Back On Track
40 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 2 years ago -Welcome to the Back On Track Podcast with me, Sam West. My mission is to inspire, helping you to get through the tough times and live a better, more fulfilling life. On the show I speak to inspirational people who’ve come back from rock bottom, and also experts that provide you with the tools you need to implement positive changes in your life.
The fact is, we all go through difficult times where it feels like things are going off the rails - that’s what makes us human. It’s happened to me in the form of mental illness, and it may have happened to you in different way too. But by listening to how others got things back on track, and learning how to improve our physical and mental state, we can go from suffering to outright thriving.
If you’ve been on the journey so far, I just wanna say thanks so much for supporting, and if you’re new here I wanna say welcome, and I hope you enjoy the show!
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Episodes
My Near-Death Experience with COVID-19 & the Healing Power of Nature - Robin Hanbury-Tenison
April 05, 2022 17:12 - 39 minutes - 27.1 MBOn today's episode is one of the last great remaining explorers of our generation, Robin Hanbury-Tenison, OBE. On the show we discuss Robin's remarkable story of surviving coronavirus, his incredible explorations and the healing power of nature. Back in March 2020, Robin was one of the very first patients in the UK to become seriously ill and hospitalised with COVID, and spent five weeks in a coma in intensive care. Needing a ventilator and other equipment just to keep him alive, doctors...
How to Manage Anxiety and Panic Attacks - Dr. Jill Stoddard
March 21, 2022 16:11 - 48 minutes - 33.6 MBOn today's episode is leading psychologist and anxiety expert Dr. Jill Stoddard. In this episode Jill explains to us what causes anxiety, what the most common symptoms are and most importantly how we can manage it when these feelings arise. We also talk in-depth about panic attacks and approaches you can try and take to calm yourself down in those moments. As a sufferer of anxiety myself, I found talking to Jill on this podcast really useful, and feel as though I now have some tricks and t...
My Recovery From Anxiety, Binge Drinking & Suicidal Thoughts - Sam West
March 01, 2022 16:47 - 1 hour - 66.2 MBAfter a short break, the podcast is back and I’ve decided to share my own story on the channel with the help of my good friend Alfie taking the interviewer role. Hopefully, by sharing my story, it becomes clearer why some of the subjects discussed on the show are so close to my heart. From a young age I felt a void within me, and tried to fill that space initially by misbehaving in school as it provided me with a stimulus which made me feel whole. After being kicked out of school and progr...
Former Armed Robber Tam Carrigan Shares His Story of Change
November 30, 2021 16:41 - 2 hours - 107 MBOn today’s episode is former armed robber and war-zone photographer Tam Carrigan. Crime was normalised from a young age for Tam, with childhood memories of visiting his father in prison and it being a common occurrence in the area he grew up in. Things gradually got more serious as he got older, graduating from car theft to armed robberies. Despite this, from a young age Tam was looking for a way to escape all of this, even trying to join the British army and later spending a year with the...
How to Sleep Better and Feel More Energised - Doctor Guy Leschziner
November 15, 2021 13:16 - 37 minutes - 25.7 MBOn today’s episode is Doctor Guy Leschziner, who’s a world-renowned sleep expert, neurologist and author working at Guys’ and St Thomas’ hospitals in London. There, Doctor Leschziner treats a number of different sleep disorders, and has come on the podcast today to share some of his expert knowledge, telling us how we can create a lifestyle which is conducive towards sleeping better and feeling more energised. What habits do we need to create in order to sleep better? How long should we ...
What is the Back On Track Podcast All About? New Season 2 Content!
November 10, 2021 17:37 - 1 minute - 808 KBFirstly I just wanted to say a massive thanks to everyone who’s supported the show so far - it really gives me the motivation needed to keep putting content out there! I’m pleased to say that a new and improved direction for the show is coming in Season Two, where I’ll be including interviews with various experts as well as the inspirational life stories from Season One. I wanted to make the show even more useful for listeners, and give them the tools they may need to improve their lives...
Battling Injury, Mental Illness and Swimming with Sharks - Liana Smith
October 25, 2021 13:47 - 59 minutes - 40.9 MBOn today’s episode is Liana Smith who’s an elite level swimmer that even held a number of New Zealand national titles. However, at the age of just 17 Liana’s competitive swimming career was thrown into doubt when she suffered stress fractures in her back, was unable to walk and even had to learn basic motor skills again. During this period Liana was obviously unable to compete and do what she loved, and so lost her sense of identity and this took a serious toll on her mental health causing...
Overcoming Social Anxiety & Panic Attacks - Claire Eastham
September 20, 2021 12:58 - 40 minutes - 28.2 MBHey everyone! So after a little break from releasing episodes we're back and there will be new content being released regularly from here on out. There's also just one more episode left of season one before a new an improved direction for the show in season two! On today’s episode is mental health advocate and author Claire Eastham. Claire began suffering with social anxiety from a young age, but unfortunately these feelings went undiagnosed. That was until she suffered a severe panic attac...
Overcoming Depression, Anxiety and Grief - Ryan Mairs
July 06, 2021 08:34 - 1 hour - 59.9 MBOn today’s episode is mental health advocate Ryan Mairs, who started up his own awareness platform called "Mairsy Let’s Talk" whilst at university. Life was really tough for Ryan almost from the outset, with his dad passing away when he was barely in his early teens and to make matters worse he was also being bullied in school. Understandably, this took Ryan to a really dark place, but he found solace in mixed martial arts and went on to compete at a semi-professional level. However, Ry...
From Drug Dealing to Modelling - The Maiya Kati Story
June 09, 2021 09:38 - 1 hour - 64.5 MBOn today’s episode is ex-drug dealer now turned model, Maiya Kati. Maiya first became involved in selling drugs at the age of just 13, starting with weed and progressing onto class A drugs as he got older. However, throughout this time, he was always looking for a legitimate exit, and gained a bachelor's degree in business and management and a master’s in international relations. After sending 1000’s of applications after the masters and receiving no luck, Maiya went back to the streets and...
The Grieving Process After Losing a Loved One - Ian Ridley
May 24, 2021 10:30 - 1 hour - 47.1 MBOn today’s episode is the brilliant sports journalist and author Ian Ridley. In February of 2019 Ian’s wife, Vikki Orvice, who was also a brilliant and renowned journalist, sadly died of cancer at the age of just 56. After experiencing the unbearable feelings that grief can bring with it, Ian decided to write a book called The Breath of Sadness: On Love Grief and Cricket, which explains his own grieving process and how the varying emotions changed over time. For Ian, deciding to watch a ...
How I Overcame Heroin Addiction - Jordan Barnes
May 10, 2021 12:20 - 1 hour - 59.6 MBOn today’s episode is best selling author and addict in recovery Jordan Barnes. It became apparent from a young age that Jordan was susceptible to addiction, first beginning with alcohol and then eventually moving onto heroin during college. After trying the powerful and destructive drug Jordan soon found himself using daily and living on the streets of Portland having to shoplift to sustain himself. After waking up next to his friend who had tragically overdosed and passed away, Jordan k...
Ex-Britain‘s Most Wanted Man Paul Walmsley Shares His Story
April 24, 2021 23:46 - 1 hour - 48.9 MBOn today’s episode is former Britain’s Most Wanted Man, Paul Walmsley. Paul tragically lost his father at the age of just 15, and his life began to spiral out of control as he became involved in selling drugs. Things continued to get more serious as Paul got older, even resulting in an international operation that caught the eye of the authorities. As a result, Paul went on the run across Europe for five years, but eventually handed himself in to police and was handed a ten year sentence f...
Ex-Britain's Most Wanted Man Paul Walmsley Shares His Story
April 24, 2021 23:46 - 1 hour - 48.9 MBOn today’s episode is former Britain’s Most Wanted Man, Paul Walmsley. Paul tragically lost his father at the age of just 15, and his life began to spiral out of control as he became involved in selling drugs. Things continued to get more serious as Paul got older, even resulting in an international operation that caught the eye of the authorities. As a result, Paul went on the run across Europe for five years, but eventually handed himself in to police and was handed a ten year sentence f...
My Battle With Anorexia - Lucy Holmes
April 12, 2021 09:03 - 56 minutes - 38.7 MBOn today’s episode is a good friend of mine called Lucy, who sadly began suffering with anorexia at the age of just 15. What followed were a number of torturous years as Lucy battled with the condition, even reaching a weight as low as 34kgs. I’m really pleased to say that Lucy finally managed to get the help she needed and is now living a much happier life which isn’t dictated by the condition. Lucy has now decided to share her story in the hope that it might be able to help others. Ev...
Beating Cancer & Adjusting to Life as an Amputee - Josephine Bridges
March 27, 2021 23:58 - 1 hour - 47 MBOn today’s episode is Josephine Bridges, who was diagnosed with terminal bone cancer at the age of just 17. Miraculously, after exploring different treatment options Josephine managed to overcome the cancer, but still had to endure bone recovery surgeries on her leg every two years. After 11 years of being in and out of hospital with these surgeries, Josephine finally decided to opt for the amputation. What followed was a gruelling period trying to adjust both physically and mentally to li...
Overcoming Gambling & Alcohol Addictions - Max Anglin
March 14, 2021 00:35 - 1 hour - 65.4 MBOn today’s episode is a good friend of mine called Max Anglin, who’s suffered on and off for years as a result of problems with drinking, gambling and mental illness. However, Max managed to channel his addictive personality into the world of business and actually runs two successful companies. Unfortunately, like many others, Max had to pause the running of both businesses when the pandemic hit and with too much time on his hands and a lack of purpose, he became depressed and turned to ...
Overcoming Cocaine Addiction - Maxine Luckhurst
March 07, 2021 01:31 - 1 hour - 45.4 MBOn today’s episode is Maxine Luckhurst, who battled for years with a cocaine addiction which even resulted in social services becoming involved and taking custody of her children. After the trauma of having her children taken away, Maxine finally managed to beat her addiction and fought hard for a period of two years to regain full custody. Since then, Maxine has never looked back and is now working as a peer mentor helping other people who are suffering from addiction too. I hope you e...
Libby Clegg MBE: From Losing My Vision To Becoming Paralympic Champion
February 28, 2021 00:20 - 53 minutes - 36.6 MBOn today’s episode is Libby Clegg MBE, who’s a 2x Paralympic gold medallist and world record holder for both the T11 100 and 200m. At the age of just nine years old, Libby was diagnosed with Stargardt disease which is a degenerative eye condition causing people to gradually lose their sight over time. Despite this, Libby soon found her passion in the form of athletics, and has gone on to create an incredibly successful sprinting career, winning a whole host of gold and silver medals at Par...
How Taking A Break From Alcohol Will Change Your Life - Ruari Fairbairns
February 15, 2021 12:46 - 1 hour - 47.9 MBOn today’s episode is co-founder of One Year No Beer Ruari Fairbairns, who set up the company to help people take a break from alcohol and see the benefits it can bring to your life. But Ruari’s journey to setting up One Year No Beer wasn’t an easy one - he had quite bad ADHD as a child and struggled mentally, which even led to a number of suicide attempts by the age of just 13. Ruari has also always been a motivated entrepreneur - by his early 20’s he’d already set up a number of companie...
Surviving A Near Death Experience & Becoming Successful - Jules Schroeder
February 01, 2021 10:49 - 51 minutes - 35.6 MBOn today’s episode is Jules Schroeder, who’s a serial entrepreneur, musician, podcast host and near death experience survivor. By Jules’ mid twenties she had already set up a number of profitable enterprises, the largest of which being a seven-figure publishing company. However, Jules returned one day from a skiing trip to find that one of her business partners had been embezzling money from the company, and overnight she found herself in $200k debt through no fault of her own. Not only th...
Surviving A Near-Death Experience & Becoming Successful - Jules Schroeder
February 01, 2021 10:49 - 51 minutes - 35.6 MBOn today’s episode is Jules Schroeder, who’s a serial entrepreneur, musician, podcast host and near death experience survivor. By Jules’ mid twenties she had already set up a number of profitable enterprises, the largest of which being a seven-figure publishing company. However, Jules returned one day from a skiing trip to find that one of her business partners had been embezzling money from the company, and overnight she found herself in $200k debt through no fault of her own. Not only th...
Alastair Campbell: My Story Of Living With Mental Illness
January 24, 2021 23:43 - 1 hour - 44.5 MBOn today’s episode is Alastair Campbell, who worked as the spokesman, press secretary and director of communications and strategy for former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair. However since then, Alastair has gone on to become a prominent mental health campaigner, and also speaks publicly about his own struggles with mental illness. Back in 1986, Alastair was working as a journalist, had an unhealthy relationship with alcohol and ended up having a psychotic mental breakdown which led to hi...
How I Became Successful By Shining Shoes - Drew Goodall
January 10, 2021 00:35 - 1 hour - 44.3 MBOn today’s episode is successful shoeshine entrepreneur Drew Goodall, who became homeless after his acting career fell apart due to a lack of confidence. He had gone from appearing in films alongside marquee names like Brad Pitt and Hugh Grant to living on the streets at rock bottom. After seven months of homelessness, Drew stumbled upon the idea of shining shoes in London offices as a way to make money, and incredibly has turned this into a really successful business which serves some o...
Overcoming Homophobia & Depression - Raül Sánchez Nevado
December 27, 2020 00:36 - 37 minutes - 26 MBOn today’s episode is a good friend of mine called Raül, who was severely bullied throughout his teenage years simply because of his sexuality. The homophobic abuse and everything that went with it eventually led to him becoming depressed and even considering taking his own life. Incredibly, Raül found the strength inside him to stand up to the culprits and eventually made them some of his good friends. He also sought help in the form of therapy to try and recover from the years of tormen...
Overcoming Atypical Depression & Adult ADHD - Mason Willis
December 12, 2020 23:39 - 1 hour - 52 MBOn today’s episode is actually a good friend of mine called Mason, who suffered for years with feelings of depression which seriously affected both his academic and social lives. After spending one Christmas day all alone, he hit rock bottom and decided he needed to seek out the right professional help in order to get out of the hole he found himself in. It was during an appointment with a specialist that Mason discovered he actually had high functioning adult ADHD and atypical depressio...
16 Years In Prison - Wrongfully Convicted Of Murder - Jeffrey Deskovic
November 28, 2020 20:02 - 1 hour - 46.3 MBOn today’s episode is Jeffrey Deskovic, who spent 16 years in prison in the US after being wrongfully convicted of rape and murder at the age of just 17. Jeffrey was coerced into giving a false confession and DNA evidence found prior to the trial even suggested that the police might have had the wrong person, but unbelievably the prosecution continued with the case and he was convicted. Thankfully, the Innocence Project took on Jeffrey’s case and the DNA found pre trial was tested against th...
16 Years In Prison - Wrongfully Convicted Of Murder & Rape - Jeffrey Deskovic
November 28, 2020 20:02 - 1 hour - 46.3 MBOn today’s episode is Jeffrey Deskovic, who spent 16 years in prison in the US after being wrongfully convicted of rape and murder at the age of just 17. Jeffrey was coerced into giving a false confession and DNA evidence found prior to the trial even suggested that the police might have had the wrong person, but unbelievably the prosecution continued with the case and he was convicted. Thankfully, the Innocence Project took on Jeffrey’s case and the DNA found pre trial was tested against th...
An Assassination Attempt, Seeking Asylum & Professional Football - Referee Jacob Viera
November 16, 2020 10:34 - 1 hour - 48.4 MBOn today’s episode is ex-footballer and now referee Jacob Viera - who survived an assassination attempt in his native Kenya after he refused to help a gang smuggle drugs. An electrical charge was attached to the door handle of his home so that when he returned from training, he would be electrocuted. Miraculously Jacob survived, and just a month later travelled to Newcastle for a trial with the English club. Whilst there, he was encouraged to seek asylum. What followed was a gruelling f...
From Being Homeless To Running A Six-Figure Business - Gavin Eastham
November 03, 2020 10:31 - 43 minutes - 30.3 MBOn today’s episode is martial arts expert, entrepreneur and community worker Gavin Eastham, who became homeless back in 2018 after the breakdown of his marriage. After spending his first few nights sleeping in a bus shelter or a phone box with it hailing outside, Gavin decided to take refuge in the library during the day to keep warm. Incredibly it was on the computers there that he decided to buy a website domain name for £1.58 and start his own martial arts business. After getting tempo...
From Being Shot 7 Times To Becoming Britain's Strongest Disabled Man - Mark Smith
October 26, 2020 12:55 - 1 hour - 47.8 MBOn today’s episode is army veteran Mark Smith, who almost died in a tragic firing range accident back in 2011 when he was shot seven times in his leg and shoulder. Mark actually flatlined for a total of five minutes and had to be resuscitated with defibrillators as he lay there fighting for his life. After the wounded leg began giving him organ failure, Mark was left with no option but to have it amputated in order to save his life. What followed was a long period of recovery and rehabili...
From Being Shot 7 Times To Becoming Britain‘s Strongest Disabled Man - Mark Smith
October 26, 2020 12:55 - 1 hour - 47.8 MBOn today’s episode is army veteran Mark Smith, who almost died in a tragic firing range accident back in 2011 when he was shot seven times in his leg and shoulder. Mark actually flatlined for a total of five minutes and had to be resuscitated with defibrillators as he lay there fighting for his life. After the wounded leg began giving him organ failure, Mark was left with no option but to have it amputated in order to save his life. What followed was a long period of recovery and rehabili...
Elro: Overcoming Depersonalisation & Music Career So Far
October 19, 2020 16:19 - 59 minutes - 41.1 MBOn today’s episode is rap artist Elro whose rap career blew up after going viral with an SBTV freestyle back in 2011. It wasn’t long after that that he was signed to a label and it seemed like all of his dreams were coming true. However, Elro began suffering with depersonalisation - a mental condition that can cause you to lose the human connection with everything around you, making everything seem foreign or strange. The record label he was signed to also folded soon after and Elro found ...
Jessica Kent: From Addiction & A Prison Pregnancy To Recovery & YouTube Success
October 12, 2020 17:13 - 59 minutes - 40.7 MBOn this week's episode of the podcast is YouTube star Jessica Kent, and her story covers everything from bullying and addiction, to drug dealing and even a prison pregnancy. Life wasn't easy from the outset for Jessica, with her parents breaking up when she was just four and ending up homeless for a short period at the age of eight. The combination of having no money around the house, being bullied at school and suffering from mental illness led Jessica down a path of drinking, dru...
Undercover Police Work, An MS Diagnosis & 3 Paralympic Golds - Carol Cooke
October 05, 2020 11:30 - 1 hour - 42.1 MBOn this week's episode of the podcast is 3x Paralympic gold medallist and 9x World cycling champion, Carol Cooke. Born in Canada, Carol actually began her sporting career as a swimmer, and was working towards the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow. When most of the Western world boycotted the event, she had to find another career path and ended up joining the police force. What followed was a career spanning 14 years, and even involved doing undercover police work covering areas such as drugs a...
Living With & Overcoming Panic Disorder - Alfie Draper
September 29, 2020 14:42 - 51 minutes - 35.1 MBOn this week's episode of the podcast is a good friend of mine called Alfie - and his story is all about overcoming panic disorder. After suffering a severe panic attack in between his first and second year of uni, Alfie went through 18 months of hell in which the condition put him in almost a constant state of panic, and subsequently everything began to spiral out of control. Thankfully, Alfie managed to get the help he needed and now lives a much happier life which isn't dictated...
Living With & Overcoming Panic Disorder - Alfie Draper (Episode Two)
September 29, 2020 14:42 - 51 minutes - 117 MBOn this week's episode of the podcast is a good friend of mine called Alfie - and his story is all about overcoming panic disorder. After suffering a severe panic attack in between his first and second year of uni, Alfie went through 18 months of hell in which the condition put him in almost a constant state of panic, and subsequently everything began to spiral out of control. Thankfully, Alfie managed to get the help he needed and now lives a much happier life which isn't dictated...
How I Overcame Alcohol & Cocaine Addictions - Lauren Windle (Episode One)
September 21, 2020 16:59 - 46 minutes - 85.1 MBHey everyone! On the first episode of the Back On Track Podcast is Lauren Windle - and her story is all about overcoming addiction. Lauren developed an unhealthy relationship with alcohol as a teenager, and this progressively got worse during her time at university. When she finished uni and started a career in hospitality, Lauren found herself in an environment that revolved around late nights, parties and drugs. It was when Lauren tried cocaine for the first time at the age of 22 that ...
How I Overcame Alcohol & Cocaine Addictions - Lauren Windle
September 21, 2020 16:59 - 46 minutes - 32 MBHey everyone! On the first episode of the Back On Track Podcast is Lauren Windle - and her story is all about overcoming addiction. Lauren developed an unhealthy relationship with alcohol as a teenager, and this progressively got worse during her time at university. When she finished uni and started a career in hospitality, Lauren found herself in an environment that revolved around late nights, parties and drugs. It was when Lauren tried cocaine for the first time at the age of 22 that ...
So, What Is The Podcast All About?
July 28, 2020 21:38 - 1 minute - 1.56 MBWith the first full episodes of the show due to be released in the coming weeks, this briefly outlines what you can expect from the podcast as a listener. Stay tuned, interviews with incredible people who've overcome serious adversity are on the way - aiming to inspire and motivate whoever listens to them.