Hey guys, Afshan here - I recently came pretty close to being swept away by the fanaticism of cycling spectators that I had only ever seen when sitting on my couch miles away watching livestreams and reruns of Tour de France. Last month, I was among thousands of fans crammed on either side of Solar Hill , a climb that is one of the most anticipated points for the 3,500 triathletes participating in Challenge Roth, the annual long-distance triathlon in Germany. Earlier this week, we released...

More than 3,500 triathletes, 7,500 volunteers and 300,000 spectators have been descending on a small town in Germany every summer since 1990. There’s a reason Challenge Roth is considered among the top three long-distance triathlons in the world.  And each year, the race sells out in under a minute - this year in 40 seconds for the 2024 edition. As you’ve heard from two triathletes from the Middle East who took on the challenge in June this year, this race is a celebration of endurance,...

Hi Guys, Afshan here, You’ve probably listened to our FIFA special episode with UAE National Football Team player and Adidas athlete Areej Al Hammadi last week. And if you haven’t, click through to EP39: ⚽⚽⚽ and FIFA Women's World Cup: UAE National Team football player and Adidas athlete Areej Al Hammadi on the changing face of women's football in the region and globally to hear about how she carved her own path in this sport, and her insights on the ongoing Women’s World Cup in Australia...

Hello, it’s Afshan We’re only days away from the 9th edition of the Fifa Women’s World Cup, which is held every four years. There’s a palpable excitement in the air as women’s football has grown in stature, with an expanding fan base that is now being recognised by sports associations, brands, governments and the media. This edition of the World Cup, which is being held in Australia and New Zealand from July 20 to August 20, is set to become the most attended standalone women’s sporting event...

Hi, Afshan here - We’re continuing our rewind series this week as Dawn and I are taking a break for some summer adventure. But we are also working hard on exciting new content and sports stories from the region and beyond. So, keep listening! In the meantime, here’s an episode that I’ve chosen because I just witnessed one of the most electrifying long-distance triathlons in the world – Challenge Roth in Germany – and our guest was among the 3,500 participants who were there and smashed her...

Hi all, We hope you're having an amazing summer. We're working on some great new episodes at the moment. We're also having some new adventures that we can't wait to share with you all. In the meantime, we wanted to share once again the story of Nelly Attar, the first Arab women to summit K2. We hope that it inspires you to reach new heights! xDawn ***** July 22, 2022 – On this day our guest, Nelly Attar, became the first Arab woman to summit K2. This is historic for the Arab world. Not...

Wow, how is it June already!? So much has (and is happening) at The Mettleset that we decided to do a little mid-year check in to share what’s been happening in our world, and what new challenges we have in the works.  We also give you a preview of our upcoming summer series.  In what may need a spoiler alert if you’re reading this before listening, links to some of the events discussed are as follows: Challenge Roth  https://www.challenge-roth.com/en/ The Ladakh Marathon -...

Hi Afshan here, In a new book by sports journalist Sally Jenkins called The Right Call - What sports teach us about work and life, she says that we are all a combination of light and electricity as much as tissue. Sports and exercise light us up like a swarm of fireflies.  It sounds romantic but if I have to bring it to reality and layman terms, it’s that rush of joy I feel when I get off my bike after a ride or the sustained high after a run.  It’s what makes sports not just for the elite...

Hello Dawn here,  If you’ve been following along, you know I spend a lot of time on a bike. Particularly in the lead-up to a big race. Like many cyclists or athletes who absolutely love one particular sport, I sometimes ignore strength & mobility. Two areas of fitness I also love, but always seem to come second place to cycling.  Enter Barre Effect in Dubai, which was recommended after a conversation with my coach about cross training.  In this episode, I speak with Barre Effect Founder...

Hey Guys, Today, we’ve got a special episode with questions about athlete health that you shared with us on our social platforms. Dr Kate Jordan, a sports and exercise medicine physician at Mediclinic Parkview Hospital in Dubai, stayed back after our two-part episode on female athlete health, which you can find here: Part 1 , Part 2 , to answer them. So, if you ever wondered why and how to top up on your collagen, how to improve your cycling power, supplements you may need as an athlete, or...

Today’s episode is a  continuation of our discussion on female athlete health with Dr Kate Jordan, a sports and exercise medicine physician at Mediclinic Parkview Hospital in Dubai. The first part of this episode came out last week, and you can access it directly from here: EP33: Part1 Female athlete health: Sports and Exercise Medicine doctor Kate Jordan on common injuries, LEA and right fuelling for performance. In this episode, we go deeper into our discussion on training on your...

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...

Hello Dawn here,  So earlier this year, I participated in my fourth ultra cycling race, the Race Around Rwanda. A race I did not finish. Please check out episodes 29 and 29a for my DNF race report.   As with my earlier ultra races, after Race Around Rwanda was done, I quickly signed up for another race. This time, Dead Ends & Cake, a three-day self-supported ultra that sees those participating cycle 500km with 9000m of climbing. As the name suggests it has dead end checkpoints.. five to...

No matter at what age you enter a sport, your attitude is what cements your success.  Today’s guest and the first woman to join the Saudi Arabia Alpine Skiing Team, Sharifa Al-Sudairi, epitomises courage in competition.  The 36-year-old athlete only took up professional ski racing in 2020 and admits that she has a long way to go. But Sharifa has already become a trailblazer among Arab women for her “never give up” mindset, which she has consciously been training since becoming an...

When Rally Jameel, the first navigational rally in the region exclusively for women, was launched in Saudi two years ago, we were excited to see how this event with a low barrier to entry would encourage more women into motorsports.  Today, we have one half of this year’s Rally Jameel’s winning team Hanna Riehle, who takes us a little bit closer to what it was like on ground, navigating the desert of Saudi with 81 other women who grabbed this unique opportunity to prove their mettle.  This...

Today’s guest is playing a big role in the development of cycling in the UAE, particularly for women.  Melissa Moncada is the Head of Team  at UAE Team ADQ - that’s the UAE’s Women’s WorldTour Cycling Team.  She’s also Vice President at Colnago.  As you’ll hear in this episode, UAE Team ADQ extends beyond a pro team, it's a movement. It features a pro team, a development team - the first of its kind in the Women’s WorldTour may we add, - as well as a grassroots movement, Women Moving Forward...

What does it feel like to row across the Atlantic Ocean?  What motivates you to do something like that?  Toby Gregory, the Founder and Director of the Arabian Ocean Rowing team,  is here to tell us exactly what it felt like to row the first UAE-flagged boat across the Atlantic Ocean unsupported and unassisted.  Interestingly, more people have been to space and climbed Mount Everest than actually taking on this 5,000 km journey from the coast of Africa to Antigua.  So, having Toby share how he...

Hello Dawn here,  So here it is, my Race Around Rwanda race report - part 2. If you follow the podcast, it comes as no surprise that it is a DNF story. For background, the Race Around Rwanda is a self-supported ultra cycling race that takes place annually in February. It is 1000 km with 20,000m of climbing and this year it was billed as 30% gravel.  Joining me to relive the experience is my coach Niel Copeland who did the race a couple of years ago, and also reported on the race for...

Hello Dawn here,  So here it is, my Race Around Rwanda race report. If you follow the podcast, it comes as no surprise that it is a DNF story.  I did not finish the race. I peddled - and walked - some 713 km out of a possible 1000km in the race that took place in early February.  For background, the Race Around Rwanda is a self-supported ultra cycling race that takes place annually in February. It is 1000 km with 20,000m of climbing and this year it was billed as 30% gravel. Joining me to...

Hey guys, Afshan here! The Mettleset is doing its first running race as a team…and it’s all for a good cause.  Dawn and I have signed up for the amazing annual Wings for Life World Run, which supports the Wings for Life Foundation for spinal injury research. The race happens around the world on the same day and at the same time - this year being May 7.  It’s exciting for us to join this year’s event because the race is celebrating its 10th year. In 2022 alone, the Wings for Life World Run...

Hello, it is us again  Ever wondered what three things your favourite athlete would take with them on a deserted island? Or what their favourite food is? Or perhaps the worst advice they’ve ever received?  Yes, we know you can’t get enough of our guests. In our new bonus series More Mettle, we fire 10 fun questions at our in-studio guests to peel back their professional layers and get to their humorous, quirky and uninhibited side.  Our first guest on the series is UAE Team ADQ rider Safiya...

Today’s guest is Safiya Al Sayegh, and if you don’t know that name yet - where have you been hiding? Remember it because this Emirati cyclist is the heroine we need!  Safiya is the first Emirati and first Arab woman to join a WorldTour Pro Team, UAE Team ADQ. The 21-year-old athlete kicked off her cycling career in 2016 and turned pro last year, displaying remarkable growth under the guidance of UAE Team ADQ. She closed 2022 with six medals from the Arab Track Championships, including two...

Hello Dawn here,  Today we have a special bonus episode that’s a little different to our usual athlete interviews as we touch upon the business of sport and sport leadership here in the United Arab Emirates.   As someone who’s worked in sports communications for over 11 years, I recently had the opportunity to go to the Leaders in Sport Business Summit in Abu Dhabi held on 1-2 March. This episode shares some observations and snippets from just one of the many thought-provoking panels that...

Emirati CrossFitter Shahad Budebs doesn’t shy away from telling women - “Let’s get bulky”.  Because getting swole is exactly what will get you to the top of the sport. The four-time Fittest in the UAE athlete sits down with us in-studio days before she dives into her intense training for the  CrossFit Games semi-finals in June. The 28-year-old, who only began CrossFit in 2017 after being on the UAE National football team and the UAE athletics team, has had a meteoric rise in world rankings....

Ultra running and adventure sports athlete Ivana Kolaric is back with us for this episode where she talks about her most recent and very exciting multi-day, non-stop adventure in New Zealand - Godzone - also known as the largest expedition race in the world.  For those of you who haven’t heard our first chat with Ivana on the podcast where she tells us what makes her push her limits in sports and discusses her self-supported Trans Balkan Ultra Cycling Race in 2022, don’t worry, head to EP2...