Photo Credit: Jack Chevell

I’ve always wondered what happens behind the scenes at a world class cycling stage race. What do the riders do? Is there any panic on the team bus right before the start? Does everyone get on? On Sunday I got a sneaky insight while spending time with the Wiggle High5 Women’s Pro Cycling Team in London at the final stage of the OVO Energy Women’s Cycling Tour.

24-year-old rookie diver Rhiannan Iffland took the Red Bull Cliff Diving Championship by storm last year, entering her first season as an unknown wildcard before scooping the win to become the Series’ youngest ever winner.

So how does it feel to throw yourself off a cliff at an insane height (up to 90ft high) and plummet at 70km an hour into the water? As the cliff diving season kicks off this month, Aussie diver Rhiannan talks training and mindfulness and how she’ll never lose the fear.

Ultra-runner, surfer, snowboarder, dancer, BBC 2 Special Forces: Ultimate Hell Week contestant – Sarah Thomson is a sporting all-rounder, world record holder and former martial arts gold medallist.

Here, Sarah chats Hell Week beastings, ultra-running and how, for her, it all starts in the pain cave.

Photo Credit: Wildman Media

How does it feel to do your first swimrun challenge a year after having a baby? From buggy training to running in a wetsuit, former Team GB age group triathlete, duathlete and aquathlete, Sami Anderson, talks us through her experience of doing the brilliantly challenging Breca Buttermere Swimrun last year.

Tracy Moseley is a legend in mountain biking. Taking downhill MTB racing by storm, she dominated the scene for more than a decade, winning countless titles including World Downhill Champion in 2010, before switching to enduro mountain bike racing. Despite demanding a totally different skillset and fitness, Tracy took an incredible 15 World Enduro wins and three consecutive World Enduro Champion titles.

Having taken her foot off the gas a smidge in semi-retirement, I catch up with her to talk mountain bike training, downhill racing and her experiences in enduro.

Queen of the pull-up (and muscle-up and push-up) with a core of steel, Fanny Ahlfors (aka social media’s Fanny Josephine) makes hanging off gym bars and climbing, arms-only, look like a doddle.

Check out this video of Fanny and you’ll see what I mean.

Photo Credit: Chris Keller-Jackson

So you’re looking for a new challenge that mixes endurance sports with something new and fun – for charity? I’ve found it. Cyclone 24. Here’s what you need to know…

What is it?
Cyclone24 is a 24-hour cycle team relay event with a difference – it’s based in the velodrome, on the indoor cycle track. Fully supported before and during the event, it’s suitable for all ages and levels of cycling experiences. Think exhausting, think exhilarating. You’ll feel like a pro!

Photo Credit: Camille Fiducia

I first came across American mountain endurance athlete, Kelly Halpin, when I saw a short film about her taking on the Picnic in the Teton mountain range, a crazy version of a triathlon with a mountain summit smack bang in the middle of it. Described as a natural obstacle course, the Picnic includes a 2.6-mile swim, 42-mile cycle and a 20-mile hike then technical climb up to a 12,000ft high Teton peak, before doing the whole thing in reverse (you can see the video here.) Since then, Kelly’s surpassed the Picnic by doing the Triple Teton Triathlon, a version which included summiting all three Teton peaks, self-supported.

A few years ago, 33-year old Kiko Matthews was seriously ill with Cushing’s disease, suffering with everything from 65% muscle loss to psychosis, diabetes and osteoporosis. Fast forward to today and Kiko’s set herself an epic challenge: to not only complete a solo 3000-mile row across the Atlantic, but to annihilate a world record in the process by doing it all within 45 days (current record 56 days)!

Oh, and I should probably mention that the SUP board instructor has NO ROWING EXPERIENCE.
Kiko’s training journey will kick-off properly in October, but today we cover the basics of what she’s up to and why…