Don’t Tell Me The Score

What has Simon Mundie learnt from the DTMTS journey so far? This is the last episode on BBC Sounds, before Simon takes DTMTS off to pastures new. The series will continue on all non-BBC platforms from the end of April. Over the course of over 130 episodes to date, the DTMTS guests have opened up to share their stories as well as their own "life lessons". To mark the end of the BBC chapter and the start of the new one, it is Simon's turn to be vulnerable about his story and what he has...

What the experience of flow in sport may reveal about the nature of reality. One theme that has arisen time and again with sportspeople on DTMTS is the experience of flow: when we lose ourselves in whatever it is that we are doing. Several sportspeople have spoken on DTMTS about the experience of "me" not being there in such moments. But what is that "me" that seems to disappear? That’s a hig question and here to help address it is Rupert Spira, a philosopher interested in the nature of...

When does an obsession with winning become unhealthy? John Neal is head of coach development at the England and Wales cricket board, and he has extensive experience as a performance psychologist, within rugby, football and cricket. He has also worked with men's and women's teams at three World Cups across two sports. Despite setting out to help teams win, John's relationship with "winning" has evolved over his many years in sport. He came to see that trophies and titles isn't what it's all...

Why emotional intelligence can be more important than IQ. Daniel Goleman is an internationally known psychologist and author of the best-selling book, "Emotional Intelligence". EQ is about understanding ourselves better, managing our own emotions, and using empathy to better understand the feelings and emotions of the people around us. Daniel has also written "The Science of Meditation", which is a deep-dive into the research on meditation and how it affects both our "states" and our...

The power of accepting yourself and letting go of the need for approval. Billy Monger is a racing driver who was critically injured in a crash at Donington in 2017. He had both his legs amputated, but was back behind the wheel of a car within a year. Since his crash, Billy has been thrust into the limelight, but he's not lost sight of what is important. He's all about positivity, kindness and authenticity. He talks about the lessons he's learnt from and since his crash, including around...

Bill Beswick is one of the world's best respected sports psychologists. He worked at Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson during the club's dominant reign. Roy Keane and Gary Neville are among those who have credited Bill with making a real difference to their ability to perform at their very best. As well as working alongside many other top football managers, Bill cut his sporting teeth in the world of basketball where he was also very successful, winning Commonwealth gold as England...

How being kind can positively impact our health, relationships and the world around us. Dr David Hamilton has a PhD in organic chemistry and spent four years at one of the world's biggest pharmaceutical companies, where he became fascinated with the placebo effect. Since leaving that industry and becoming an author, speaker and TV personality, he's discussed the implications of the placebo effect and the mind-body connection, including on the acclaimed Netflix documentary HEAL. David is an...

Appreciating people for who they are – not just for what they do. Nigel Pearson has managed Southampton, Hull, Derby, Watford and Leicester in his time. He was in charge just before Claudio Ranieri came in and led the team to their stunning Premier League title success. Many players and staff from that 2016 title-winning squad say Nigel deserves lots of credit for the work he did in laying the ground that enabled them to pull off the most remarkable title triumph in living memory. Kasper...

Harnessing the power of the conscious mind and calming our inner chatter. Ethan Kross is an award winning psychologist and neuroscientist. His fascinating new book is called "Chatter: The Voice in our head, why it matters and how to harness it." Chatter happens when the voice in our head starts spinning out of control. After going through an acute episode of chatter himself, Ethan experienced a eureka moment. He discovered a simple but powerful technique that can help wrestle back control of...

Choosing an empowering narrative to handle whatever comes your way. Tatyana McFadden is arguably the world's best female wheelchair racer of all time. She was born with spina bifida, and spent the first six years of her life in a Russian orphanage before being adopted and moving to America. There she fell in love with wheelchair racing, going on to win 17 paralympic medals, including one in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Tatyana also has over 20 major marathon successes to her name. She...

Exploring your own limits and trusting your own judgement with the England cricketer and World Cup winner. Jos Buttler is one of the most destructive batters in the sport. He plays for England in all forms of the game, is vice-captain for his country in limited overs teams, and whipped off the bails to secure England the World Cup in 2019. The theme of this episode is "exploring". It is about staying in touch with the childlike enthusiasm for what your are doing. It is an attitude that has...

Lessons from the ex-armed robber reformed through sport. John McAvoy spent ten years in some of the UK's highest security prisons, having grown up around some of the most notorious criminals in the country. He even chose to spend a year in solitary confirnement rather than be "broken by the system". But while in prison John had an epiphany that transformed his outlook and identity. He discovered a talent for endurance sport, and after having broken world records at indoor rowing while in...

Exploring why human connection is so vital to our wellbeing. Dr Chatterjee is a physician, author, TV presenter and podcaster, who has explored this topic in depth. People who are lonely are significantly likely to die earlier, and social isolation is thought to be as dangerous to your health as being a regular smoker. At this time, when so many of us are cut off from our loved ones, this topic is even more important. @simonmundie

Exploring why pressure causes a dramatic drop off in performance, with Mark Williams. He is one of the most published scientists in the world when it comes to identifying talent identification and developing skill, and has co-authored "The Best: How Elite Athletes are Made", which explores how sportspeople get to the top and stay there.

How to create a successful team culture and thrive within it. Frances Houghton competed at five Olympic Games, winning three silver medals. She was also a four-time World Champion. Over the course of her two decades in the British rowing system, Frances underwent a big evolution that led her to question what is truly important; what she found out is valuable to anyone wanting to compete, collaborate and cooperate to the best of their ability. Frances has shared her wisdom in her book,...

Being willing to throw yourself into something without any guarantee of a successful outcome. Ollie Ollerton is a former Special Forces soldier turned TV star and author. He passed the SAS's gruelling six-month selection process – testing his physical and mental endurance to the limit – before spending six years with the SBS. But it was after leaving the special forces that he came unstuck; the process of getting himself back on track informed many of the life lessons Ollie holds dear, and...

How to set goals with the Ironman world record holder. In 2017, Tim Don was in the shape of his life as he headed to the Ironman World Championships in Kona. He had broken the world record earlier that year and was one of the favourites for the podium, but two days before the race he broke his neck in a collision with a car. He was fitted with a "halo" – a medieval looking brace designed to keep his head and neck still – which is attached via titanium bolts screwed into his skull. For three...

How our experiences inform how we see the world, with GB's Fed Cup captain. Anne Keothavong was formerly Britain's number one ranked tennis player, but her route into the sport was anything but typical. Her parents are from Laos in South East Asia; they raised their children on a housing estate in Hackney, and saw tennis as one way to give them more opportunities than they had. As well as the impact of her upbringing and her parents' outlook on her perspective, Anne talks about the sad death...

What it takes to become one of the greatest athletes on the planet with Adam Peaty – the 2016 Olympic Champion, an eight-time World Champion, a twelve-time European Champion and a three-time Commonwealth Champion. He has broken world records twelve times and currently holds three of them. In this episode, Adam talks about the daily dedication required to become one of the greatest swimmers on the planet, and shares what he's learned about the value of self-reflection and the danger of...

How to harness the power of your imagination to achieve success, with Britain's greatest ever golfer. Sir Nick Faldo spent 97 weeks as the world number one and won six majors, three at The Open and three at The Masters, and he attributes much of his success to his powers of visualisation, which is the theme of this episode. He explains how he used to visualise twice a day in his pomp, and "saw" himself as the winner of major championships before it happened. He explains what he believes is...