On Track, Off Course is a new podcast series from Racing Welfare that is getting the racing industry talking.  Absorbing conversations on the podcast cover everything from grief and loneliness to addiction and social media and there are some big racing names lined up to speak about their own life experiences.

In episode one, Racing Broadcaster of the Year Lydia Hislop, best known as a confident and engaging interviewer, talks candidly about the impact the recent death of her mother, Margaret, has had on both her personal and professional life.

Lydia was keen to show her support for the podcast, commenting: “We’re all increasingly conscious of the tangible impact that our mental health has on our lives. Yet we still struggle to talk openly about those very issues that affect our health and happiness.  Racing Welfare’s new podcast is a positive attempt to address this damaging reticence, encouraging us to talk frankly about the human problems that we all grapple with.

“Grief, with its isolating and debilitating consequences, was the subject I discussed following the death of my mother earlier this year.  However, it’s a feeling we all experience at some point in our lives and this conversation is perhaps more urgent than ever in the year of the Covid-19 pandemic. I urge you to tune in weekly for this timely and courageous initiative. You never know when what’s said will be of help to you or to someone whom you love.”

Listening to famous racing figures speaking on subjects we don’t often hear discussed is the premise of the podcast.  The stellar line up for the first few episodes includes George Baker, Francesca Cumani and Ralph Beckett, all of whom talk openly about the pressures affecting their wellbeing.

Alongside the famous names, the podcast also features conversations with Racing Welfare beneficiaries and stories from inside the industry, as well as offering advice and guidance from experts.  It is hoped that anyone listening will identify with the open and frank conversations that form the essence of the podcast and be encouraged to reach out to Racing Welfare for support.

You can listen to episode one of On Track, Off Course right now by heading to https://soundcloud.com/ontrackoffcourse. The first six episodes of On Track, Off Course will be released weekly and can be found on Sound Cloud, Spotify and Acast or on the Racing Welfare website at www.racingwelfare.co.uk/podcast.