81. 🪂 High On Life: EXIT 139 - BASE Jumping from the Burj Khalifa with Katie Hansen & Cornelia Mihai
In this episode of The Mettleset Podcast, we take you into the world of BASE jumping with two of the sport’s top athletes, Katie Hansen and Cornelia Mihai. Fresh off their participation in EXIT 139—a historic two-day event where 31 jumpers from 15 countries completed an astonishing 437 jumps from the Burj Khalifa—they share what it means to take that leap, both physically and mentally.Beyond the spectacle, BASE jumping isn’t just about adrenaline—it’s about trust, presence, and embracing life at full intensity. In a short but sweet episode, Katie and Cornelia reflect on their experiences, the mindset behind the sport, and why it’s not about being reckless, but about truly living.Links: 🔗 Read the full Arab News article: https://www.arabnews.com/node/2591124/sport 🔗 Follow The Mettleset on Instagram: @themettleset 🔗 Follow Katie Hansen on Instagram: @flywithkatie 🔗 Follow Cornelia Mihai on Instagram: @cornelia_mihai 🔗 Sign up for The Mettleset newsletter: sign up here Support the Show: 💬 Love the episode? Leave us a 5-star review and share it with a friend!-Dawn
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80. 🚴♀️ BTS at the UAE Tour Women 🇦🇪 UAE Team ADQ’s Historic Victory- Elisa Longo Borghini, Silvia Persico, Cherie Pridham & Melissa Moncada - EP3 of 3
The UAE Tour Women (Feb 6-9) is the Middle East’s first and only Women’s WorldTour race, where the world’s best cyclists battle it out over four intense stages covering 540km across the UAE’s desert landscapes. In this special three-part series,In Episode 3 of our three part BTS series we celebrate UAE Team ADQ’s incredible victory, with insights from key figures who made it happen:🚲 Melissa Moncada, Head of Team, on the significance of this win for UAE cycling and the growth of women’s cycling in the region.🚲 Cherie Pridham, Head of Sport, a trailblazer as the first woman to hold a sport director role on a men’s WorldTour team before joining UAE Team ADQ, shares her thoughts on the team’s performance and success.🚲 Silvia Persico, who finished second in the GC and was instrumental in Elisa Longo Borghini’s Stage 3 victory, reflects on her role and the team’s strategy.🚲 Elisa Longo Borghini, fresh off her GC win, shares her experience of the race, her emotions after taking the overall victory, and a personal reflection on racing with her brother as a tour director.🔗 Links discussed in this episode:📖 Read Dawn’s full race coverage in Arab News📸 Follow UAE Team ADQ on Instagram🚲 For more stories on women in sport! Find us on @themettleset ✨📩 Subscribe to The Mettleset newsletter for exclusive stories on MENA women’s sports, HEREIn this series:Episode 1: Inside the race with journalist Emma ColeEpisode 2: A behind-the-scenes look inside the Human Powered Health support car🚲 For more stories on women in sport! Find us on @themettleset ✨📩 Subscribe to The Mettleset newsletter for exclusive stories on MENA women’s sports, HERE— Dawn
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79. 🚲 BTS on the UAE Tour Women 🇦🇪 Live from Human Powered Health's Support Car - EP 2 of 3
Welcome to The Mettleset Podcast! This is Episode 2 of our special three-part series taking you behind the scenes at the UAE Tour Women—the Middle East’s first and only Women’s WorldTour race, held from February 6-9, 2025. I go BTS in Human Powered Health team’s support car during Stage *, the final stage of the race. Riding alongside Communications Director Oscar Skarsbrook and Soigneur Jose Leite—also known as a swanny,the ultimate Swiss Army knife of a cycling team—I get an exclusive look at the inner workings of a pro cycling team on race day. In our support van chat, we discuss: 🚲 The role of a support team in pro cycling 🚲 The dynamics of race-day logistics 🚲 Human Powered Health’s mission and team culture 🚲 The importance of soigneurs in keeping a team on the road 🚲 The Embrace Every Moment series by Wahoo A huge thank you to Oscar, Jose, and the entire Human Powered Health team for this unforgettable experience. 🔗 More on what was discussed in this episode: 🚲 Learn more about Human Powered Health: https://www.instagram.com/hphcycling/ 🚲 Watch Wahoo’s Embrace Every Moment series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOA289t6dxQ 🚲 For more stories on women in sport! Find us on @themettleset ✨📩 Subscribe to The Mettleset newsletter for exclusive stories on MENA women’s sports, HEREEnjoy!Dawn
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78. 🚴♀️ BTS at the UAE Tour Women 🇦🇪 Inside the Race with Journalist Emma Cole - EP 1 of 3
The UAE Tour Women is the Middle East’s first and only Women’s WorldTour event—where the best cyclists in the world battle it out across four days and 540km of intense racing in the UAE’s desert landscapes. In this special three-part series The Mettleset takes you behind the scenes of the race (Feb 6-9). In Episode one of three, I speak with journalist Emma Cole, who has been covering the race for Cycling News. Recorded just ahead of the final stage, we discuss Emma’s impressions of the event, the growth of women’s cycling, and her own podcast, The Passion Stories Podcast. 🔗 Links discussed in this episode: 📖 Read Dawn’s full race coverage in Arab News 🎙️ Check out Emma’s podcast,The Passion Stories Podcast🔗 Find Emma on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/emmasecole/ In the series 🔹 Episode 2: A behind-the-scenes look inside the Human Powered Health support car 🔹 Episode 3: Exclusive interviews with **UAE Team ADQ**, including Elisa Longo Borghini, after the team’s historic victory 🔗 For more stories on women in sport! Find us on @themettleset 🚴♀️✨📩 Subscribe to The Mettleset newsletter for exclusive stories on MENA women’s sports, HERE Enjoy! Dawn
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77. 🦄 Embracing Change: Jola Chudy's path to Marathon des Sables
Happy New Year! After a much-needed break, we’re kicking off 2025 with a truly inspiring story. Host Dawn Barnable sits down with Jola Chudy, an ultra-runner and former luxury fashion editor who transformed her life to embrace adventure, resilience, and self-discovery. Jola’s journey—from the glamorous fashion industry to conquering one of the toughest foot races in the world, the Marathon des Sables—reminds us all that it’s never too late to pivot, dream big, and chase extraordinary goals.In this episode, Jola shares:👠 ➡️ 👟 How she transitioned from the high-paced fashion world to the rugged trails of ultra-endurance running.🏜️ Her experience tackling the 252km Marathon des Sables, often called the toughest foot race on Earth.💫 The lessons she’s learned about resilience, stepping outside her comfort zone, and embracing new challenges.📖 Why any time is the right time to rewrite your narrative and embark on a fresh adventure.Resources:Learn more about the Marathon des Sables: https://www.marathondessables.com/ Connect with Jola Chudy: https://www.instagram.com/jolaruns/Follow The Mettleset: https://www.instagram.com/themettleset/ More from The Mettleset If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who might need a little inspiration to kickstart their new year. Sign up for our newsletter: https://themettleset.us13.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=605dd939a55794e8902a1c3a6&id=609df9d8c0
The Mettleset Podcast is on a mission to bring you stories of tenacity, courage and mettle from athletes in the Middle East and beyond. From women’s sports and motorsports to adventure, action- and ultra- endurance sports, and everything in between, listeners will get a dose of the region’s most compelling - fun and funny - underreported sports stories every week.
Hosts Dawn Barnable (Sports Communications Professional & Ultra Cyclist) is joined by friends who range from record - and boundary – breaking athletes, world-class explorers, community sports leaders and pro athletes at every stage of their career.
For more info, visit www.themettleset.com and find us on all major socials at @themettleset.
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