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Running to freedom and rehabilitation

How sport helped Rashaan Thomas rehabilitate after 23 years incarcerated for murder

We come full circle on a story we first covered in 2016 when we visited the exercise yard at San Quentin State prison in California. It houses the highest number of death row inmates in America but also has a sport sporty program designed to rehabilitate those who hope one day to be released. Rahsaan Thomas was one of those to benefit from the scheme. Released in 2023 we catch up with him to see how he is getting on after 23 years behind bars and how he has already continued his sporting life by completing the New York marathon

Team GB Hockey player Tess Howard tells us how after scoring the winning goal at the last Commonwealth Games, and that after it and with her 鈥渇ace and body plastered all over the papers鈥 she "felt ashamed of herself". Knowing that she shouldn't be feeling like that, she set about making a significant change to the kit female athletes are allowed to wear in competition in her sport and women鈥檚 sport in general

Those players involved in the tournament will have practiced for many years to refine their technique. But at any time, they could be struck down by 鈥淒artitus鈥. Think of the 鈥榶ips鈥 in golf but for darts. It鈥檚 a condition that means the player is unable to release the dart at the end of their throwing action, and it can happen to anyone. We speak to one Players Championship Winner and World Championship finalist, a former Women's World number one and a coach conducting a 1000-hour experiment to try and crack what causes and how to resolve 鈥淒artitus鈥

Photo: The yard at San Quentin State Prison in San Quentin, California is occupied by inmates getting their daily exercise in the oldest prison in the state, opened in 1852 (Credit: Mark Boster/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

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