In this fascinating episode of The Brian Moylett Podcast, Brian Moylett sits down with Irish wingsuit pilot, BASE jumper, and professional tandem paraglider Michael Moran to explore one of the world's most dangerous—and exhilarating—sports.

From growing up on a farm in Tipperary, Ireland, to living in Ölüdeniz, Turkey, one of the world's most famous paragliding destinations, Michael shares his extraordinary journey into wingsuit flying, BASE jumping, and paragliding.

But this conversation goes far beyond extreme sports.

Brian and Michael dive into the psychology of fear, performance under pressure, mental resilience, mindfulness, risk management, peak performance, personal growth, and what it truly means to live a meaningful life.

Whether you're interested in sports psychology, high performance, mental toughness, adventure sports, leadership, or simply living with more courage, this episode is packed with insights.

• What wingsuit flying is and how it works
• Flying at over 250 km/h through the mountains
• The psychology of fear and how elite performers manage it
• Why preparation creates confidence under pressure
• Performance psychology and staying calm in high-risk environments
• The importance of routines and rituals before performing
• Managing adrenaline in extreme sports
• BASE jumping and the realities of risk
• Losing friends in dangerous sports and dealing with grief
• Building mental resilience through discomfort
• Why cold water, exercise and movement improve mental health
• Alan Watts, mindfulness and living in the present moment
• Why success isn't always about money
• Finding purpose through passion
• The simple life versus chasing ambition
• Sponsorship in extreme sports
• Lessons anyone can apply to sport, business and everyday life

Michael Moran is an Irish wingsuit pilot, BASE jumper, and professional tandem paraglider based in Ölüdeniz, Turkey, widely regarded as one of the world's best locations for paragliding and free flight.

Alongside flying tandem paragliding professionally, Michael continues to pursue wingsuit flying at the highest level while mentoring newer pilots and promoting safe progression within the sport.

• Fear isn't the enemy—it's information.
• Confidence comes from preparation, not bravado.
• Managing pressure is a skill that applies in sport, business and life.
• Purpose often comes from pursuing what you genuinely love.
• The greatest moments in life can't be bought.

The Brian Moylett Podcast features conversations with world-class performers, athletes, coaches, entrepreneurs, psychologists, authors and thought leaders exploring:

• High Performance
• Mindset
• Sports Psychology
• Leadership
• Mental Health
• Personal Development
• Success
• Human Performance
• Peak Performance
• Wellbeing

New episodes every week.

Follow Michael's incredible flying journey on Instagram:

@michaelmoran

Brian Moylett is a keynote speaker, mindset coach, bestselling author, rugby coach and performance coach helping athletes, teams and organisations perform at their best.

Follow Brian for more conversations on mindset and high performance.

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Andrew shares what helped him play his best rugby, the mindset he had going into games and how he got through a slump in form in his mid-twenties. He talks about advise that Paul O’Connell gave him in Ireland camp, how Joe Schmidt got the best out of him and what he did to build his confidence.

Andrew gives his thoughts on the state of Ulster Rugby at the moment. He also talks about the team he was in with Ruan Pienaar and Johan Muller, and why Leinster Rugby kept getting the better of them in knockout games. He speaks on the financial viability of the game and also what laws are making the game less enjoyable to watch.

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Unlock the secrets to elite performance in this explosive episode with New Zealand’s leading mental performance coach, David Niethe. From his humble beginnings working out of a converted garage in Auckland to coaching world-class athletes—including Olympic Gold medalist Lydia Ko and former UFC champion Israel Adesanya—David shares his unfiltered journey of transformation.

In this episode, discover how:

• Mindset is Everything: Learn why David believes that developing a winning mindset is the key to overcoming obstacles, whether you're battling self-doubt or physical limits.
• Obsessiveness Fuels Success: Hear raw stories about how relentless drive and a refusal to settle propelled him from a struggling printer to a champion of mental toughness.
• Coaching the Elite: Get insider insights into the techniques that help top athletes like Lydia Ko and Adesanya break through their barriers and perform under pressure.
• Turning Failure into Fuel: Explore how embracing failure and defying societal expectations can ignite your potential and lead to unparalleled success.

If you're passionate about performance, personal growth, and the relentless pursuit of excellence, this conversation is a must-listen. Whether you’re an athlete, coach, or someone striving for high performance in business or life, David Niethe's journey and insights will leave you inspired to push beyond your limits.

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Damien has coached Leeds Rhinos, London Broncos, England Rugby League, Leicester Tigers, England A, England 7s, Huddersfield Giants, Welsh Rugby Academy, and 7s with Canada, Samoa, Germany and Kenya.

In the podcast Damien chats about;

• How to bounce back when you lose your job as a coach.
• How he transitioned from Rugby League to Union and 7s.
• What League coaches bring to Union.
• His experiences coaching Leicester Tigers in the early 00s, with Martin Johnson, Austin Healy and the Tuilagis.
• Mistakes he made and learnings he got while coaching the England Rugby ‘A’ team.
• His Irish heritage, and the influence that had on him.
• The importance of the fundamentals in rugby.
• The 3 types of coaches that there are.
• How to get jobs as a professional coach.
• The wild story behind how he got the job as Samoa 7s coach.

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Will Webster played in the English Championship, but decided to retire from the game to concentrate on coaching in his early 20s. He has gone on to coach Kenya 7s on the World Series, Hong Kong 7s & 15s and New England Free Jacks in Major League Rugby, winning two titles there. He now coaches coaches.

We chat about his journey in the game and also the below,

• How he got the Kenya 7s job aged 24.
• What it was like living in Kenya as an English man.
• The unusual pressure and issues that he and the Kenyan players faced.
• How to set up effective learning environments.
• Ideas he learned as a teacher that he uses in his coaching.
• The lightbulb moment he had when at training with Saracens.
• Why he retired so young to coach.
• The effects of mobile phones on young athletes.
• How to speed up connections between coaches and players.
• How to maximize the effectiveness of your team meetings.
• How coaches can improve at their craft.
• What his work entails by supporting coaches.

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Davie played for the Scotland 7s, and previously worked with Exeter Chiefs, New Zealand Sevens, Taranaki Rugby and the Hurricanes as an S&C coach.

In the pod we chat about;

• What he does as Hurricanes Mindset Coach.
• How Super Rugby preseason 2025 has gone for the Hurricanes.
• Why he transitioned from being an S&C coach to a Mindset coach.
• Tools to use to perform under pressure.
• How to get players to believe in your plan.
• Review Framework that the Hurricanes use.
• The impact belief has on outcomes.
• The 1:1 Mindset coaching he does with players.
• How he went from playing club rugby to Scotland 7s.
• How he became Hurricanes Mindset coach.
• How as a coach you can challenge players.
• What the best players do to get better.
• How to deal with failure.
• The biggest challenge he has faced in his career.

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Richard Smith has been the High Performance Leader at the Crusaders, High-Performance Coach Development Manager for NZ Cricket, and High-Performance Coaching Consultant for High Performance Sport NZ. He coached NZ u19s to the World Cup title in 2007. He now consults with businesses as well as continuing his work at the top level of sport.

In the podcast we chat about;

- What makes an environment a high performance one.

- How you improve as a coach.

- The most important aspect of being a leader.

- How to sustain performance over long periods.

- How to develop and improve the people in your organization.

- The consulting work he does with CEOs.

- What All Black Tom Taylor and Leinster Coach Tyler Bleyendaal taught him when he was coaching Canterbury Rugby u21s.

- What he learned from chatting with Olympic winning coach Rick Charlsworth.

- How to create the optimal learning environment in sport and business.

- Why coaches need to reflect and get feedback ,and how best to do this.

- The effect body language has on others.

- How to approach failure, and growth mindset.

- How players learn differently, and how to coach those different learners.

Unleash Your Potential - Course for Players That Want to Become Professionals

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Marty won the AIL with Lansdowne fc in 2018. Then moved to the UK and played rugby in the Premiership, before deciding to retire from the game and do Ironmans.

We chat about:

• His time in the Leinster Rugby system
• Winning the AIL with Lansdowne fc.
• How Mike Ruddock helped him get his break in pro rugby.
• The impact that Alun Wyn Jones had on him.
• The springboard that playing with Swansea University in the BUCS Super Rugby gave him.
• Why Pat Lam signed him for Bristol Bears.
• How Max Lahiff mentored him.
• Playing with Saracens, and his impression of Owen Farrell.
• Why he joined Northampton Saints for a month.
• His experience playing in the Shute Shield for Warringah Rats.
• Why he didn’t enjoy pro rugby as much as he thought he would.
• The concussions he got playing rugby.
• Why he left the game at 27.
• Deciding to do an Ironman.
• His new training regime for Ironman
• Going from 130kg to 97kg.

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Brian's Instagram

Off-Field Rugby Instagram

Brian's LinkedIn

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