Fuelled by fear

What could you achieve if fear wasn't standing in the way? Fear exists in so much of what we do; a scary interview on the horizon, standing on top of a terrifyingly tall building, fear of the unknown, fear of failing, fear of being different. Yet what about those who we laud as fearless? Athletes who push the boundaries, adrenaline junkies who jump at anything bigger, higher, faster -- is there such thing as fearlessness? But behind the roar of the crowd, away from the podium, do even athletes feel fear?

Matt Formston has challenged perceptions throughout his life. Where others saw limitations and said "he couldn't" Matt's family asked a very simple question -- "why not?" Diagnosed with macular dystrophy at just five years old, Matt has gone on to break records in cycling, surfing and freediving. In November 2022, Matt surfed a fifty-one-foot wave at Nazaré, Portugal. The biggest wave ever surfed by any para athlete, proving that vision loss is no barrier to extraordinary achievement.

During her years as an extreme skier, Kristen Ulmer knew her relationship with fear was different than most. For a decade, Kristen reigned as one of the world’s leading big-mountain skiers. In that high-stakes world, fear was not an obstacle, but a dare—driving her to attempt even bigger cliff jumps and conquer more treacherous descents. But after retiring from professional skiing in 2003, Kristen became obsessed with the very thing she'd always been praised for not feeling -- fear. Was fear really a bad thing, or could it be moulded into something far more powerful in our minds? Well, she's become an expert in all things fear and has published a book all about it The Art of Fear.

For Nik Wallenda, walking hundreds of feet above the ground is all in a day’s work. Known as the ‘King of the High Wire’, Nik is a seventh-generation member of the legendary Flying Wallendas, a high-wire dynasty whose circus roots trace back to 18th-century Europe. He reflects on a legendary career of death-defying performances, the power of family and the lessons fear can teach us about life. From taking daring leaps into the unknown to turning anxiety into a competitive advantage, how do athletes embrace what many would be scared of to reach new heights? This week, on Halloween, we explore the power of fear in sport.