://www.instagram.com/funmi_fadoju Freddie Woodward: https://www.instagram.com/freddie_woodward Yona Knight-Wisdom: https://www.instagram.com/yonakw Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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  DIVE Beyond Sport

  Retired Paralympian Gaz Choudhry: Finding Meaning (DIVE Ep.32)

  Jul 21, 20261h 19m

  Follow us on Patreon for bonus content, extended interviews, and exclusive clips. Patreon: patreon.com/divebeyondsportpod In this episode, Paralympian, world champion wheelchair basketball player, and actor Gaz Choudhry joins Dive Beyond Sport to reflect on a life shaped by resilience, leadership, and purpose. Gaz shares how surviving childhood cancer and losing his leg at the age of 10 transformed his outlook on life, before unexpectedly stepping into the role of player-coach at the Tokyo Paralympics. He explores how confronting mortality changed the way he approaches success, identity, and high performance, and why he believes athletes must build a life beyond sport. Gaz also discusses transitioning into acting and storytelling, the challenges of retirement, the realities of meritocracy, and why finding joy, purpose, and meaning has always mattered more than chasing medals. Show Notes • How does surviving childhood cancer shape an athlete's identity, purpose, and approach to life. • What happens when you're unexpectedly asked to lead your team at the Paralympics as both player and coach. • How can facing mortality at a young age change the way we pursue success, fulfilment, and happiness. • Why is identity beyond sport one of the biggest challenges every athlete must eventually face. • What does elite sport teach us about resilience, leadership, delayed gratification, and personal growth. • How can athletes successfully transition into a completely different career after retirement. • What role do storytelling, creativity, and the arts play in finding purpose beyond competition. • Why is sport one of the closest environments to a true meritocracy, and what happens when athletes enter the real world. • How can embracing uncertainty, adapting to change, and letting go of control unlock new opportunities. • What can Gaz Choudhry’s journey teach us about leadership, resilience, identity, and building a meaningful life beyond sport. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Welcome 00:43 Tokyo Coach Crisis 06:28 Earning Team Buy In 08:41 Scorer to Strategist 11:20 Pressure and Control 16:20 Karachi to UK Childhood 17:00 Cancer and Identity 19:23 Make a Wish Memory 21:01 Back to School and Sport 24:11 Recurrence and Basketball 26:55 Mortality and Values 33:56 Joy Beyond Sport 37:46 Life After Sport Planning 38:23 Mentors and Team Bonds 41:57 Acting by Accident 44:02 Sport vs Arts Mindset 45:57 Handling Critics and Regrets 50:23 Grenfell Verbatim Theatre 55:59 Auditions and No Feedback 57:36 Transferable Skills Debate 01:03:51 Meritocracy and Disability 01:12:41 Finding Meaning Finale Guest Pick:Book: The Mamba Mentality - Kobe Bryant Link: https://amzn.to/4nPhWgs Subscribe to DIVE Beyond Sport Podcast for weekly episodes diving into athlete stories, mindset, and motivation. Listen on Apple Podcasts: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/dive-beyond-sport/id1832706678⁠ Listen on Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/67pX07qo2f6AZTxOERShpn?si=95b0803ce82642a7⁠ Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/divebeyondsportpod⁠ Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/divebeyondsportpod⁠ TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@divebeyondsportpod⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@DIVEBeyondSportPod⁠ Follow the Guest and Hosts on Instagram: Gaz Choudhry: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/georgiatb⁠ Freddie Woodward: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/freddie_woodward⁠ Yona Knight-Wisdom: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/yonakw Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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