Who's winning the Olympics? The mountains. Alpine Skiing proved to be a tough course, and getting down was a victory all in itself. Jill went out to the biathlon range to watch TKFLASTANI Clare Egan in the Women's Individual race and witnessed a big day for the US Biathlon team. It was also a big day for Canada on the ski jump and freestyle slopes, and Irene Wust became the first individual to win gold medals at five different Olympic Games. Take that in for a second. Five. Different. Olympics. ...
Feb 08, 2022•41 min
It's Day 3 of the Winter Olympics, with so much action (even if races are postponed due to high winds)! Jill's in Beijing today, hanging out at the figure skating, speed skating and ice hockey rinks. Alison's got the news on a momentous medal win for the Silver Ferns of New Zealand. Plus results from: Cross-Country Skiing Curling Figure Skating Freestyle Skiing Ice Hockey Luge Ski Jumping Speed Skating Snowboard Plus, what officiating/volunteer job would we do and more! Red Envelope campaign! th...
Feb 07, 2022•50 min
It’s the first full day of competition at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, and our TKFLASTANIs are in action! Jill went out to Zhangjiakou (properly bundled this time) to see Men’s Ski Jumping qualifications and TKFLASTANI Clare Egan compete in the Biathlon mixed relay. Also on tap today: Cross-Country Skiing Curling Freestyle Skiing (with TKFLASTANI Brad Wilson) Ice Hockey Luge Snowboard Speed Skating – Long and Short Track Red Envelope campaign! This show does cost money to produce, and while...
Feb 06, 2022•41 min
The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics are officially open! Jill was able to go to the Opening Ceremony, and she shares details you didn't get to see on TV, while Alison tells Jill about some of the stuff she missed by not watching it on TV. The fireworks were stellar, the details incredible, but what they did with the Olympic flame? We have thoughts. Today also had some competitions, so we've got updates from: Curling - Mixed Doubles Figure Skating - Team Event Ice Hockey - Women's tournament Plus an...
Feb 05, 2022•50 min
It’s Day -1 to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, and the action is heating up (but the weather isn’t). Jill didn’t pack her recording microphone before she headed out of the hotel, so enjoy the ambience of the Main Media Center. She has been out to the two other competition zones: Yanqing and Zhangjiakou, both of which involve immense planning to get to, and both of which are cold. Very cold. Jill also went to the kickoff event of these Games: Mixed Doubles curling at the Ice Cube (formerly the ...
Feb 04, 2022•26 min
Our contributors Book Club Claire and Super Fan Sarah are back to talk about what they're looking forward to at Beijing. Plus, Jill has made it to China and tells how her trip almost didn't happen. But, she's in the closed loop and is ready to report back on what she's experienced so far. We also learn about some of the new technologies that will be in play at Beijing 2022, which hope to give you a better viewing experience! Join our Fantasy League! Look for it in the Fanzone section of Olympics...
Jan 31, 2022•56 min•Ep. 225
Book Club Claire is back for our first book club session of 2022! Because of the cries from various Western countries (United States, we’re looking at you) to boycott the Beijing 2022 and the ensuing diplomatic boycott by several of them, we wanted to look at the last US-led boycott of an Olympics, that of the 1980 Summer Games in Moscow. Claire leads us in a discussion of Boycott: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games by Tom Caraccioli and Jerry Caraccioli , which covers both the polit...
Jan 27, 2022•51 min•Ep. 224
On this episode we take to the ice with Paralympian Steve Emt, who will be going to his second Paralympics when he heads to Beijing 2022 this March. Steve tells us about how the sport works, how he was stalked into trying it, and about his cameo on "The Last Dance." Steve is also a motivational speaker and author of the book You D.E.C.I.D.E. . You can learn more about him and his book at his website . Follow him on social: Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/stephen.emt Instagram: http://www.insta...
Jan 20, 2022•58 min•Ep. 223
What can we look forward to from the ski slopes at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics? No one really knows, but Tom Kelly has a good guess. Tom, who's an Olympics communicator and has been involved with skiing and snowboarding events for decades, walks us through each of the disciplines on the Alpine Skiing program at this year's Olympics. Who should we look for, and how many times do we say, "Hot Diggity!"? Listen to find out! Tom's a podcaster in his own right – check out his shows: Last Chair (...
Jan 14, 2022•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 222
We're sliding closer to Beijing 2022! On this episode Olympian Jayson Terdiman tells us how the sport of doubles luge works, from top to bottom. Plus, news from TKFLASTAN: Checking in with our citizens of TKFLASTAN, more athletes are working toward Beijing. We also have news from: Erin Jackson, Clare Egan and Nate Bartholomay, who are competing this weekend. Brianna Decker, who is heading to Beijing. Alex Diebold, who has great family news. Jessica Leclerc, who was featured on USA Hockey Magazin...
Jan 07, 2022•53 min•Ep. 221
What Olympic and Paralympic thoughts were on your mind as we closed out 2021? We take listener calls and have a ton of fun chatting with you about: historical Olympians we'd have loved to interview what we're looking forward to at the upcoming Winter Olympics how to console the Olympic widow or widower in your life how our plans and packing lists for Beijing 2022 are coming along what happened to ice sledge racing in the Paralympics Plus, some news about the Olympic World Feed Project and the Ol...
Jan 03, 2022•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 220
It's the end of the year, which means it's the end of our year-long look back at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics and Paralympics. Jill and Alison discuss their favorite Atlanta stories, and they've got lightning rounds from some TKFLASTANIS with Atlanta connections: City planners Michael Dobbins and Randal Roark Laura Berg, member of the 1996 US women's softball team Plus we have an update on the Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai and news from the International Paralympic Committee (including our least...
Dec 23, 2021•28 min•Ep. 219
US biathlete and Olympian Clare Egan tells us what she knows about the biathlon course at Beijing 2022, which could make for an interesting tournament. Plus, we have a BIG ANNOUNCEMENT about our last episode of the year - listen for how you can take part! We also look back at the Olympic indoor volleyball tournaments in our Atlanta 1996 history moment, catch up with TFKASTAN, find out who's joined the Beijing 2022 diplomatic boycott, talk about our travel plans for the Games (or lack thereof), a...
Dec 17, 2021•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 218
This week we’re strapping on our figure skates and chatting with Rocker Skating’s Jackie Wong to suss out who will be on the podium for all events in the figure skating competition at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. Follow Jackie on Twitter ! In our Atlanta 1996 history moment, Alison uncovers the origins of a broadcasting style we’ve come to loathe. Our winter TKFLASTANI athletes are in high gear, and we’ve got results from biathlete Clare Egan , bobsledder Josh Williamson , speedskater Erin ...
Dec 10, 2021•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 217
We love a good telenovela-esque Olympic situation, and this week's episode is chock full of them. Bribery! Guilty verdicts! Stifling voices! Boring kits! Transgender guidelines! And someone makes Alison mad - who could it be this week? Plus, our Atlanta 1996 history moment featuring the most famous shoes from these Olympics, and how Paris 2024 might have flying taxis as a transportation option. In our news from TKFLASTAN, we have updates from Biathlete Clare Egan Ice dancer Charlie White Modern ...
Dec 03, 2021•44 min•Ep. 216
We hear from TKFLASTANI archery judge Hannah Brown and TKFLASTANI artistic swimmer Jacqueline Simoneau on their experiences at Tokyo 2020. Plus, a big week for Team Keep the Flame Alive (TKFLASTAN) and news on the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. Also, if you want to hear a fantastic interview with TKFLASTANI speed skater Erin Jackson, check out our friend Elizabeth Emery's podcast Hear Her Sports -- she gets into a bunch of technical stuff that will help you understand what's happening on the trac...
Nov 25, 2021•51 min•Ep. 215
It’s time for our last Movie Club of 2021! Film Buff Fran is back to discuss the 2017 movie “I, Tonya,” which is on the scandal surrounding the attack on figure skater Nancy Kerrigan ahead of the Lillehammer 1994 Olympics, which was found to be tied to her rival Tonya Harding. Will we feel sympathy for Tonya Harding after watching a film based on her side of the story? In our history moment, Alison looks back at the Atlanta 1996 men's artistic gymnastics competition, and Jill shares why Chinese ...
Nov 19, 2021•51 min•Ep. 214
Book Club Claire joins Jill and Alison to discuss 1996 Olympic gold medalist Dominique Moceanu's book "Off Balance: A Memoir." Plus, we have news from the Olympic world and an Atlanta 1996 Olympic history moment with Celine Dion. For a transcript of this episode, please visit http://flamealivepod.com . Thanks so much for listening, and until next time, keep the flame alive! *** Keep the Flame Alive: The Olympics and Paralympics Fan Podcast with hosts Jill Jaracz & Alison Brown. New episodes ...
Nov 12, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 213
We always love it when TKFLASTANIS come back on the show, so we're thrilled that modern pentathlete Samantha Schultz had some time to chat with us about her experiences in Tokyo. We talk with Samantha about competing in the heat, life in the Olympic Village (how were those beds?), and how the post-Olympic lows have been, as well as what's on tap for her future. Modern pentathlon's not known for making headlines during the Olympics, but Tokyo's women's competition did -- and sadly, not for a grea...
Nov 05, 2021•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 212
This week we're joined by Wayne Lamarre, who will be traveling to Beijing 2022 as an athlete trainer on the US women's ice hockey team's support staff. Wayne is the is a Clinical Professor and the Director, Athletic Training Program at the University of New England. He is a Board Certified Athletic Trainer and has served on the medical staff for the U.S. Women's National Ice Hockey Team since 2015. Wayne talked with us about what an athletic trainer does and how their techniques have evolved in ...
Oct 29, 2021•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 211
All of our TKFLASTANIS are very dear to us, but Citizen #1 will have a special place in our hearts. Bobsledder Josh Williamson, winner of the first season of Team USA's "The Next Olympic Hopeful" was our first interviewee, and now he returns, on the cusp of fulfilling his "Next Olympic Hopeful" goals and making it to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. We catch up with Josh and learn how he's approaching this season, what it's like to become a veteran in the sport, and what the bobsled track at Be...
Oct 22, 2021•55 min•Ep. 210
We’re getting into winter mode, so it’s time to explore some of the winter sports ahead of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. On this episode, Paralympic hopeful Michael Murphy joins us to talk about his sport of para Alpine skiing, and more specifically, how his class of sit-skiing works. Find out more about Michael at his website and get information about his book When I Fell: How I Rerouted my Life and Found Strength in a Severed Spine . You can find his book in our bookshop.or...
Oct 15, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 209
We welcome back TKFLASTANI author Harry Blutstein to talk about his latest book Games of Discontent: Protests, Boycotts, and Politics at the 196 Mexico Olympics. We discuss a few of the protests during these Games - the infamous Tommie Smith/John Carlos podium protest, of course, but also protests by Czechoslovakian gymnast Věra Čáslavská. And yes, there's Avery Brundage talk! Learn more about Harry at his website , and follow him on Twitter and Facebook . Get a copy of the book (it's a great re...
Oct 08, 2021•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 208
Get to the screening room – Movie Club is in session! Film Buff Fran is back to discuss the 2005 documentary "Murderball," which follows the USA Wheelchair Rugby team from the 2002 World Championships to the 2004 Paralympics in Athens. Along the way, we meet the rowdy and loveable cast of characters who surprise us with their foul mouths and win us over with their love of the game. Thanks so much for listening, and until next time, keep the flame alive! *** Keep the Flame Alive: The Podcast for ...
Oct 01, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 207
Book Club Claire is back to discuss our latest selection: Sevens Heaven by Ben Ryan. As you may remember from Episode 193, Ben coached the Fijian men's rugby sevens team to (spoiler alert) win Fiji's first-ever Olympic gold medal. His book is the story of all of the work that went into achieving that victory. Haven't read it but now want to? Get your copy (and support the show) at our Bookshop.org site. Follow Claire and Ben on Twitter! This episode also includes: News from TKFLASTAN A follow-up...
Sep 24, 2021•58 min•Ep. 206
Surprise! The world did not stop while the Olympics and Paralympics were going on, so there is a ton of news to catch up on! We've got the latest International Olympic Committee dealings with AIBA, the international boxing association (still a testy relationship), as well as the International Paralympic Committee's latest step toward an updated classification system. Plus Games news from: Rio 2016 Tokyo 2020 Beijing 2022 Paris 2024 Milan-Cortina 2026 LA 2028 Future Games (yeah, there's a lot of ...
Sep 17, 2021•45 min•Ep. 205
The Tokyo 2020 Paralympics are over, but boy, did they have an impact on us! Contributors Superfan Sarah and Book Club Claire join us to talk about our Top 5 Tokyo Paralympic moments, what we can do to further support para sports and our Paralympics montage. Thanks to everyone who supported our Kickstarter project. We're fully funded, which means we will have an on the ground presence at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics! For a transcript of this episode, please visit: https://wp....
Sep 10, 2021•52 min•Ep. 204
Sigh. The Tokyo 2020 Paralympic cauldron has been extinguished - but not before some last thrilling competitions take place! Today's program includes the final medals being awarded in: Athletics - marathon Badminton Shooting Sitting Volleyball Wheelchair Basketball Plus, the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee put together a fun Closing Ceremony. Paris 2024 stepped up to receive the International Paralympic Committee flag and give a preview of the excitement that will come in 2024. How's our Kicksta...
Sep 05, 2021•47 min
It's the penultimate day of our Tokyo 2020 coverage, and the Paralympics are going out with some incredible competitions and match-ups, particularly in Athletics, Football Five-a-Side, Wheelchair Basketball, Wheelchair Tennis, Badminton, Canoe....well, pretty much the entire day was fantastic to watch! Plus, we've got our "Feed Beef" segment - or is it Feed Praise today? And "What Officiating/Volunteer Job Would We Do." Just ONE DAY LEFT to help fund our Kickstarter so that we can provide on-the...
Sep 04, 2021•58 min
More competitions at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics are coming to a close, but surprisingly, our Feed Beefs segment is stronger than ever. What will it take to get good Paralympics coverage? We've got suggestions. Plus results from: Archery Athletics Badminton Boccia Canoe Sprint Cycling-Road Goalball Shooting Sitting Volleyball Swimming Table Tennis - with TKFLASTANI Millie Tapper Taekowndo Wheelchair Basketball Wheelchair Tennis Our Kickstarter project funding window is starting to close -- become...
Sep 03, 2021•1 hr 7 min
