Not by the Playbook

What could you achieve if fear wasn't standing in the way? Fear exists in so much of what we do; a scary interview on the horizon, standing on top of a terrifyingly tall building, fear of the unknown, fear of failing, fear of being different. Yet what about those who we laud as fearless? Athletes who push the boundaries, adrenaline junkies who jump at anything bigger, higher, faster -- is there such thing as fearlessness? But behind the roar of the crowd, away from the podium, do even athletes feel fear?
Matt Formston has challenged perceptions throughout his life. Where others saw limitations and said "he couldn't" Matt's family asked a very simple question -- "why not?" Diagnosed with macular dystrophy at just five years old, Matt has gone on to break records in cycling, surfing and freediving. In November 2022, Matt surfed a fifty-one-foot wave at Nazaré, Portugal. The biggest wave ever surfed by any para athlete, proving that vision loss is no barrier to extraordinary achievement.
During her years as an extreme skier, Kristen Ulmer knew her relationship with fear was different than most. For a decade, Kristen reigned as one of the world’s leading big-mountain skiers. In that high-stakes world, fear was not an obstacle, but a dare—driving her to attempt even bigger cliff jumps and conquer more treacherous descents. But after retiring from professional skiing in 2003, Kristen became obsessed with the very thing she'd always been praised for not feeling -- fear. Was fear really a bad thing, or could it be moulded into something far more powerful in our minds? Well, she's become an expert in all things fear and has published a book all about it The Art of Fear.
For Nik Wallenda, walking hundreds of feet above the ground is all in a day’s work. Known as the ‘King of the High Wire’, Nik is a seventh-generation member of the legendary Flying Wallendas, a high-wire dynasty whose circus roots trace back to 18th-century Europe. He reflects on a legendary career of death-defying performances, the power of family and the lessons fear can teach us about life. From taking daring leaps into the unknown to turning anxiety into a competitive advantage, how do athletes embrace what many would be scared of to reach new heights? This week, on Halloween, we explore the power of fear in sport.

The Barry Family are basketball royalty. Rick Barry is an NBA Hall of Famer known for amongst other things his unorthodox underhand free throw technique.. Well, his son Canyon uses the exact same method and it's taken him all the way to the Olympics. And whilst Canyon's basketball success might not be a surprise to learn, what might be is that he helped NASA get the far side of the moon! Because off the court Canyon is literally a rocket scientist!
Canadian basketballer Paige Cozen is determined to set the Olympic record straight. I mean is there a worst place to finish at a Games than 4th, staring up at the podium wondering what might have been? Yet for Paige simply getting to the Games meant she had to face down what seemed like insurmountable challenges. But a change in mindset inspired by working with the Indigenous Basketball Leagues in Canada changed her, and her daughter Poppy's life forever.
Since the 1950s, basketball's Harlem Globetrotters have entertained audiences with their showboating, dunks and pranks in exhibition games all over the world. Their perennial opponents, the Washington Generals, have endured more than 17,000 defeats at their hands, with crowds booing and mocking them as the Globetrotters bamboozle them with flashy skills, tricks and dribbles. So, what's it like to play for a team whose only job is to lose? Some former Generals say it's one of the best jobs they've ever had, even if it did involve being humiliated on the court every night. That is, except for the one night that it didn't...
On 19 November 2004, the game between the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons spiralled into one of the most infamous brawls in sports' history. Mark Boyle, a veteran radio broadcaster known as 'the voice of the Pacers’ was there that night, an evening which almost left him with life changing injuries.
Photo: USA's Canyon Barry celebrates after winning the men's pool round 3x3 basketball game between China and the USA during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at La Concorde (Credit: David GRAY / AFP via Getty Images)

The story of Nicole Ver Kuilen and her non profit Forrest Stump is a remarkable one. At the age of 10 she made the difficult decision to have her leg amputated and save her life from cancer. Nicole has since become one of the most accomplished endurance athletes on earth. Her achievements include an incredible 1500 miles bike, run and swim down the west coast of America. Sounds tough, but as it turns out the harder battle was the one for the right kind of care and help she needed. In turn she is trying to improve the fate of millions like her throughout in the United States.
On November 29, 1997 Tiffany Yu was being driven home by her dad when he lost control of the car. Her dad lost his life and Tiffany was left with permanent paralysis in one of her arms. Since then she has dedicated her life to creating communities where people with disabilities of every kind can be seen, supported, and celebrated. She's also aiming for a place as the only one armed climber on the US Paralympic team for LA in 2028 where her sport, para climbing will debut. She is also the author of the book "The Anti-Ableist Manifesto."
The clarity that comes with a diagnosis can be incredibly powerful. It can shed light on the challenges and difficulties someone might struggle through on a daily basis. Taylor Swanson always dreamt of becoming an Olympian, and got closer than most. But it was only after a career ending injury that she was offred answers to questions that had baffled and beset her stretching all the way back to childhood. Set free she reached the podium in Paris!
In 2004, the British wheelchair racer, dame Tanni Grey-Thompson, faced the toughest challenge of her career at the Paralympic Games in Athens. Suffering from a loss of form, the great champion was humiliated in her best event leaving her only chance of glory in the 100-metre sprint. She tells us about that race and how becoming a mother gave her a fresh perspective on sport.
Photo: Adventurer, advocate and ultra marathon runner Nicole Ver Kuilen campaigns for better care and help for amputees (Credit www.forreststump.org)

US para cyclist Samantha Bosco who is no stranger to success. In fact she's won seven World Championships on the road, and plenty more medals on the track too! But a Paralympic gold eluded her in Rio and so in Tokyo she was set to put that right until an accident left her with a pair of skull fractures and a traumatic brain injury. She didn't just miss the Games, she nearly died. Her recovery was described as miraculous and she got her Hollywood ending by winning gold in Paris, but now she has a home Games in LA to focus on
Ash Dykes is currently trying to make his way through one of the most difficult, dangerous and deadly places in the world.The Congo Basin. Ash is, amongst other things an adventurer, challenging himself to do remarkable projects and in many cases becoming the first person to complete them. You might have seen one of his videos walking the Yangtze or the length of Madagascar, he documents everything for his many social media followers. So why attempt such dangerous adventures, and how will he survive this time?
Fancy a quick round of golf? Well Nullarbor Links an 18-hole, 72 par golf course in Australia is the wrong place for that! That's because the course spans more than 850 miles, making it comfortably the world's longest golf course! Played along the route of the Eyre Highway that links Western and Southern Australia through the Outback, it would take a very certain type of person to manage the course! Meet Bea and Graeme Wilmot.
Just over 50 years ago teenage Californian Jeff Clark became the first person to surf the dangerous Mavericks waves near San Francisco. Nearly two decades later, the waves killed Mark Foo, one of the most famous surfers in the world. It was a reminder just how dangerous the sport and the Mavericks in particular are. Jeff tells his, and Mark Foo's story.
This episode was edited on 10 October2026. Due to an editing error, two incorrect sections were inadvertently joined together.
Photo: Bellboys from Cunard's Queen Elizabeth cruise ship pose for photos on one of the holes on the Nullarbor Links course (Photo by James D. Morgan/Getty Images for Cunard)

Denise Mueller has gone faster than anyone has ever been on a bike! Eight years ago on Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, she travelled at an average of more than 183 mph, smashing the previous record and setting the mark that still stands today. What makes Denise's story even more remarkable is that she took a 20 year break from cycling before returning in her 40's to break the record. From her home in San Diego she took us back to where it all started, aged 14 when her grandfather bought both her and her dad a bike
Pedro Cueto is a young man achieving remarkable things on and off the race track. At the age of just six Pedro's life changed when he was diagnosed with cancer. Eventually he had his leg amputated, but nothing would stop Pedro's driving dream. He became the first driver without a leg to compete at this level of international karting and now aged 11-years-old has just won the prestigious karting championship, the IAME Series Italy Racing Formula.
Britain's Ollie Millroy and Netherlands' Loek Hartog have always loved racing cars... Le Mans, Formula 2, Gran Turismo Championship. They have done it all... Last month in Shanghai they were racing against each other when Ollie was involved in a crash that resulted in his Ferrari being engulfed in flames. Trapped, the window of opportunity to save him was closing fast when around the corner zoomed Loek... Ditching his desire to win, he stopped, ran over and pulled Ollie out. We hear from Ollie from his hospital bed alongside wife Fern and also Loek the man who saved him
Back in 1983, American motorcyclist "Fast Freddie" Spencer won the world motorcycling championship aged just 21. Spencer won an epic battle against Kenny Roberts, another legendary US rider. Their rivalry is regarded as one of the fiercest in the history of the sport.
Photo: Denise Mueller-Korenek was pulled along to 100 mph using a dragster before breaking the record (CREDIT: Getty Images