We're getting aquatic on this episode, sharing Team USA Media Summit interviews with all sorts of swimming athletes. We've got (athlete links are Instagram accounts--follow them!): Water Polo Ben Hallock - Captain of the U.S. Men's Water Polo team. Paris 2024 will be his third Olympics Maggie Steffens - Captain of the U.S. Women's Water Polo team. Paris 2024 will be her fourth Olympics Ashleigh Johnson - Goalie for the U.S. Women's Water Polo team. Paris 2024 will be her third Olympics Swimming ...
Jun 13, 2024•51 min•Ep. 345
While you wouldn't think para swimming is much different from able-bodied swimming, the Paralympic classification system makes it a more complex sport to follow. Classification helps level the playing field (although we learn here that it's not the most perfect system), but the diversity of swimmers and abilities means that there are a lot of classes in this sport. Case in point, our three guests for this episode. We talk with Jessica Long, 5x Paralympian; McKenzie Coan, 3x Paralympian; and Oliv...
Jun 11, 2024•47 min•Ep. 345
We're exploring team sports on this episode of Keep the Flame Alive. At Paris 2024, there will be 11 purely team sports: artistic swimming, basketball, basketball 3x3, beach volleyball, football, handball, hockey, rowing, rugby sevens, volleyball, and water polo. Athletes don't just have to be in top physical shape, they also have to work well with their teammates in order to achieve success. As we read in If Gold Is our Destiny , if players can't come together and play as a team, they're going ...
Jun 06, 2024•41 min•Ep. 344
We're hopping on a horse and riding along with Paralympian Beatrice de Lavalette on this episode of Keep the Flame Alive. Beatrice competed for Team USA at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics in para dressage, finishing 5th in Individual Championship Test - Grade II - Open) and 6th in Individual Freestyle - Grade II - Open. We've talked about para dressage for visually impaired riders , so with Beatrice we were able to explore and better understand the sport for para classes that involve missing limbs. W...
Jun 03, 2024•51 min•Ep. 343
Olympic sprinter Kenny Bednarek joins Jill and Alison for a discussion about sprint starts, running the curve on a track, and the principles Kung Fu Kenny lives by. Follow Kenny on Insta , X , YouTube , Facebook and TikTok ! The latest news from Paris 2024 has a transport focus, including shuttles to remote venues and updates on Uber policies during the Games. Plus, more tickets will drop every Thursday at 10am Paris time until the Games start. Also, Casa Columbia joins the mix of hospitality ho...
May 30, 2024•38 min•Ep. 342
On this episode we're bringing you more tape from the Team USA Media Summit, and we're talking with three Paralympians: Multi-Paralympic medalist wheelchair tennis player David Wagner, para judo athlete Liana Mutia and gold medal-winning para table tennis player Ian Seidenfeld. David talks with us about clay courts. Liana tells us how she had to entirely relearn how to compete in judo after losing her vision. Ian explains how his paddle extender works. Follow David , Liana , and Ian on Insta! In...
May 27, 2024•31 min•Ep. 341
We're happy to have Ben Waterworth, one of the hosts of Off the Podium join us. Off the Podium is an Australian/Canadian collaboration, so we wanted to get their view on what's going on with Paris 2024. We preview some of the big sports and names and look forward to the excitement that awaits us this summer. Also, Ben tells us the issues with the Gabba, Brisbane 2032's proposed stadium. Find Off the Podium wherever you get your podcasts and follow them on all the socials at @offthepodiumpod. In ...
May 24, 2024•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 340
We are 100 days out from the start of the Paris 2024 Paralympics! We think there's no better way to celebrate than by throwing things. We got to talk with Paralympian Justin Phongsavanh at the Team USA Media Summit for a few minutes and are thrilled that he had time to come on the podcast for a longer interview. Justin competes in para javelin in the F54 class (competes while seated) and won a bronze at Tokyo 2020. Getting on the podium was fun, but it wasn't enough, so Justin is continuing his ...
May 21, 2024•57 min•Ep. 339
It's a well-know fact that we love surface talk! Why? You'd be surprised at the research and engineering that goes into courts for specific sports. Today we're talking with Alise Kessler, Head of Volleyball for the FIVB, volleyball's international federation, and Lionel Arlin, Sports Federation and Events Manager for Gerlor, the manufacturer of volleyball--and many other sport--floors at Paris 2024. Follow FIVB on Insta , YouTube , Facebook , and X , and follow Gerflor on Insta and X ! We also t...
May 17, 2024•50 min•Ep. 338
We're going onto the field with para shot putter Noelle Malkamaki to learn more about the sport from a para athlete angle. New to the para sport world, Noelle competed at Para Athletics World Championships in 2023 and won a gold medal with a world record-breaking throw. Noelle breaks down the sport for us, talks technique, and shares some of the adaptations she makes for training. We also discuss what it's like to compete in both able-bodied and para sports, finding pants that fit muscular thigh...
May 13, 2024•58 min•Ep. 337
What happens when your event is dropped from the Olympics, but you're not ready to retire? Race walker, Olympic bronze medalist and TKFLASTANI Evan Dunfee returns to the show to talk us through that process. Follow Evan on Insta and X ! In news from Paris 2024: The Olympic flame has arrived in France! The torch relay cauldron has been unveiled The Games' official theme music has been released (make sure you listen along with us) That rainwater catchbasin that will help keep pollution out of the ...
May 09, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 336
Ice hockey made its second Olympic appearance at the first Winter Olympics (yes, you read that right). Alison shares the details about the eight-team tournament (all men, of course), the dominance of Canada and the US, and some of the characters who made Olympic history. Sources: The Canadian Encyclopedia: https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/canada-at-the-1924-olympic-winter-games Olympics.com: https://olympics.com/en/olympic-games/chamonix-1924/results/ice-hockey/ice-hockey-men In...
May 06, 2024•12 min
Breakdancing--or breaking--is the new sport at the Paris 2024 Olympics. If you're like Jill, you're mesmerized by it but can't figure out how it's judged. What are they looking for, and how does a b-boy or b-girl win? Lucky for us, we've got breaking icon--and judge for Paris 2024--Ivan "Flipz" Velez joining us to break it down for us. Flipz talks about the culture of breaking within hip hop and its evolution to an Olympic sport. He also points out what breaking judges look for during a battle. ...
May 03, 2024•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 335
When we think of athletes being professionals, we often think of the big bucks that are in major sports. But for most Olympic and Paralympic sports, the pot of money is pretty small and that's because the National Governing Bodies (NGBs) behind them are running on shoestring budgets. On this episode we talk with Ramsey Baker about the challenges small NGBs face and how they think about sponsorship and broadcast rights in working to increase their budgets. Ramsey is a SVP at Aggregate Sports , a ...
Apr 26, 2024•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 334
Often considered to be the precursor to biathlon, military patrol was one of the more unusual competitions of the first Winter Olympic Games at Chamonix, France in 1924. In this event, teams from six countries competed in a 30-kilometer ski race combined with a shooting segment that involved balloons. The weather and some unforeseen illnesses made it tough for the competitors, but one did emerge victorious. Of course, it wouldn't be an Olympics without some colorful characters, and from this com...
Apr 22, 2024•12 min
Apr 19, 2024•54 min•Ep. 333
Note: In this episode, we discuss discovery, treatment, and life with an eating disorder. If you would like more information about screenings, support, and treatment for eating disorders, please visit the National Eating Disorders Association for more information. Transitioning to life after sport can be complicated and difficult. On this episode, we welcome back TKFLASTANI and Olympian Samantha Schultz, who's one of the subjects in Johanna Garton's latest book All in Stride. After competing at ...
Apr 11, 2024•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 332
Documenting different stories of the Games is vital to providing an accurate picture of Olympic history. On this episode, we talk with documentary filmmaker Gabriel Veras, director of the new documentary Athletes of War. The movie looks at the ongoing war in Ukraine from the lens of athletes who are trying to do sport and train for the Paris 2024 Olympics amidst bombed out facilities and the threat of death. We talk with Gabe about how he conceived this idea, made the documentary, and the athlet...
Apr 04, 2024•51 min•Ep. 331
Today we’re talking with Johanna Garton, author of the new book All in Stride, which is about the US Army's World Class Athlete Program and two runners who were part of it, Elvin Kibet and Shadrack Kipchirchir. Also featured in the book is TKFLASTANI Samantha Schultz , who becomes friends with Elvin during their Army duty. Sammy gets to know Johanna as well and opens up to her about her struggles with body image and disordered eating. Learn more about Johanna at her website . Get your copy throu...
Mar 29, 2024•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 330
It's Women's History Month, so we're devoting this episode to the women of Chamonix 1924--all 13 of them. At the first Winter Olympics, women competed in ladies and pairs figure skating. We take a look at this competition, as well as the men's event, to learn just how different this Olympic sport was back in the day when Austria was a powerhouse (let's just say it doesn't include ice set on a specific Pantone color base). The competition features Olympic and figure skating legend Sonja Henie in ...
Mar 26, 2024•13 min
At the LA 2028 Paralympics, the US will compete in blind football (aka blind soccer) for the first time--but a national team is still in development. Molly Quinn, CEO of the US Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) joins us to talk about the process of building an internationally competitive team. Learn more about blind soccer at the USABA's website and follow them on X , Instagram , YouTube and LinkedIn ! If you get involved with the team, we'd love to hear from you ! Plus: Medal reallocations ...
Mar 21, 2024•57 min•Ep. 329
This is Episode 328. Women don’t compete in sled hockey at the Paralympics--yet. That may soon be changing, thanks to growth of the sport around the world. Veteran Team USA sled hockey player Monica Quimby joins the podcast to tell us the latest developments in women's sled hockey and its path to Paralympic inclusion. In Paris 2024 news: The flame lighting ceremony in Olympia is getting a makeover . The Opening Ceremonies has a start time, and NBC announced its hosting team (one of whom may have...
Mar 14, 2024•59 min•Ep. 328
This is episode 327. The Academy Awards are this weekend, so what better way to celebrate than with the Keep the Flame Alive Movie Club? Film Buff Fran is here to talk about the newest Olympic major motion picture The Boys in the Boat. Based on the book by Daniel James Brown and directed by George Clooney, it tells the story of the 8-man boat on the US men’s rowing team and their uphill quest for gold at the Berlin 1936 Olympics. If you've seen it, let us know what you thought of it! Also in thi...
Mar 08, 2024•59 min•Ep. 327
This is Episode 326. During Tokyo 2020, we loved watching track cycling, but of course, came up with many questions about the sport. American Olympic hopeful Mandy Marquardt joins us to talk about her specialty, sprinting. We talk about the sprint and Keirin races. We also get into how the bike works, her uniform, and how expensive track cycling shoes can be. Follow Mandy on Facebook , Instagram , and X . Team NovoNordisk is on Insta and X . Check out her website too! In Paris 2024 news, it's a ...
Mar 01, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 326
Episode 325. Book Club Claire is here to discuss our latest book club selection, If Gold Is Our Destiny: How a Team of Mavericks Came Together for Olympic Glory by Sean P. Murray. This book tells the story of the US men's national volleyball team and its development in its quest for gold at the LA 1984 Olympics. Haven't read it? Grab your copy through our Bookshop.org storefront (affiliate link)! Follow Claire on Insta and X ! The Beijing 2022 figure skating team medal situation will continue to...
Feb 22, 2024•42 min•Ep. 325
At the first Winter Olympics, medals were awarded to mountain climbers for scaling the greatest peaks in the world. It wasn't even an actual competition that took place during the Games, but these men got Olympic medals nonetheless. Alison explains how and why the Olympics awarded medals in Alpinism, including the fact that the team who won this award was truly a mixed-country team, the likes of which we don’t really see very often in Olympic history. For sources and a transcript of this episode...
Feb 20, 2024•12 min
Episode 324. We always love it when a TKFLASTANI comes back on the show! Canadian artistic swimmer Jacqueline Simoneau is back to talk with us about her decision to put medical school on hold for a year and try for one more Olympics. Her road to Paris 2024 goes through Doha and the 2024 World Aquatics World Championships--will her duet be enough to get to her third Olympics? It's been a big news week for upcoming Games: Paris 2024 announced its medals (which are epic and may also make you want t...
Feb 15, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 324
It's two years until the next Winter Olympics at Milan-Cortina in 2026, so we are in a winter sports mood! Milan-Cortina's slidingnovela (where the sliding events will take place) has us curious about bobsled, so Australian bobsledder (bobsleigher?) Breeana Walker joins us to talk monobob. Bree competed at Beijing 2022 in both the two-woman and the monobob, placing 16th and 5th respectively. We've wanted to talk about monobob for a while, and Bree sheds some light on the sport for us, including ...
Feb 09, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 323
The Winter Youth Olympic Games 2024 has come to a close and the digital flame has been turned off. We run through the second week of competition, including feed beefs (or a lack thereof) and results from: Alpine Skiing Biathlon Cross-Country Skiing Curling Figure Skating Freestyle Skiing Ice Hockey - including why USA and Canada did not field women's teams in these Games Nordic Combined Short Track Speed Skating - the mixed relay was a lot of fun! Snowboard Speed Skating Closing Ceremony It's be...
Feb 01, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 322
The Olympics always has test events to make sure the venues are in working order and everything is ready to go for the Games. We've got one too--and that's the Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG) that are taking place in Gangwon, South Korea (and using many venues from PyeongChang 2018!). Alison has wholeheartedly jumped back into double screening, and her maternal vibe is really coming out for these kids. Jill? Well, she has thoughts about the YOG and is still working through them. On this episode...
Jan 25, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 321
