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Not by the Playbook, Sportshour, Scratching the surface

Not by the Playbook

Sportshour

Scratching the surface

May 24, 2025

49 minutes

Available for over a year

Not by the Playbook’s Katie Smith is scouring the world’s surface for extraordinary stories – from the depths of the ocean to an extreme triathlon to the top of the world.

Italian freediver Alessia Zecchini speaks from the Philippines where she has set her 40th world record, so what is it like descending down to depths of over 100 metres below the surface without oxygen? Alessia continues to dive in memory of her partner, Stephen Keenan who was killed diving in 2017. Their story is the subject of the Netflix film The Deepest Breath.

Mitch Hutchcraft reflects on his gruelling seven month triathlon – from England to the top of Everest. To get there he swam, cycled, ran and trekked for over 13,000 kilometres across 20 different countries, taking 240 days to complete. Strong currents, near fatal accidents and stray dogs were just some of the challenges he encountered, but why did he do it?

Runner Mirna Valerio swapped the classroom as a Spanish teacher for the rough and rugged terrain of the outdoors and the rough world of scrutiny on social media. Mirna opens up about the trolling she faces online, the community she’s created and the message she wants to share about how we view ourselves and others on and beneath the surface.

This week is all about surfaces on Not by the Playbook and if there is anyone who knows all about different surfaces then it's tennis players. 2016 Olympic women's singles champion Monica Puig reveals all about what it’s like having to adapt to the clay, grass and hard courts of the tennis tour.

Listen to Not by the Playbook on the BBC World Service every Saturday at 0900 GMT, or find it as a podcast wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

Get in touch with us via email and use the hashtag #NBTP on social media.

Image: Alessia Zecchini starting the descent of a freedive in the ocean. (Photo by Kurt Wang)