At just 10 years old, Atiqa Mir is one of the most exciting young names in global motorsport. The first Indian and Asian girl selected to the F1 Academy’s Discover Your Drive program, she’s already won at Le Mans and collected over 30 trophies. But her journey hasn’t been easy.

In this episode of The Mettleset Podcast, Atiqa opens up about overcoming bullying on and off the track, staying focused in a male-dominated sport, and how she’s training — physically and mentally — to reach Formula 1. Her father, former national karting champion Asif Mir, joins to share the behind-the-scenes of raising a trailblazer.

All this as momentum builds in the region: the Saudi Grand Prix just wrapped, Farah AlYousef made her F1 Academy debut, and Sebastian Vettel’s Race 4 Women initiative is pushing the future of female motorsport forward.

🔗 Links 🔗

• Atiqa on Instagram
• Atiqa Mir’s F1 Academy feature – ABC News
• Farah AlYousef enters F1 Academy Round 2
• Sebastian Vettel’s Race 4 Women

❤️ Follow The Mettleset on Instagram: @themettleset

📧 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

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

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, HERE

In this series:

• Episode 1: Inside the race with journalist Emma Cole
• Episode 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

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, HERE

Enjoy!

Dawn

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

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

In this episode, we sit down with Martine Grael, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, World Champion, and Pan-American Games champion, who is now making history as the first female driver in SailGP. Martine is also leading the Mubadala Brazil SailGP Team, the first-ever South American team to compete in the high-stakes SailGP Championship.

We caught up with Martine in the team hangar in Dubai, just days before the season opener. During our conversation, Martine takes us on an inspiring journey:

• How her childhood on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro and growing up in a family of sailors shaped her passion for the sport.
• The setbacks she faced on her road to Olympic glory and how she used those moments to fuel her comeback.
• Insights from her experiences in the grueling Volvo Ocean Race and what it taught her about teamwork and perseverance.
• Her excitement and vision as she steps into her role as driver for the Mubadala Brazil SailGP Team.

Martine’s story is one of resilience, determination, and trailblazing achievements.

Follow Martine on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/martinegrael/

Learn more about SailGP & Martine: https://sailgp.com

https://sailgp.com/teams/mubadala-brazil/martine-grael

If you’ve been enjoying our episodes, don’t forget to show your support by hitting the subscribe/follow button wherever you’re listening so you never miss an episode.

We’d also love to hear from you! Leave us a 5-star review and follow @themettleset on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Your support helps us continue bringing you incredible stories like Martine’s!

Dawn

In this episode, we dive into the triathlon journey of Hana AlNabulsi, a trailblazing triathlete on the UAE National Team. Hana made history as the youngest Emirati woman to ever compete in and complete a 70.3 Ironman race. She’s also the first Emirati woman to qualify for the Asian Games in Triathlon.

We caught up with Hana at the T100 World Tour Press Conference in Dubai, just ahead of the Tour’s grand finale (16-17 Nov) During our conversation, Hana shares how a simple dare sparked her entry into the world of triathlon during the pandemic. She takes us through the unforgettable story of her first race, and with unexpected challenges and laser focus needed

Hana also opens up about the mental resilience that drives her, her unwavering focus on her ultimate dream of representing the UAE in Triathlon at the next Olympics, and how she pushes herself to reach new heights in the sport.

Follow Hana on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trihanathon/

For more information on the T100 series: https://t100triathlon.com/

If you've been enjoying our content and finding value in our discussions, please take a quick moment to show your support. Just hit the subscribe button wherever you are listening to us so that you never miss an episode.

Please also leave a review - 5 ⭐ only - and follow @themettleset on Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn. This really helps us in our commitment to bring you the best possible show and the most interesting guests.

Dawn