Apr 30, 2018
Sports presenter Charlie Webster arrived at our interview cut and bruised from a fall the previous day during the London Marathon...but this is nothing compared to the 3000 mile cycle from London to Rio which ended in her being in a coma and given 24 hours to live. As a sports presenter she’s worked all over the world – starting off at Real Madrid TV and then at ESPN in Singapore - and has the most incredible, irresistible energy. She now works tirelessly to help other people going through what she went through, I know you’re going to love her.
On this episode we cover:
Limping and bruised after the London Marathon
Having a fight with a pavement
The journey that nearly killed her
Ending up in a coma in a hospital in Rio
Being given 24 hours to live
London 2012
Rio 2016
Cycling across Europe
Cycling across Brazil
Almost falling asleep at 27 mph on a bike
Pushing herself
Having to adjust to life-long after effects of her illness
The difficulty of language barrier issues in intensive care
Using Google translate to communicate to doctors
Extreme pain
Being told she was dying
Her mum being told she was dying
Her mum’s and brother’s voices pulling her through
Being ‘aggressively resuscitated’
Mental battles and survivors guilt
Meeting the parents of children who died
Being desperate to fight
Loving travel and adventure
Losing her identity
Anxiety
Having to fight every day
The gift of survival
Being diagnosed at the last minute
Fighting malaria
The unknown risk of malaria in Brazil
How climate change and population displacement spread disease
Travelling to Uganda
How she loves the people and culture in Uganda
Travelling to remote villages in Uganda
Writing letters to the community leaders
Severe poverty in Uganda
The little girl who lost her life to malaria
How Ugandans are learning about fighting malaria
How to prevent Malaria
The Commonwealth Summit
Bed nets with no beds
Running the London Marathon for malaria charity
Struggling with the marathon
Her working class background
Fantasizing about the wonders of Spain
Real Madrid TV
Moving to Madrid
Burning the candle at both ends in Madrid
How the Spanish cope (or don’t!) with the late nights
Loving Spanish food
Loving all food!
Loving the community spirit
How friends and family contact helps you live longer
Real Madrid Galacticos
Hanging out with David Beckham, Raul, Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane
Travelling with the football team
Training in Austria
Lacking confidence as a child
Being the first person in the family to go to university
Doubting herself at the Real Madrid TV interview
Growing up in Sheffield
Sheffield’s cultural heritage
Unemployment and deprivation in Sheffield
Being proud of her northern grit
Being born a fighter
Not feeling that she had a voice at school
Being the kids from the rougher areas
Her teen-mum mother
Moving to Asia after Madrid
Working at ESPN in Singapore
Being the first female sports presenter
Being bullied at work
Crying in her hotel room
Loving travelling all over Asia
Being brought up on football
Going to Thailand with the Thai FA
Going to Indonesia
Sheffield United
Asia’s love of Manchester United and Victoria
Taxi driver’s knowledge of Sheffield Wednesday
Loving Asian food
Recommending Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur
Being fascinated by Cambodia
The Cambodian genocide
Loving Bangkok
Thailand closing Maya Bay beach to tourism
The negative side of tourism
Loving how travel makes her learn and grow
The wonders of Columbia
Colombia’s coffee plantations rainforest, seeing indigenous tribes, Bogota, Medellin and much more.
Having no good memories of Rio
Her incredible trip to Israel
Tel Aviv’s nightlife
Jerusalem’s amazing nightlife
The locals bar in Jerusalem where she was in her element
Sunrise at the Wailing Wall