In this episode of pplpod, we take a deep dive into the remarkable life of Hamid Sajjadi — a former Iranian Olympian, Asian steeplechase champion, sports physiology scholar, and former Minister of Sport and Youth whose career spans elite athletics, academia, government leadership, and survival.

We begin with the February 23, 2023 helicopter crash in Baft County (Kerman Province, Iran), a devastating accident during an official inspection visit that killed deputy Esmail Ahmadi and left Sajjadi seriously injured. From there, we zoom out to explore the bigger story: how a man shaped by the brutal discipline of the 3,000m steeplechase navigated the very different obstacle course of politics.