The Refugee Who Took to the Skies

Paduol Ater was just 10-years-old when he fled his village in war-torn South Sudan to escape the conflict. He had to make an epic journey and overcome many obstacles before he got the chance to make his dream of becoming a pilot come true. He's now settled in Australia.

Ben Mirin is a beatbox musician from Brooklyn in New York. He's also a keen birdwatcher and combines his two passions by using the sounds of the natural world in his beatboxing. A chance encounter with Professor Patricia Wright who has spent her life studying the endangered lemurs of Madagascar lead to an unlikely partnership.

For 30 years, Don Shipley was a US Navy Seal. These elite special forces soldiers are proud of their reputation for courage under fire and so, they understandably don't like it when people who weren't part of the team pretend they were. Today, Don operates an online video channel showing him tracking and challenging fake SEALs.

Sylvie Guillem is one of the greatest dancers of her generation. Over thirty years, the French woman has achieved huge success in both classical ballet and contemporary dance. She was helped by her sometimes tempestuous relationship with her mentor Rudolf Nureyev. Now aged 50, she spoke to the BBC's John Wilson before her final international tour.

Picture: Paduol Ater