Global News Podcast - The Happy Pod: The surprise star of a US Olympics team

Episode Date: July 27, 2024

With the Paris Olympics underway, we hear about Beacon -- the therapy dog that's helped the USA Gymnastics team cope with the pressure and stress of competitive sport. His handler and owner, Tracey, tells us his friendly face and intuitive nature make him perfect for the job -- and that some of the gymnasts even talk to him.Also: the first horse rider from the Arab world to qualify for Olympic equestrian eventing tells us it's a huge honour to represent the region's history.How a new type of IVF is helping protect the future of threatened southern white Rhinos.A woman who travelled solo across Africa on a motorcycle says the three month journey made her feel alive.We're in Denmark to learn about a project that helps people with mental health issues - by prescribing a course of museum visits, concerts and other cultural activities.And we find out about the Olympic couples competing in the city of love.Our weekly collection of happy stories and positive news from around the world.Presenter: Jannat Jalil. Music composed by Iona Hampson.

Hello, this is the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service, with reports and analysis from across the world. The latest news seven days a week. BBC World Service podcasts are supported by advertising. If you're hearing this, you're probably already listening to BBC's award-winning news podcasts. But did you know that you can listen to them without ads? Get current affairs podcasts like Thank you. Amazon Music with a Prime membership. Spend less time on ads and more time with BBC podcasts. This is The Happy Pod from the BBC World Service. I'm Janette Jalil and in this edition, uploaded on Saturday the 27th of July,

the surprising star of the US Olympic team. He's very intuitive with people. He will scoot a little closer or he might put a paw on their leg or some of the gymnasts talk to Beacon. A therapy dog helping some of the world's top gymnasts deal with the pressure. The woman who found joy riding across Africa on a motorcycle. I do not want to live the basic everyday life. I want something extra, something more for myself because I love challenges.

I've had the best time of my life on this trip. My fears keep me alive. And? Zanta having wonderful genetics that are worth preserving, We know that she can't breed. The great thing about this is that Zanta will be represented in future generations of rhino. How a new type of IVF is helping to ensure the future of threatened wild rhinos. Also in this podcast, a woman making history in Paris.

If you're lucky enough to find something that you love, then you just have to work because it's not just going to happen out of the blue. But do it 100% and you'll do it well. We'll hear from the first Olympic equestrian eventer from the Arab world. And we'll find out about the couples competing in the city of love. With the Olympics now underway in Paris, we'll be bringing you a range of stories connected to the Games. And in recent years, there's been a growing focus on athletes' mental health and well-being, especially in sports with lots of young competitors. Well, USA Gymnastics has found a novel way to help ease stress and anxiety, therapy dogs.

And there's one in particular who's stealing the limelight. Everybody give it up for Beacon! Beacon, the four-year-old golden retriever, has even been given the official title of the team's goodest boy. The Happy Pod's Holly Gibbs spoke to Beacon's owner and handler, who's also a former gymnast and coach, Tracy Callahan-Molnar. Beacon is a golden retriever and he's sort of a medium golden colour. Beacon has a black nose and he has a big blocky head and he just has a friendly look about him. He's hard to say no to sometimes for sure. What made you want to get into pet therapy? I had a previous dog, also a golden retriever named Tulsa. I saw how much he really enjoyed people and as importantly, I saw how people

reacted to him. When Tulsa was about six years old, my husband was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. At the times when he would receive chemotherapy, they provided pet therapy. We both experienced the pet therapy. It wasn't only for David, but for me as well. But I also watched how much it helped David while he was going through his treatment. And we knew that this was something that Tulsa would be very good at. And we actually started doing pet therapy at that cancer center. So when I got Beacon, I hoped and hoped that he would also want to be involved in pet therapy. And he really sort of cut out for this. It's really his nature. He loves meeting people.

And I think also he's very intuitive with people. You know, he will just gravitate to a person and he will scoot a little closer or he might put a paw on their leg or he's wanting to get their attention to say, you know, focus on me, pet me. I have to ask because I grew up around breeds similar to Beacon and I know as lovely as they are, they do have their moments of misbehaving. Does he have any of those moments? Oh, the truth comes out. Living in Southern California, we have a lot of olive trees. No matter what, he knows I'm always going to tell him to spit it out and he spits it out. But it doesn't stop him from every single olive. He will scoop it up. But I can just tell by the posture of his head that he's got something in his mouth.

And I'll just say, spit it out. And sure enough, out comes the olives. What does Beacon do if an athlete is getting stressed and in need of some help from him? I feel like the best interaction and the best therapy happens when I'm quiet and just let the two of them have their time together. And that might mean the gymnast just petting Beacon. Some of the gymnasts talk to Beacon. Some of the gymnasts might talk to me as well. I think in general, he's just very engaged with whoever he's with. And do you think it has improved the mental well-being of the team? I would say yes. You know, hearing what some of the gymnasts are saying about, you know,

Beacon was the best thing that USA Gymnastics has done for us. Or one of our women's gymnasts said, thank God for Beacon. Do you think this is something that all sports or competitive atmospheres should have? A resounding yes. I think we've known it always, the importance of mental health, just in life, but in sport as well. And this is one modality of the way to offer that support. And so while it might not be everybody's first choice, why not give it as an option? And hopefully other sports and hopefully other countries are taking note. How does it feel when you see Beacon helping someone? Do you feel proud of him? Yes. And I felt like I knew where your question was going and I started to get choked up

immediately. It is such a wonderful feeling for me because I see it really across the board as a win-win. I don't see any negatives to it. Beacon loves it. I love it for Beacon. The gymnasts love it. The coaches love it for their gymnasts. To know that Beacon is making a difference, I could not be happier. I am extremely grateful to be able to do that. That was Tracy Callahan-Molnar talking about her therapy dog, Beacon. And you can see pictures of him on the BBC News website. Now to the remarkable story of a woman who's travelled solo across Africa from east to west on a motorbike. Udo Ebede-Jishers. She told Alan Kasuja why she'd been inspired to make the journey.

The inspiration stemmed from wanting to live life. I do not want to live the basic everyday life. I want something extra, something more for myself because I love challenges. I love to feel alive. I'd had a gruesome experience before in the past and it made me decide that I will live my life to the fullest. Living my life to the fullest for me, it means traveling and it makes me feel alive all the time. So yes, I wanted something more. I wanted to feel good. I wanted to feel like I am in this world and not doing anything basic. I don't think any two days were the same, certainly not from watching your videos. Tell me that feeling of just being on the road.

It's an unnerving feeling. There are times I would ride through forests for several hours and I would be the only one. And then I'm always scared. On curves, I'm slowing down because I don't know what I'll see. I could see a snake. I could see a wild animal on the road. So, yes, it has been a very scary experience, but really, really adventurous. I've had the best time

of my life on this trip. My fears keep me alive. Tell me about when you were fed by a group of women. Where was that? Huge pots of food, rice, meat. I saw a video of you. It's clearly like a settlement in the middle of the forest. It was like a restaurant type place. They were there. There were so many of them forest. It was like a restaurant type place. They were there.

There were so many of them there. So I think they were fascinated about a girl on a motorcycle. So it felt good to eat and to see people. When I saw people, I was so happy. I kept screaming, oh, there's a village, there's a village. I was so happy. And then you get to Angola, you get a lot of love from other bikers. Obrigado, obrigado.

What does it mean for you to be able to rely on those people? It means a lot. I got a lot of help from bikers in different ways. It's like a small community. No matter where you are, if you get the right connection, you can meet any biker anywhere. It's a small community of love because it's like we are going through the struggle together and helping ourselves out of the struggle together. It was a great feeling. It was an amazing feeling. Stereotypes? A woman on a bike? Did that attract any negativity? I think it's been mostly positive for me. Yes, people notice I'm a woman on the bike. That is very, very common. Like, immediately I move my helmet, people are coming around me, a lot of children, a lot of people

on the road. But I've not experienced anything negative. I travel in the most secure way. And when people see me, people want to favor me. People are fascinated about a girl on a bike being a female biker. I've not had any bad experience from it. Victoria Falls, you saw that. I'm so jealous. How did that feel? Welcome to Victoria Falls! You're jealous. I like that you're jealous. It felt great. You should miss it sometime.

It felt so good because I'd heard about Victoria Falls forever. You've put a lot of women on the map, women like you, African women who are aspiring to do this stuff. How does that make you feel? Does it come with a weight of elation? Have you really screamed and said, yes? Of course, when I got to Nigeria, that was something else. So when I arrived, I couldn't hold back my tears because the bikers were waiting for me there and then the dancers and everything. I just kept screaming and jumping.

I couldn't contain my excitement. I saw people cheering, holding up placards, singing, jumping and dancing. I'm like, where did these people come from? It was such a good time to experience that with people. Yes, I felt good. I felt good to be home. Home felt me as well. So good. Udo Ebadi-Joy speaking to Alan Kasuja about an epic journey. Now to a scientific breakthrough that could hopefully ensure the survival of a threatened species. Only around 15,000 southern white rhinos exist in the wild in Africa. But a team of researchers is trying to help them breed using IVF, with eggs harvested from their relatives at zoos across Europe. Our science editor Rebecca Murrell has been to Dublin Zoo in Ireland to find out more. Santa is a 22-year-old southern white rhino and she's about to undergo a

medical procedure. Scientists want to save her valuable genes. To do that they're harvesting her eggs. First she's darted with some anaesthetic. For the last week, she's been given special hormone injections to help her produce her eggs, but collecting them is far from easy. It requires painstaking precision, and the team here are looking inside her ovary on a special screen in front of them where they can locate the eggs so they can extract them. Franco Sullivan is a vet at Dublin Zoo. So Xanta having wonderful genetics that are worth preserving

we know from a previous reproductive assessment that she can't breed. The main reason we want to do the procedure is to bypass that and if you like the great thing about this is that xanthus will be represented in future generations of rhino the hope is that xanthus genes could help wild southern white rhinos at the end of the 19th century the species was almost extinct with as few as 20 animals. Their numbers have now recovered to thousands but they're all descended from that tiny group so they lack genetic diversity. But rhinos in zoos because of cross-breeding programs have genes that are more mixed up. The consequence if you have a very narrow gene pool is that for example a virus can jump from

one individual to the other because each individual is the same and the immune system acts like the same. Thomas Hildebrandt is from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research in Germany. His specialist team is working with Dublin Zoo and others across Europe. It's taken Professor Hildebrandt many years to develop this procedure. Now we try to apply this new technology to rescue Santa's genes and bring them back to Africa so that we have a brighter gene pool for the future. It could potentially be for a new rhinosome. In a makeshift lab next to the enclosure, Susanne Holzer from the Leibniz team peers through a microscope.

So we found four eggs. Three of them are really in good condition, so we hope that there's a good chance to have an embryo from them. Rhino IVF is still in its infancy, but the plan is to now fertilise the eggs and eventually implant them in a surrogate. It's a lot of effort. In the end, we actually come home with a few cells. But however, these cells have the potential to become embryos and to form a new rhino, a huge two-ton animal. So it is worth it. Not long after the procedure, Zanta is up. Although she doesn't know it, her eggs could make a big difference, ensuring the survival

of future generations. Rebecca Murrell reporting. Coming up in this podcast. Starting off being completely shut off and closed up in my own shell and then being accepted and feeling I'm okay the way I am. I feel a huge progression. How museums and concerts on prescription are helping people with mental health issues in Denmark. I'm going to go. Plus other great BBC podcasts from history to comedy to true crime, all ad-free. Simply subscribe to BBC Podcasts Premium on Apple Podcasts or listen to Amazon Music with a Prime membership. Spend less time on ads and more time with BBC Podcasts. Back to the Olympics and to a woman who's already made history. Noor Slaoui is the first person from North Africa or the Middle East to qualify for the horse riding competition known as eventing.

Even from the age of four, the Moroccan knew she wanted to become a professional rider and moved to France at the age of 18 to make her dream a reality. She's riding her horse, cash in hand, for dressage, show jumping, and her favourite, cross-country, at the Chateau de Versailles, just outside Paris. Noor told Nishat Lada how she felt about making it to the Olympics. Well, for me, it's a big honour. You know, there is a strong horsey tradition in those countries, in Morocco, the Arab world and everything. So for me, I'm very proud to be, you know, walking in those footsteps. How did you get into this field? I started off in

Morocco. I just loved the animals. So I loved not just horses, but also mules, donkeys, everything, you know, equine related. And my parents were very big on hiking. So we'd go, you know, hiking with the horses, the mules up in the mountains, in the desert. And that's what really developed my passion for the countryside, the animal nature. And then I always had this idea in my head that I wanted to become a professional rider, but I didn't really know how, you know, going from a dream to a reality. I didn't know what it took and how to get there. And you mentioned growing up in Morocco and going on hikes with your family. But another real inspiration for you is your mum. Tell us about your relationship with her and how inspirational she is for you. So she had an accident at age 32. So she became paraplegic

on a wheelchair. But she didn't let that determine her life. She just made the strength out of it. She had two kids before the accident, but then she had two kids after the accident. And I was the first born afterwards. And she, you know, created the rehab center for disabled people with her team. And for me growing up in that environment to see that truly anything is possible, that really helped me, you know, it fostered me and made me the person I am today, I think. So yeah, from the beginning, when I was riding at very low level and getting eliminated, she was saying, you'll go to the Olympics.

So you have your HGV license. Will you be driving Cash in Hand to Paris then? I will, actually. Wow, a woman of many talents. And what do you hope, you doing what you're doing, what do you think that says about women in this region? I think women in this region, we are very strong-willed. You know, women are not scared. We are very curious.

And once we find something we love, we just go for it. So for me, I was always raised that way. If you're lucky enough to find something that you love, then you just have to work because it's not just going to happen out of the blue. But do it 100% and you'll do it well. Of course, I have still so much to learn. But that's what I love about sports or anything in life, is that as soon as you learn more, you realise you need to learn even more. So I'm quite looking forward to all that learning

and all those experiences that are to come. And you can hear more from Noor Slaoui and other Olympic and Paralympic athletes on the BBC Sports Hour, available from wherever you get your podcasts. And you can see images of her and her beautiful horse, Cash in Hand, on the BBC News website. Time now for a few other positive news stories we've spotted. Early results suggest a drug commonly prescribed to thin blood could be used as a cheap antidote to cobra venom.

Snake bites kill about 138,000 people a year, mostly in Africa, South and Southeast Asia. But an international team of scientists has discovered that heparin could neutralise toxins in the venom of some spitting cobras. If you've ever dreamed of living on the moon, researchers in Italy think they've found the perfect place. The team from the University of Trento has identified the first lunar cave ever discovered and say that as it's at least 100 metres deep, it could be an ideal place for humans to build a permanent base sheltered from radiation, extreme temperatures and space weather. They believe it could be an opening to an

underground, undiscovered world made millions or even billions of years ago when lava flowed on the moon, creating tunnels through the rock. And here in the UK, a mischievous one-year-old cat has been identified as the culprit behind a series of thefts. Marvin's owner discovered he'd been entering her neighbour's homes and returning with a range of stolen goods. Marvin's owner discovered he'd been entering her neighbours' homes and returning with a range of stolen goods, from socks and slippers to a baby grow. Two years ago, people in Redmond in the US state of Oregon demanded their church minister keep her two cats, Catty and Callie, inside after they went on a burglary spree. Well, if your pets have ever stolen from your neighbours or embarrassed you in other silly ways, do send us an email or voice

note, globalpodcast at bbc.co.uk. Many of us find pleasure in visiting art galleries and museums, going to concerts or the theatre or singing with others. And in Denmark, the happiness that these cultural events can bring is being used to help those who have mental health problems. The free programme, known as Culture Vitamins or Art on Prescription, runs three times a week for 10 weeks and people can be referred by doctors, counsellors and job centres. It started as a three-year pilot back in 2016 and so far it's had more than a thousand participants. Adrienne Murray went along to find out more. I'm tagging along with a group of eight people to see Olpo's famous street art.

That's Klaus Renner. He works for the local municipality, but this morning he's our guide. For the next two hours, we weave our way past buildings spray painted with enormous murals. There's lifelike portraits and edgy graffiti. Everyone here in the group has faced struggles with their mental health from stress and anxiety to depression and loneliness. I chatted with 32 year old Lulu. I think it's been very educational and it's been very inspiring too.

At the end of the tour, I caught up with Klaus. They get sort of a pause from the illness. We all take vitamins. That's something we do to get stronger. It's not a medicine. We are not having the illusion that we are curing people from an illness, but we are doing something to strengthen their mental health. Mikkel Olen Nielsen is the programme coordinator.

I think when you step into the arena of culture and arts, there's a lot of emotions at stake, and the arts and culture make a place where there's room for all these feelings. I also attend the rehearsals of Old Boar's orchestra. After the walk, I caught up with Lulu again to hear how she's found being on the course. She tells me that in the beginning, she would wear all black clothing and hide under sweaters. However her self-esteem has improved. I went down with depression a long time ago and I just kind of ignored my own feelings and my own needs. Starting off being

completely shut off and closed up in my own shell and then being accepted and feeling I'm OK the way I am. I feel a huge progression. Stood in a circle around a piano, a handful of young people are taking turns to choose songs from a book of lyrics. This scheme caters specifically for 18 to 30-year-olds and was launched two years ago in response to growing concerns

about the well-being of young people. Among the songs belted out are Danish pop classics and Scandinavian superstars ABBA. I was like, oh no, this is going to be scary, but it's a really enjoyable and surprisingly fun experience. 20-year-old Dida joined Culture Vitamins two months ago. I hadn't been out with people in a long time. I really need routines since I have autism.

And it really helped, the whole waking up, having to do this. And I have also like made new friends did ending that report by Adrian Murray and you can hear more about this project and other innovative ways of tackling mental health issues on people fixing the world wherever you get your BBC podcasts and finally with the Olympics taking place in a city known as one of the most romantic in the world, we thought we'd take a look at some of the couples who'll be competing in Paris. Keris Maidment has been finding out more. From BMX to judo, shot put to surfing, sports star relationships can be seen across the games.

And after strict COVID restrictions at Tokyo in 2020, many of the couples will finally be able to cheer each other on in person. Fresh from Wimbledon, tennis fan favourite Alina Svitolina and her husband Gail Monfils will be representing Ukraine and France respectively. For the US fencing athletes Lee Kiefer and Geric Meinhardt, this will be their third Olympics as an item, their second as a married couple. And Slovakian race walkers Hanna Bertsalova and Dominic Czerny will be competing as fiancés this year,

after Dominic got down on one knee at the World Athletic Championships last August at the finish line. When one of us is maybe exhausted or tired or something is not working as we want, that's a disadvantage. But on the other side, when we can support each other and we... In hard times or harder times, let's say, we can support each other. So practically, it's an advantage. But we also remember that the most important thing is to represent our country the best way. And the second one is our love story.

You'd think that with the pressures the event brings, there'd be no time for date night. But with conflicting schedules and competitions around the world being the norm for athletes, the Olympics allows couples to spend a full three weeks together. Speaking in an interview with her club Bayern Munich, German footballer Lea Schuller said it can sometimes feel like she's in a long-distance relationship with her partner Lara Van Loo, who sails for Austria, even though they live together. But with all this talk of couples and their romantic mini-break,

what about those who are single? Australian tennis players have been expressing their excitement on TikTok about the bar in this year's Olympic Village. With beanbags and a DJ all setting the mood, it could be the perfect place to strike up a conversation with a like-minded Olympian. Who knows who our next sporting power couple could be? Look at this, I'm feeling sweet

I don't come easily That's what I need tonight I came here for love That report by Keris Maidment. And that's all from the Happy Pod for now. We'd love to hear from you if you have any stories you'd like to share that will make us all smile. As ever, the address is globalpodcast at bbc.co.uk.

This edition was mixed by Nathan Chamberlain. The producers were Holly Gibbs and Rachel Bulkeley. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Jeanette Jalil. Until next time, goodbye. If you're hearing this, you're probably already listening to BBC's award-winning news podcasts. But did you know that you can listen to them without ads? Get current affairs podcasts like Global News,

AmeriCast and The Global Story, plus other great BBC podcasts from history to comedy to true crime, all ad-free. Simply subscribe to BBC Podcast Premium on Apple Podcasts or listen to Amazon Music with a Prime membership. Spend less time on ads and more time with BBC Podcasts.