Today's guest is Joe Tidy who gives a great insight into life working in the world of cyber crime.

In October 2019 he became the BBC's first Cyber Correspondent - a long way from the early days of presenting on CBBC's Newsround.

Annie first met Joe as a triathlon commentator. Joe's competed in Ironman and talks about how long-distance training has helped him in life.

But he's made his name as a journalist and he gives a fascinating insight into life working in the challenging area of cyber crime including being offered potentially millions of pounds by hackers to infiltrate the BBC IT system.

His journalistic mantra is - if you're not going to be first, be the best.

And his Be Braver tip is something he's used in live TV and in public speaking - it's the Power Pose and Josie explains what this is and how it works.

Joe's book Ctrl+ Alt+ Chaos chronicles the life of a teenage internet hacker who became the most wanted cybercriminal in the world. And his new podcast series on BBC Sounds is Cyber Hack Evil Corp.

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Today's podcast is a little different..with a series of tips and insights from across the globe. Josie's at the annual conference of the Association for Applied Sports Psychology and has been chatting to some fascinating fellow delegates.

Dr John Coumbe-Lilley specialises in relationship therapy and sports psychology.

Ceci Craft is the mental performance coach for the Philadelphia Phillies Baseball team.

Dr Peter Olusaga works in high performance looking at burn out, stress and well-being.

Lani Silversides works on building mental health stregth through mental skills.

Lloyd Emeka focuses on chronic pain in endurance athletes.

Jessica O'Kelly works mostly in youth sports and uses self-compassion.

And Marci Sier, a professional squash player who specialises in performance psychology.

Hope you enjoy this content. Annie's back with Josie next week with a special guest.

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This week’s episode is all about mindset — the power that keeps us moving forward when things get tough. And we've an amazing guest in the incredible Stef Reid.

Stef is a Paralympian, broadcaster, and motivational speaker. Stef talks brilliantly about resilience, self-belief and finding motivation when you don't feel like showing up.

She talks honestly about a terrible boating accident as a teenager which left her needing an amputation. Stef goes on to give her take on what it really means to push through fear.

She shares how setbacks shaped her confidence and how redefining success has helped her stay grounded. For anyone who’s ever doubted themselves or is procrastinating on starting something new, Stef’s words are a reminder that mindset isn’t about being positive all the time — it’s about learning to keep going, even when things don’t look perfect.

Stef has a newsletter based around living with more courage - the Hail Mary Friday Club. Details at www.stefreid.com

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This is a remarkable chat. Jaz Turner is our youngest guest so far. We've been following her progress sailing around the British Isles and she's become the first wheelchair user to do it without any support.

Jaz has a rare debilitating and progressive genetic condition, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome(EDS). But she grew up in an abusive home and so her condition wasn't spotted or treated and by the age of 20 she became a full-time wheelchair user. The condition also affects her heart, lung and digestive and bowel system. She has seizures and fainting issues. She says she's driven by the freedom she finds by being on the water.

It is a terminal illness. At one stage, doctors gave her six months to live. She has faced the question - how to live, when you know you have a life-limiting illness. She now plans to sail around the world!

We also learn about Phoebe - her incredible assistance dog.

Also on the podcast, an incredible moment for Annie. She was out on a mountain bike ride but ended up helping a farmer deliver a calf. Totally unexpected but it was a lifetime ambition to be a vet!

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We decided to have a chat and go solo this week to talk about resilience and how we can find more of it to help in all parts of our life. It's an essential quality which we have to cultivate throughout our lives to navigate the challenges which are thrown at us.

So today we bring our experiences as a Sports Psychologist and an elite athlete and we've plenty to share which we think you'll find both interesting and useful.

We cover optimism, feedback and dealing with teenagers. There's the daily parent juggle and ending up in a bush by flying off a mountain bike.

Josie shares how she faced up to some tough feedback and discovered that even uncomfortable criticism can be a powerful gift if you’re brave enough to use it.

The conversation also dives into how kids handle feedback, why parents need to bite their tongues after sports matches and the importance of unconditional love when your child is chasing their passions.

With warmth, humour and some very real tales of scraped knees and life’s curveballs, this episode is a reminder that resilience doesn’t always look heroic—it’s often about the small choices, the brave reframes and keeping a smile when things get tough.

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Today's guest has come to the conclusion that our time is far too short to be preoccupied by what's not essential to life and happiness. Dr Mark Hines has pushed himself both physically and mentally to some remarkable achievements.

He's raced in rainforests, across deserts, over mountains and in the Artctic and sub-Arctic. He's run, climbed, pulled a sled and paddled a board. And has written books about his adventures.

He says mere satisfaction is not enough. He needs to know he's doing everything he can to live life to the full. He urges people to be more imaginative and daring and to find ways of making our life truly our own.

It's a great chat about tackling fear and hearing about some remarkable adventures with lots to learn for getting more out of life.

You can find more about his books here https://www.drmarkhines.com/books

And you can follow us on instagram @bebrarverpod

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Today's guest is Allie Bailey, a phenomenal athlete, adventurer and mindset coach, who has survived alcoholism, depression and suicide attempts. It's such a powerful, inspirational and raw chat.

Allie has run over 200 marathons and 80 ultra marathons. She's crossed deserts and run the length of the Panama Canal amongst her many challenges. She says, from experience, running won't save you, but might give you the time to survive yourself and will change your life.

It's an honest and compelling interview from Allie who now reaches out to others to help teach them how brilliant they can be. The interview with Allie is emotional, recorded just days after completing Dragon's Back, a 6 day ultra journey through Wales considered one of the toughest mountain races in the world. She feels completely broken and terrible as she does this podcast but she believes in a few weeks she'll look back on it as one of the greatest achievements of her life.

She says alcohol and alcoholism is everywhere. From the most extreme sports to musicians on stage. Allie had a dream job working in the music industry and recognised she had 20 years as an alcoholic. She hit rock bottom in 2021 before she sought help and has been sober since then.

Allie is a great Be Braver guest and passes on advice about living to your values and being yourself.

If you want to find out more about Allie, she has a book titled There is no Wall.

We'd love to hear from you - find us at @bebraverpod

Be Braver is back! Annie Emmerson and Dr Josie Perry return to help you discover how to find courage, stretch your comfort zone, and live with more confidence.

We hope you've had a good summer! And in this episode we catch up on the last few weeks. Annie has been globe-trotting commentating on triathlon and the World Games in China. She talks about how she was introduced to lots of new sports from Dragon Boat Racing to Marathon Canoe. She's candid about her self-doubts and fears and how she coped. She also talks about grappling with motherhood and the desire to be ambitious with her career.

Josie shares her holiday experiences and what she learnt from watch her daughter's blossoming confidence and how nurturing environments. help bravery in the young.

Together, they emphasise that bravery is not merely the absence of fear but the courage to act despite it.

As the episode draws to a close, Josie reveals how a hairdressing appointment proved more drastic than she thought and the consequences it had when picking up her daughter from summer school.

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