The Mettleset Podcast

• 105. Maryam Al Farsi - A Rising UAE Star On Stepping Onto Sport’s Biggest Stage

  Today’s episode of The Mettleset Podcast is brought to you by New Balance 👟Happy Eid Al Etihad! 🇦🇪Today’s episode of The Mettleset Podcast takes us trackside with Maryam Al Farsi, one of the UAE’s youngest Olympians. From picking up sprinting just five years ago to running the 100m at Paris 2024, Maryam’s journey is full of grit, laughs, and a few moments that will make you feel like you’re right there on the starting blocks. She opens up about the ups and downs of training, balancing school and elite sport, breaking personal records, and what it felt like stepping into the Olympic Village surrounded by her heroes.Whether you’re a sports fan or just love an inspiring story, this episode is packed with honesty, determination, and a glimpse of what it really takes to chase your dreams on the world stage.Enjoy!Follow Mariam on Instagram: @maryamalfarsi1🌍 Stay Connected with - and support - The Mettleset📥 Newsletter: Sign up for athlete stories, behind-the-scenes insights, and women’s sports news from MENA and beyond📸 Instagram: @themettleset💼 LinkedIn: The Mettleset on LinkedIn🌐Website: TheMettleset.com Credits:Host: Dawn BarnableGuest: Maryam Al FarsiEditor: Diya Vergis Produced by: The Mettleset🚲 The Mettleset is a multimedia platform and online community dedicated to sharing stories of underrepresented athletes and underreported sports from the Middle East and beyond. With a mission to diversify the sporting ecosystem, it is one of the first and only sports platforms in the Middle East to put women in sport first, while also featuring niche sporting communities such as action and endurance sports.I hope you enjoy the episode!Dawn

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• 104. 🇵🇭🇦🇪 Bowling, Belonging, and UAE Pride with Sarah Ociones 🎳

  Today’s episode of The Mettleset Podcast is brought to you by New Balance 👟Today, we roll into a story about community, connection, and a love of the game. 🎳In collaboration with Zayed Sports City, we spotlight the athletes and grassroots groups shaping Abu Dhabi’s women’s and community sports scene. And there’s no better example than the Abu Dhabi Filipino Bowling Club, more than a league for nearly four decades, it’s a second family for generations of Filipinos in the UAE.Recorded at the Khalifa International Bowling Center at Zayed Sports City, we chat with Sarah Ociones, a long-time resident, former UAE National Team bowler, and central figure in the club. She shares how bowling went from a fun family activity to international competition, how the club has grown, and the ways it brings people together - through tournaments, charity, and sheer love of the game.Whether you’re a bowler or just curious about how sport creates community, this episode is full of laughter, inspiration, and stories that make Abu Dhabi feel like home.Full feature linked here. Enjoy!Follow Abu Dhabi Filipino Bowling Club on Instagram: @adfbc.uae🌍 Stay Connected with - and support - The Mettleset📥 Newsletter: Sign up for athlete stories, behind-the-scenes insights, and women’s sports news from MENA and beyond📸 Instagram: @themettleset💼 LinkedIn: The Mettleset on LinkedIn🌐Website: TheMettleset.com Credits:Host: Dawn BarnableGuest: Sarah OcionesEditor: Diya Vergis Produced by: The Mettleset🚲 The Mettleset is a multimedia platform and online community dedicated to sharing stories of underrepresented athletes and underreported sports from the Middle East and beyond. With a mission to diversify the sporting ecosystem, it is one of the first and only sports platforms in the Middle East to put women in sport first, while also featuring niche sporting communities such as action and endurance sports.I hope you enjoy the episode!Dawn

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• 103. Women in Sport Myth-Busting with Dr. Mariana Kessler

  Today’s episode of The Mettleset Podcast is brought to you by New Balance 👟One of the biggest myths in sport?That women experience stress more intensely than men, and cope less effectively.In this episode recorded live at the Emirates Sports Medicine Conference, sports psychologist and researcher Dr. Mariana Kessler breaks down why that long-held belief simply isn’t true. Drawing from years of research into stress, coping, wellbeing, and gender differences in athletes, Dr. Mariana explains what the science actually shows, and why women’s experiences in sport often feel more stressful for reasons that have nothing to do with biology or ability.She dives into the real issue: the systemic barriers women face every day in sport. From microaggressions to under-representation to male-dominated research frameworks, Dr. Mariana highlights how the environment shapes stress far more than individual traits.We also unpack the four areas in sport where the gender gap remains most visible, research, representation, media visibility, and funding, and what needs to change to close those gaps.Follow Dr. Mariana on LinkedIn: Dr. Mariana Kaiseler🌍 Stay Connected with - and support - The Mettleset📥 Newsletter: Sign up for athlete stories, behind-the-scenes insights, and women’s sports news from MENA and beyond📸 Instagram: @themettleset💼 LinkedIn: The Mettleset on LinkedInCredits:Host: Dawn BarnableGuest: Dr.Mariana KaiselerEditor: Diya Vergis Produced by: The Mettleset🚲 The Mettleset is a multimedia platform and online community dedicated to sharing stories of underrepresented athletes and underreported sports from the Middle East and beyond. With a mission to diversify the sporting ecosystem, it is one of the first and only sports platforms in the Middle East to put women in sport first, while also featuring niche sporting communities such as action and endurance sports.I hope you enjoy the episode!Dawn

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• 102. Avoiding the RED-S Card - Dr. Margo Mountjoy on Energy, Health & Equity in Sport

  Today’s episode of The Mettleset Podcast is brought to you by New Balance 👟This week, we’re joined by Dr. Margo Mountjoy, sports physician, clinical professor at McMaster University, and one of the world’s leading experts on RED‑S - Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport.Recorded live at the Emirates Sports Medicine Conference, Dr. Mountjoy breaks down what RED‑S really means, how it affects both women and men, and why it often hides in plain sight behind fatigue, injury, or performance dips.She explains how low energy availability impacts the body, from bone and reproductive health to mental focus, and why recovery starts with something deceptively simple: eating enough to meet your training load.We also dive into the cultural and psychological layers around food and body image in sport, the importance of educating young and endurance athletes early, and how awareness and individualized care can prevent long-term health consequences.Beyond physiology, Dr. Mountjoy reflects on gender equity in sport, from medical research to leadership, and her hope for a more inclusive, athlete-centered future.A must-listen for athletes, coaches, parents, and anyone who believes high performance and health should go hand in hand. 🎧Follow Dr. Margo on Instagram: @drmargomountjoy🌍 Stay Connected with - and support - The Mettleset📥 Newsletter: Sign up for athlete stories, behind-the-scenes insights, and women’s sports news from MENA and beyond📸 Instagram: @themettleset💼 LinkedIn: The Mettleset on LinkedInCredits:Host: Dawn BarnableGuest: Dr.Margo Mountjoy Editor: Diya Vergis Produced by: The Mettleset

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• 101. “Work Hard and Luck Will Chase You” - Nourelhoda Arafa, Egyptian national rower and The Mettleset’s very own on the road to LA28

  Today’s episode of The Mettleset Podcast is brought to you by New Balance 👟This week, we’re turning the mic inward to one of our own, Nourelhoda Arafa, Egyptian national rower and record holder, and Olympic hopeful.At 13, she picked up rowing for the first time. By 15, she was chasing Olympic dreams. Then came a sudden stop, no boats, no water, no access. For seven years, Nourelhoda couldn’t row outdoors. Most people would’ve given up. She didn’t.Alongside her longtime coach Motaz, she kept training indoors, building strength, discipline, and belief. That commitment led to Egypt’s first-ever World Indoor Rowing gold medal in 2020, followed by multiple medals on the world stage.Now, she’s back on the water, training for LA 2028, and sharing what she’s learned along the way, from managing setbacks,rebuilding after illness, learning to listen to her body, and what it means to live up to her name, Nourelhoda, “a guiding light.”Her story is about what happens when you refuse to give up, and how, sometimes, luck really does chase the ones who keep going. 🎧Follow Nourelhoda on Instagram: @nourelhoda.arafa🌍 Stay Connected with - and support - The Mettleset📥 Newsletter: Sign up for athlete stories, behind-the-scenes insights, and women’s sports news from MENA and beyond📸 Instagram: @themettleset💼 LinkedIn: The Mettleset on LinkedInCredits:Host: Dawn BarnableGuest: Nourelhoda AraEditor: Diya Vergis Produced by: The Mettleset🚲 The Mettleset is a multimedia platform and online community dedicated to sharing stories of underrepresented athletes and underreported sports from the Middle East and beyond. With a mission to diversify the sporting ecosystem, it is one of the first and only sports platforms in the Middle East to put women in sport first, while also featuring niche sporting communities such as action and endurance sports.I hope you enjoy the episode!Dawn

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