Not by the Playbook

With around 15 tattoos across her arms neck and throat and a habit of wearing temporary tattoos on her face when playing, it's fair to say Oleksandra Oliynykova has a distinctive look. But she also has a fearsome will to win, and is knocking on the door of the top 50, in women's tennis. Born in Ukraine, when war broke out in 2014, she escaped to Croatia. It was there that her tennis career flourished. Now aged 25 she is back living and training in Ukraine, making her the only professional tennis player doing so. Oleksandra has been telling us she believes many more of her fellow players should be more vocal on the subject or the Ukraine war.
The Klitschko brothers Wladimir and Vitali, dominated the heavyweight boxing division during a period known simply as "the Klitschko era" When Vitali hung up his gloves in 2012 he entered another bruising profession. Politics. In 2014 Vitali was elected the Mayor of Kiev, a position he has held ever since. He has become a symbol of resistance and explained the daily struggles the people of the city of Kiev face
Karate has only ever been an Olympic discipline once. Perhaps unsurprisingly in Tokyo at the Games a few years ago. So to win an Olympic medal in the sport is an extremely rare event...So imagine working your whole life to win that and then to give it away! Well that's exactly what Stanislav Horuna did. A Bronze medalist in the "Kumite" 75 kg category within weeks he had auctioned it off to raise for finances to help Ukraine's war effort. Spring forward to 2026 and much to Stan's surprise he has been given his medal back. He's been explaining how.
When Shakhtar Donetsk won the UEFA Cup in 2009, it was meant to be the start of a new chapter for independent Ukraine. However, when war broke out in 2014, the team's ambitions were put on hold. The club captain, Darijo Srna, has been explaining how he and his family coped in the aftermath
Photo:Oleksandra Oliynykova of Ukraine competes in the Billie Jean King Cup. April 11, 2026. (CREDIT: Marcin Golba/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

"Jobs fill your pocket, but adventures fill your soul." So said US actress Jamie Lyn Beatty. So this week we fill your soul with fantastical adventures and adventurers.
Belgium Tom de Dorlodot soars through the air like an eagle, exploring places untouched by humans. He does it all by harnessing the power of the wind and his spirit of adventure. Tom is a record breaking paraglider who has crossed some of the most challenging terrains on earth
Jono Ridler, is an ultra-marathon swimmer and environmental advocate from New Zealand best known for breaking world endurance records to protect the ocean. In 2026, he completed his most ambitious challenge yet, swimming the length of the North Island of New Zealand from North Cape to Wellington - a 1,400 km swim that took 90 days to complete. It was the longest, unassisted staged swim in history. Called Swim4TheOcean, it called on political leaders to end the fishing practice of bottom trawling in New Zealand.
Back in 1988 Australia's Kay Cottee became the first woman to sail solo, non-stop, and unassisted around the world. Not by the Playbook's Simon Watts hears her memories of nearly 200 days at sea.
Being adventurous is often a solo task, but in the case of Luciano Wernicke it's a family affair. Luciano is best known in his native Argentina as a prolific author and sports historian. It's a passion that has taken him and his family all over the world. His latest book is called '501 World Cup Moments'. We didn't have time to go through them all so instead we picked out those from previous tournaments in Mexico and the USA.
PHOTO: Tom de Dorlodot of Belgium soars over the cliffs in front of Tre Cime di Lavaredo (CREDIT: Adam Pretty/Getty Images for LUMIX)

"Some people think football is a matter of life and death... I can assure them it is much more serious than that." So said legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankly. And whilst the World Cup is on, it can certainly feel like that, but whether you're a fanatic, glued to every last moment of action, or doing whatever you can to avoid being subjected to it, what you can't deny is the impact of soccer. So this week stories four World Cup stories that about so much more than soccer with a tale from Mexico, Canada and the USA
To Mexico where, as well as the competition's opening match in Mexico City, there will be games in both Monterrey and Guadalajara. Buoyed on by their passionate fans, Mexico will also have supporters a in a small enclave of the British Isles. Because deep in the South West of the UK is the county of Cornwall where over one hundred a fifty years ago a group of miners packed their picks and shovels and headed to Mexico to dig for silver, and in doing so introduced the sport of soccer.
There will be a total of 13 matches hosted by Canada at this World Cup... They have some experience because back in 2015 Canada hosted the Women's Soccer World Cup. It was also the year that Harry Manson a soccer player, became the inaugural First Nations athlete to be inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. Harry's is a story of inspiration and recognition for a community often disadvantaged, but his is also a sad one, a life tragically cut short. Harry Manson's story is also a microcosm of what life was like for Canada’s indigenous population in the late 19th century and for subsequent generations. Through the eyes of his family, including grandson Gary Manson, and historian Robert Jennings, we tell that story
In 1994 the USA hosted the FIFA Men's World Cup for the first time. The choice of host nation was a controversial one because, at that time, the US didn't have an active professional football league. Alan Rothenberg was the man in charge of organising the competition. He decided to book Motown legend, Diana Ross, to headline the opening ceremony in Chicago.. Something that turned out to become an iconic moment in World Cup history. Alan has been sharing his memories of the tournament
And last but not least the most important part of any sport.The fans! Or at least you'd hope so, but with things like high ticket prices it can often seem more like a money grab. Andy Milne has seen the way the World Cup has changed having travelled to the Men's competition since 1982. He's in North America in the hopes that his beloved England will fulfil a nation's dream and win the competition again! But for Andy the game is only a small part of the World Cup experience. For Andy it's the friendships he makes on the way that mean the most.
PHOTO: FIFA World Cup Trophy is displayed (CREDIT: Hector Vivas - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

This week we take a tour of England highlighting the stories and legends from every part of "This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England." to borrow a quote from William Shakespeare!
We start in the deep South West and the port city of Plymouth, birthplace of Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth diving champion Tom Daley. The poster boy of the London 2012 games; his debut came four years earlier in Beijing aged just fourteen. Now retired he lives in Los Angeles - very handy to watch the next games - with his husband and two children. Since hanging up his trunks Tom has become famous for knitting. In fact once he starts talking about it, it's rather difficult to get him talking about anything else!
To the Midlands, represented by former Premier League footballer Dion Dublin. Aside from playing for Manchester United, Coventry City and Aston Villa, Dion also represented England in both defence and attack! Yet for a younger generation he's better known as host of the BBC Television show "Homes Under the Hammer"about buying, renovating and then selling properties purchased at auction. So before talking about the upcoming World Cup, does Dion fell he is more famous for football or for flogging houses on the telly?!
We head to Liverpool in the north of England to meet double World Heptathlon Champion Katrina Johnson Thompson. Heptathletes are a different breed, competing over two days in 7 different events, unsurprisingly it can take a toll on the body and Katrina, or KJT as she's known has had more than her fair share of setbacks. After competing at four Olympics her only medal was a silver in Paris two years ago. So how does she balance the need to push herself to the limit, without taking it too far and causing her body to fail?
it's one of the most iconic achievements in sporting history. In 1954, the late Sir Roger Bannister - a doctor living Oxford - became the first athlete to run a mile in less than four minutes. At the time this was one of the greatest prizes in athletics.

Photo: Tom Daley of Team Great Britain knitting before the Men's 10m Platform Final at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games (CREDIT: Clive Rose/Getty Images)

Four pioneers from four different sports all of whom trod a path where no path had previously existed. Along the way their determination not only made them legends, but gave all those who came after them the chance to see what success could look like and have something to emulate.
Women's professional sport has, for most, only been a very recent thing. Take women's rugby, the professional era which is just for the very elite in the game only started in 2019 It's meant that for many it has been quite common to juggle an elite sporting career with something a little more regular. Unless you are Shaunagh Brown, because whatever Shaunagh does, she does it with style and swagger... so we suspect our chat about her life on and off the field would have been fun even if she'd been in data entry or a tax consultant! Her career straddled the pro era and she hung up her cleats in 2023 which means she's got the chance to add to an already long and interesting CV
Women's boxing has only been in the Olympics since 2012... And Sweden's Anna Laurell Nash was there! For many years women boxing was at best frowned upon by many parts of society which added a whole level of pressure to those trying to make it succeed. What makes Anna's story so unusual that she was also pursuing a parallel career in academia. In fact now that she has hung up her gloves she holds a senior role at the Stockholm School of Economics, from where she spoke to us about where he love of pugilism started
Hannah Cox is where a pioneering spirit meets running, and exploring, and good old fashioned adventuring! Here's the facts, she recently ran 100 marathons in 100 days in India, a remarkable feet for any athlete, perhaps even more so if they only started running 18 months ago! But for Hannah this is not just a story about physical endurance and mental resilience. It's also about completing a route no one had taken before in modern times and in doing so connecting her present day life with a past she knew very little about
The world of ten pin bowling is not just a popular past time, but has a deeply competitive professional league... Before Kelly Kulick no woman had ever played on the professional tour.
PHOTO: Shaunagh Brown of England is all smiles during an England Red Roses Training Session 2022 (CREDIT: Catherine Ivill - RFU/The RFU Collection via Getty Images)