Not by the Playbook

The podcast which seeks out the most incredible and inspirational stories from sportspeople and athletes around the world.

World Service,491 episodes

Episodes

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Pioneering
They say "it can be lonely at the top". Know what's lonelier? Being the first one there!
30 May 2026,49 mins
Dominance
To win is one thing, to dominate quite another
23 May 2026,58 mins
'Cold hands, warm heart'
Physically and mentally as cold as ice, but with the most kind-hearted warm character
16 May 2026,51 mins
What happened next
Four former elite stars now enjoying a very different career to the one you knew them for
09 May 2026,54 mins
Run for your life
The "Marathon Mum" Beatie Deutsch on running a marathon seven months pregnant.
02 May 2026,54 mins
Why it's never too late
"It is never too late to be what you might have been" George Elliot.
25 Apr 2026,58 mins
Organ-ised chaos
Arguably the most entertaining man in ice hockey, yet he never even gets on the ice!?!
18 Apr 2026,52 mins
Clinging on
Athletes that kept hanging in there by the tips of their fingers, to eventual win big
11 Apr 2026,53 mins
Risk and fear
The risky, rewarding and surprisingly refined world of downhill skateboarding
04 Apr 2026,55 mins
The swan effect
Stories of being cool, calm and controlled, but under the surface working furiously hard
28 Mar 2026,54 mins
Doing things differently
Olympic gold medallist Tabby Stoecker on her unique path into a thrilling winter sport
21 Mar 2026,49 mins
On top of the world!
Inspiring stories of athletes doing incredible things that'll warm the coldest of hearts
14 Mar 2026,49 mins
Turning obstacles into opportunity
When Steve Bate received a life-changing diagnosis he saw an obstacle as an opportunity
07 Mar 2026,40 mins
What did you say?
Inspiring athletes who have reached the top because they are masters of communication
28 Feb 2026,49 mins
When sport leads somewhere new
Sportspeople taking on new challenges and athletes who’ve swapped stadiums for studios
21 Feb 2026,49 mins
Winter Wonderland
Canada's sweet reaction to an act of sportsmanship on winter sports' biggest stage
14 Feb 2026,49 mins
Super Bowl: Story of redemption
Behind the scenes to meet those making this event a sporting and cultural phenomenon
07 Feb 2026,49 mins
Flying the flag
Iranian skier Samaneh Beyrami Baher on competing at her second Winter Olympics
31 Jan 2026,49 mins
Far from an average Joe
Joe Thomas, the record breaking NFL star who has swapped snaps for steaks
24 Jan 2026,52 mins
Taking control
From growing up on Skid Row to controlling your destiny and achieving sporting success
17 Jan 2026,49 mins
My way
How being told to conform makes some more determined to do it "their way".
10 Jan 2026,49 mins
Not by the Playbook 2025 in review
We look back on a year full of inspirational stories from around the world
27 Dec 2025,49 mins
Hockey Night
Inspirational stories from the hockey world. Interviews with people defying the odds
20 Dec 2025,49 mins
Hanging around
Dropping in on the man who just broke one of the most death-defying records in sport
13 Dec 2025,49 mins
Expect the unexpected
The first woman to win the Paris-Dakar rally, the cult film Escape to Victory, Gail Emms
06 Dec 2025,53 mins
Body positive
Reclaiming the right to look fit and healthy in whatever way works
29 Nov 2025,49 mins
Hello England's Roses
The rose, an England symbol since 1486, is now often seen on the jersey of England teams
22 Nov 2025,49 mins
Clutch mentality
Some things you just can't train for but could be the difference between a win and loss
15 Nov 2025,51 mins
Glass half full
The power of positive thinking with four athletes who have overcome insurmountable odds
08 Nov 2025,55 mins
The unusual suspects
Inspirational athletes doing things their own way even if it goes against the grain!
01 Nov 2025,49 mins