Russ Cook, better known as the Hardest Geezer, became famous for running the length of Africa. 352 days. 10,000 miles. The first person ever to do it. But before all of that, he was a teenager scrubbing a Waitrose toilet at 4am, opening a cupboard to find a single tin of new potatoes, and hiding a gambling debt from his girlfriend.

In this conversation, Jake goes back to before Africa - to the years of directionlessness, the arrogance that masked insecurity, the run home from a nightclub in Brighton, and the chance encounter with a cyclist in Kenya that changed everything.

They also get into the question that sits beneath all of it: is Russ running towards something great, or away from something painful? And now he's a new father - how does that shift what he's willing to risk?

Plus: why he won't take the Leeds Ironman lightly despite barely managing three lengths of a pool.

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Boris Becker burned out at 25. Former British No1 Jo Konta carried her family's sacrifice onto court every match and Irish tennise pr Conor Niland described a tennis player's self-worth as entirely tied to winning and losing — nothing else. Three players, the same problem: identity wrapped around results, the sport becoming something to survive.

This week, in the run-up to Wimbledon, Jake and Damian go back into the archive to hear from all three — then hand over to leading performance coach, Ben Crowe, who has spent 30 years helping the world's best athletes solve exactly that problem.

Ben has worked with athletes Ash Barty and Steph Gilmore coached NBA teams and the Australian Cricket Team, and comes personally recommended by Andre Agassi. You'll hear the full story of Ash Barty's French Open semifinal — 5-0 up and tightening, 3-0 down and laughing — and what shifted in her mind to turn it around. Plus Ben's central idea: the opposite of play is not work. It's fear. And most people, most of the time, are in the fear state without knowing it.

Where the Light Gets In by Ben Crowe is available now.

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Racing Bulls Formula 1 driver Liam Lawson has lived through the highest stakes and the ruthless politics of motorsport.

In this episode, Liam opens up about the reality of his Red Bull exit, revealing how he was blindsided, unfairly judged and left carrying the blame for a radical car setup experiment. He also shares where his self belief comes from, from finishing last in go karting to ignoring the people who said Formula 1 was impossible.

Liam also reveals the unexpected habit that helps him handle the noise of race weekend, taking a guitar to every Grand Prix to switch off and reset. This is a raw and honest conversation about pressure, resilience and protecting who you are in one of the most unforgiving sports in the world.

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Better Help 👉 Join Jake in Saying It Louder with 10% off Betterhelp Therapy. Click here: https://highpfrmc.com/hpp-betterhelp-au

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