Mo Farah

London 2012.

 

What does it mean if a hero is not who he said he was? This spine-tingling story explores that question by taking you from the low point of a terror attack on London to the euphoria of Sir Mo Farah’s victory at the Olympics in the glorious summer of 2012.


Ten years on, what should we make of it all now? Sir Mo’s recent decision to reveal the truth about his identity inspires this deeply personal reflection by a writer who was there at the moment of triumph and takes back into the stadium for those incredibly thrilling moments, revealing the extraordinary way in which the crowd helped Britain’s greatest athlete to succeed.


But this is also a story about identity, belonging, compassion and courage which introduces us to Dr Andrew Hartle, who cared for the wounded after 7/7 and who found peace from the trauma of those events by volunteering as a Games Maker forLondon 2012. He had no idea he would feature in the closing ceremony…


And Cole describes what it was like to report on the Olympics and Paralympics taking place in an arena on the site of a former wasteland where he used to play as a child. He remembers seeing a friend with cerebral palsy treated appallingly in those days and watches with joy, standing in much the same place, as people with the same condition compete for their country.


For a summer it seemed we really did believe that everyone was equal. Is that still true?


Another first-person, beautifully told true short story from Cole Moreton reflecting on meetings with extraordinary humans and what we can learn from them about how to live.


Can We Talk? is based on the belief that we are better when we share our stories, so explores our human desire to connect with each other, with ourselves and with the divine, if we believe in that.


The story ends with the sound of the crowd singing God Save The Queen in a way seldom heard before, as recorded that day in the stadium.


This is podcasting as an art form, for all those interested in human connection, spirituality and better living, as well as storytelling, interviewing and fascinating tales. Imagine David Sedaris meets Richard Rohr…


Cole Moreton is a writer and broadcaster exploring who we are and what we believe in. He writes for national newspapers, makes programmes for BBC Radio 4 and is a regular contributor to Pause For Thought on Zoe Ball’s Radio 2 breakfast show. Cole is a former Interviewer of the Year at the Press Awards and has won gold at the Arias, the radio industry equivalent of the Oscars.


As an author his debut Hungry for Home was shortlisted for the prestigious John Llewellyn Rhys Prize for a first book in any genre, alongside White Teeth by Zadie Smith.


Cole would love to hear from you so please do get in touch to tell him what you think of these stories and share your own encounters with remarkable people.


You can pre-order Cole’s new book which accompanies the podcast, out in May 2023: bit.ly/ColeMoretonOffer


Cole Moreton

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Produced by Emily Jeffery with sound magic by Andy Partington.

Thank you to Andy Lyon and all the team at Hodder Faith.


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