Today’s episode is a fascinating conversation with a remarkable woman: Major Rosie Wild. Rosie is a British Army Officer and Professional Athlete who, following major injuries and a knee operation, went on to win the Sword of Honour at Sandhurst—the first woman to do so since men and women were integrated into the same platoons.

In 2020, Rosie became the first woman in history to pass the Pre-Parachute Selection Course (P Company), qualifying to serve in the airborne forces at 16 Air Assault Brigade, where she deployed on numerous operations, including the evacuation of personnel from Kabul.

Rosie is an accomplished and competitive triathlete. After she came 15th in the London Marathon and 2nd at Ironman Copenhagen, the British Army began supporting her in training and racing as a Professional Triathlete. In September 2024, Rosie competed in the Ironman World Championships, where, out of a field of almost 1,400, she placed 30th.

In our conversation, Rosie shares:

- Why she isn’t lit up by goals - How she uses complacency - And why winning has become all about being willing to lose.

Today I’m talking to Dr. Mindy Lane, a sub-specialist surgeon in the United States with 25 years of experience. Her understanding of how to thrive under high-stakes pressure in the operating room has enabled Mindy to also become an accomplished EK-WESS-TREE-UN.

In the OR, she was able to lead her team with steady hands and a clear mind to save lives. In the dressage arena, she harnessed the pressure—and her horse, Fjurie—to achieve the highest levels in national competitions. As Mindy says, the principles of calm, control, and precision apply in both hospital and horse riding.

She now specialises in bridging the gap between industry and medicine. Her goal is to make a significant impact on global health through innovative solutions.

Whether it’s in the operating theatre, the arena, or the boardroom, Mindy believes that being "better under pressure" isn’t just a skill—it’s a way of life.

In our conversation, Mindy shares:

- When a winning strategy doesn’t work anymore

- How a data-driven scientist deals with gut instinct

- And what happened when she saw in her daughter a side of herself she didn’t like

Today I’m talking to Professor John Amaechi CBE, an organisational psychologist and founder of APS Intelligence, where he is the Leadership Transformation expert.

His book, The Promises of Giants, was a New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller, in which he draws on his early life in Stockport, his rise to becoming the one of the first Britons to play professional basketball in the NBA and his career since – working with organisations to build authentic and ethical cultures.

John is Professor of Leadership at the University of Exeter Business School, a non-exec director of a FTSE 250 company, and in 2023, received the Sport Industry’s Integrity & Impact Award. Oh, and he’s also passionate about Star Wars.

He was hugely influenced by his mother, and he lives his life inspired by her words, that “the most unlikely of people, in the most improbable of circumstances, can become extraordinary.”

In our conversation, John shares…

- What he means by sustainable high-performance…

- Why he is deliberately hard to get hold of and what, as a former elite sportsman,

- And he hates about going to the gym.