Off The Canvas

To mark ‘Time To Talk Day’, Chris Lloyd speaks to us about dealing with loss, coping with PTSD and the importance of talking about your feelings.

Ex-World Champion middleweight, Darren Barker, gives us a brilliantly open discussion to mark the 12th anniversary of his brother Gary tragically passing away and the impact it has on Christmas for the Barker family. As well as this, Darren talks about life after retirement, and how the 12x3 boxing & fitness gym he opened has given him an added focus.

One of the best sports presenters in the country, Anna Woolhouse, talks to us about having to deal with vile trolls, as well as how she approaches Christmas since the tragic loss of her brother. A must listen.

Ahead of his 10th professional fight, Mark Little talks us through how he dealt with self confidence issues after hitting 23 stone, which led him to join a gym after health warnings from his GP.

One of the leading journalists in boxing, Tris Dixon, helps us summarise the conversations we've had throughout the week and gives his own view on mental health within the sport based on his decades of experience.

Footballer-turned-boxer, Leon McKenzie, opens up about his own struggles with depression, which led to him losing his home, liberty, and culminated in a suicide bid. He then fought back as a professional in the ring and has also become one of the leading voices on mental health within sport.

In probably the most raw interview from the series, Charlie Duffield discusses with us how he's managed to cope with his brother's suicide, the loss of his uncle to cancer, plus his own gambling addiction, to be on track to make a real impact in the Light Heavyweight division. A truly remarkable man.

Fresh from his fight with Carl Frampton at Windsor Park, Olympian Luke Jackson discusses how he continues to manage the Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) that once nearly drove him to suicide.

In the first episode we speak to former European Super Bantamweight Champion, Spencer Oliver, about his experiences with mental health after his boxing career ended 20 years ago when he suffer a life threatening injury.

Off The Canvas is a boxing podcast launching on the 8th October to coincide with World Mental Health Day, speaking to a host of key names from the boxing world - from ex-Olympians, to those just starting their career, to those who had theirs taken away suddenly through injury. Different stories but with one key thing in common, the desire to speak openly about mental health. Featuring - Luke Jackson, Dave Allen, Spencer Oliver, Leon McKenzie, Tris Dixon & Charlie Duffield,