logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2020
48m 55s

Madison Hammond: I didn’t think I’d be t...

Bbc World Service
About this episode

Madison Hammond is the first Native American woman to sign a professional contract with an NWSL club. She joins us ahead of OL Reign’s opening game of the season and her potential debut against Utah Royals to discuss how she is hoping to inspire more Native American girls to play the sport. She also tells us about the financial barriers players from ethnic minority backgrounds can face as they try to make it in soccer and how the Black Lives Matter movement has sparked conversations with her team-mates.

“I’m sort of like the canary in the coal mine – there’s a lot less ice in the winter, everywhere I go” – Canadian ice climber Will Gadd tells us how climate change and a trip to Mount Kilimanjaro have led him to consider his future in the sport. Gadd had hoped to scale the famous Messner Route earlier this year, but he was unable to as part of it has melted away. He worries that by the time his children are his age, there won’t be enough ice left to climb on Kilimanjaro

Football journalist and Wrexham fan Bryn Law joins us to discuss Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s interest in buying the Welsh non-league club. Deadpool star Reynolds and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's McElhenney are set to share their vision for Wrexham and a takeover could see around two and a half million dollars invested in the club.

Caitlin Rooskrantz tells us how she used gymnastics to channel her emotions following the death of her father when she was just eight years old. Rooskrantz will be the first black South African female gymnast to compete at an Olympic Games in Tokyo next year. She believes her achievements can open doors for the next generation of young girls coming through.

In Sporting Witness go back to the Syndey Olympics of 2000 and the famous gold medal winning performance from aboriginal runner Cathy Freeman.

Brittany Carter from ABC Grandstand joins us to reflect on Australia’s first T20 with New Zealand and we also look ahead to England’s third T20 against West Indies.

And we are live at the Amex Stadium ahead of Brighton’s game against Manchester United in the Premier League.

(Photo: Madison Hammond posing for OL Reign. Credit: Madison Hammond instagram)

Up next
Oct 10
Out of the box
We like to think of ourselves as a bit maverick here on Not by the Playbook. Nothing too outrageous, but we like to think outside of the box... and so we present to you a show dedicated to those athletes whose decision to think out side of the box has served them well. People who ... Show More
51m 14s
Oct 3
Survival
Katie Smith presents a show all about survival and Dutch triathlete Els Visser knows exactly what it takes to survive against the odds. In 2014, Visser was a medical student travelling in Indonesia when the boat she was on started to sink. She made the decision to swim eight hour ... Show More
49m 16s
Sep 26
Transatlantic tales
On the weekend where the USA and Europe go head-to-head at golf's Ryder Cup, Not by the Playbook’s Katie Smith is bringing you inspirational sporting stories from both sides of the Atlantic.Kate Hwang was living her dream in 2003 as a Kansas City police officer but then a routine ... Show More
49m 11s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2023
How Laila Edwards Became the First Black Hockey Player on the US Women’s National Team
University of Wisconsin’s star sophomore Laila Edwards is the first Black woman to make the U.S. Women’s National Hockey Team. After an incredible freshman season that ended with Wisconsin’s record seventh national title, she now adds representing the U.S. to her resume. Inspired ... Show More
24m 49s
Jun 2012
Michael Phelps, Rachel Brown and the Cultural Olympiad
As the US Olympic swimming trials get underway, the legendary Michael Phelps speaks about his comeback and rivalry with fellow American Ryan Lochte. Eleanor Oldroyd, former tennis player Mark Woodford and hurdler Jack Green discuss if athletes should take part in Olympic opening ... Show More
29m 17s
Jul 2021
The U.S. Athletes To Follow At The Tokyo Olympics
At every Olympic Games, there are thousands of stories. This year, Simone Manuel looks to solidify her legacy as the greatest gymnast of all time. Katie Ledecky could become the most decorated female athlete in Olympic history. And Trayvon Bromell aims to claim the title of 'worl ... Show More
14m 16s
Sep 2022
Serena Williams – the ultimate game-changer?
As Serena Williams bids farewell at the US Open, we examine the legacy of the African-American girl from Compton, California, who changed the sport of tennis forever. From racial equality and equal pay to fashion and motherhood, we look at Serena’s influence on and off the court ... Show More
49m 9s
Jun 2012
Greg Searle, David Florence and Olympic motivation
Great Britain's rowers enjoyed mixed fortunes in the last competition before the Olympics, winning three golds but seeing two leading hopes beaten. Jonathan Legard speaks to a disappointed Greg Searle after the men’s eight only managed to secure a bronze medal. After the Canoe Sl ... Show More
27m 38s
Aug 2021
Olympic cricket and a congested calendar
Ian Watmore, ECB Chair and head of the International Cricket Council's Olympic working group, joins us to talk about the bid for the sport to be included at Los Angeles 2028 and the beginning of the Hundred. Alison Mitchell, Charu Sharma and Jim Maxwell discuss the injuries affec ... Show More
38m 29s
Jul 2021
A Tough Road To Gold For The U.S. Women's Soccer Team
Coming into the Tokyo Olympics, the U.S. Women's Soccer Team was the clear favorite to bring home a gold medal, which would make them the first team to ever a World Cup title and an Olympic title back-to-back. But after dropping their first game to Sweden 3-0, and battling Austra ... Show More
15m 32s
Jul 2022
Why hasn’t athletics cracked America?
Despite dominating athletics for generations, the USA hasn’t taken track and field to its heart. So can this week’s world championships on home soil drive a surge in interest ahead of the LA 2028 Olympics or will they struggle to make waves beyond the traditional stronghold in Or ... Show More
49m 59s
Jan 2024
How do African athletes train for the Winter Olympics without ice?
Nigeria’s youth curling team, the Broomzillas, are Africa’s first curling team to reach a Winter Youth Olympics. Their journey to the 2024 Gangwon Games in South Korea hasn’t been easy. They’ve struggled with funding and of course, as Nigeria doesn’t have freezing weather, access ... Show More
14m 3s