Flame Bearers

By Founded by Jamie MittelmanSports

Flame Bearers episodes

November 09, 2022 Ignore The Critics: Alexa Moreno (MEX)
Alexa is a 2x Olympian (Tokyo and Rio) and the first Mexican woman to win a World Championship Medal. She's one of the 100 most powerful women in Mexico (via Forbes Magazine), yet according to her manager, Frida Martinez, "She doesn't know she's a role model. That's her superpower. She doesn't know she's that big."
In this episode we hear about Alexa's tumultuous rode to Tokyo, her recovery after the Games, and her struggles with cyberbullying. As Alexa has spoken out about being cyberbullied, her influence outside of gymnastics has skyrocketed; she has become a global role model fighting against cyberbullies. Thank you to Alexa for trusting us to share her story on this sensitive matter!
This episode was made possible by Dana Mekler and the Harvard Kennedy School's Mexico Conference. Thank you to teammates, Marissa Potter and Elizabeth Michael for your help bringing this story to life.
Experts Included:
-Frida Martina (Alexa's Manager)
-Daniela Cueva (Alexa's Physical Therapist)
-Stephanie Frederick, Associate Director, Alberti Center for Bullying Abuse Prevention
Media from the following sources were used in this episode (in order of appearance):
-TCL Electronics' YouTube Channel: 'Alexa Moreno | Mexican Artistic Gymnast'
-Gymnastics' Fun's YouTube Channel: 'Alexa Moreno (MEX) 4th VT EF Tokyo Olympic Games 2020'
-Gymnastics' Fun's YouTube Channel: Alexa Moreno (MEX) FX 55th QF Tokyo Olympic Games 2020'
-Toyota ad: 'Toyota Presents: Mexican Olympic gymnast, Alexa Moreno, the first Mexican gymnast to ever win a world championship medal...'
26 min
October 26, 2022 Find Your Voice: Diede de Groot (NED)
Diede de Groot has won 31 majors, is the current world No. 1 in both singles and doubles, and achieved a Golden Grand Slam: winning all four major tournaments in a calendar year (2021). She's also a force off the court; Diede advocates for people with disabilities and adaptive clothing. "It's not always easy to find the proper clothing for people with disabilities."
As Diede has racked up record-breaking wins, she's become increasingly outspoken about what matters to her. In fact, despite her countless wins, when asked what she's most proud of, she shared that it's her personal growth and finding of her voice.
In this episode, we focus on Diede's commitment to changing the face of disability and adaptive sport. We hear from her childhood role model, Esther Vergeer (7x Paralympic Champion), her manager, Bart van Schijndel and Ian Cropp and Adam Lassner (Citi's Global Sponsorship Team). We hear how Diede got into wheelchair tennis, her experience AFTER the Tokyo Paralympics, and her hopes for the future.
Production Team's Favorite Quote: "Tickle yourself a little bit and have a bit of joy every day."
Why: Diede is the best in her world at what she does, but always makes time for herself and joy every day. This quote reminds us to always take time to find joy in the moment.
Massive shoutout to teammate, Marissa Potter, Director of Brand & Partnerships, for all of her incredible help making this episode.
Contributing Experts include:
-Esther Vergeer (7x Paralympic Champion & Founder, Esther Vergeer Foundation)
-Bart van Schijndel (Diede's Manager, Founder, Sports Stories)
-Ian Cropp (Global Sponsorship Manager, International Paralympic Committee, Citi)
-Adam Lassner (AVP, Global Sports Sponsorships, Citi)
Audio included from the following sources:
-US Open Tennis Championships's YouTube Channel: 'Diede De Groot vs. Yui Kamiji Highlights | 2022 US Open Final'
-Paralympic Games' YouTube Channel: 'Diede De Groot wins Best Female Athlete | 2021 Paralympic Sports Awards'
-Runway of Dreams' YouTube Channel: 'Runway of Dreams Los Angeles 2022 Fashion Revolution'
For more behind the scenes coverage, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flamebearers/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FlameBearersPodcast/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/flame_bearers
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/flame-bearers/
28 min
October 13, 2022 Bigger Than Basketball: Sue Bird (USA)
Sue is one of the most iconic athletes in the world: she's been a professional athlete for 20 years, won 5 gold Olympic medals (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020) and has become one of the most outspoken advocates for social change. Further, between her Olympic and FIBA World Cup medals, she holds the most medals of any basketball athlete in the world (male or female). She also holds 4 WNBA and 2 NCAA Championships.
In this episode, we focus on Sue's commitment to social change and her legacy to the sport. We hear from Sue's big sis, Jen, on how Sue has changed over the years (and why she is so proud of her), former teammate and Coach, Hall of Fame athlete, Coach Dawn Staley, Professional Basketball star, Marina Mabrey, and Sue's two nieces, Zoe (age 9) and Alex (age 7). We hear how Sue got into sports (hint: Jen played a big role), how she's always stomped the pavement for others, and her hopes for the future of basketball.
Production Team's Favorite Quote:
While Sue has been a champion for countless social causes, she doesn't call herself an activist because "that is a full time job...I'm trying to do my part, but that's almost too big of a compliment, but obviously I do feel very strongly about a lot of things."
Why: Sue's reverence for activism as a full time role, deserving of credit and support deeply impressed us
Massive shoutout to teammate, Marissa Potter, Director of Brand & Partnerships, for all of her incredible help making this episode. Thank you to the Wasserman team for making this interview possible and for all of your support: Lindsay Colas, Tracy Hughes, and Annie Takahashi.
Contributing experts include:
-Jennifer Bird (Sue's Sister)
-Coach Dawn Staley (Sue's Former Teammate & Coach, Hall of Famer & Head Coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks)
-Marina Mabrey (Professional Basketball Player, Dallas Wings)
-Zoe & Alex Bird (Sue's Nieces)
Audio included from the following sources:
- Women Hooping's YouTube Channel: 'Sue Bird Hits Final Shot In New York To Clinch Win, Crowd Gives Standing Ovation Saluting Her Career'
- WNBA's YouTube Channel: 'Best Of Sue Bird’s 3,000 Assists'
- WCNC's YouTube Channel: 'Tokyo Olympics | Sue Bird'
- Uninterrupted Love Is Manifesto from uninterrupted.com/loveis
- CNN's YouTube Channel: 'WNBA players strike balance between athletics and activism'
- 60 Minutes' YouTube Channel: 'Sue Bird on going public with her relationship with Megan Rapinoe'
- March Madness' YouTube Channel: 'Best of Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi in the Final Four for UConn'
- ESPN's YouTube Channel: 'Marina Mabrey drops CAREER-HIGH 31 PTS as Dallas Wings clinch playoff berth! | WNBA on ESPN'
- Seattle Storm Official's YouTube Channel: 'Sue Bird | Press Conference | Sue Announces Retirement'
For more behind the scenes coverage, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flamebearers/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FlameBearersPodcast/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/flame_bearers
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/flame-bearers/
34 min
October 05, 2022 Season 3 Trailer: Keeping the Fire Burning
Flame Bearers: Keeping the Fire Burning spotlights women Olympians and Paralympians who sought to compete in the Tokyo Summer or Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics. In this season, we discuss what happens AFTER the Games, when the fans and cameras go home. We’re going beyond the glamour to see how these women stay focused when the focus isn’t on them. First full episode drops Wednesday, October 12th.
Flame Bearers is the first and only global storytelling platform for women Olympians and Paralympians. We celebrate the journeys of unsung athletes alongside household names. We use sport as a conduit for social justice issues and provide action-oriented analysis of the issues closest to their hearts.
Tune into all podcast episodes, wherever you get your podcasts including:
-Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
-Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7sLW663...
-Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0...
Learn more about Flame Bearers here: flamebearerspodcast.com
Social Media Handles:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flamebearer...
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FlameBearers...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/flamebearers
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/flam...
#womensupportingwomen #olympics #paralympics #womenathletes #femaleathlete #womenempowerment #womeninsports #womenleadership #womenleaders
2 min
April 06, 2022 The Original Sleigh Queen: Simidele Adeagbo (NG)
Simidele (Simi) was the first African and black woman to compete in Skeleton at the Olympics, and more recently, the first African to take home gold at an international bobsled competition: "We don't have the facilities [in Nigeria], and we don't have the equipment, so to know that I was going into that space with a lot of barriers, and to know that I was still able to win was very symbolic. It showed me what was possible." While Simi just missed qualifying for Beijing in the monobob, this Olympian (2018) was a voice we wanted to elevate because she’s breaking records and boundaries for her country of Nigeria and her new sport, monobob.
In this episode, Simi talks about why diversity in sport matters and her new book, Sleigh, Sleigh, Sleigh All Day.
Contributing Expert: April Holmes (4X Paralympian, 3X Paralympic Medalist)
28 min
March 23, 2022 What the World Needs to Hear: Ukrainian Athletes
In light of Russian war on Ukraine, this special edition episode is different than our normal episodes. In an effort to elevate Ukranian voices and the connection between sports and politics, we speak with three elite Ukrainian athletes: Valentina Molchanets (Professional Triathlete and European Champion, Aquathlon, U23), Vita Oleksiuk (Paralympian, Currently #5 in World Paratriathlon ranking, 10th place Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games), and Olena Kryvystka (3X Olympian, 3x World Championships Bronze Medalist). We highlight the realities of the war in Ukraine and the messages they want the world to hear.
Experts interviewed: Dr. Emily, Channell Justice (Director, Temerty Contemporary Ukraine Program, Ukrainian Research Institute, Harvard University) and Yuriy Sak (Ukrainian, Ministry of Defense, Communications).
RESOURCES TO TAKE ACTION:
Courtesy of Dr. Emily, Channell Justice (Director, Temerty Contemporary Ukraine Program, Ukrainian Research Institute, Harvard University), ALL RESOURCES OUTLINED HERE: https://huri.harvard.edu/russia-ukraine-war
Calling out a few links that could be particularly useful
-Comprehensive list of ways foreigners can help Ukraine (compiled by Global Shapers Community (born out of World Economic Forum) and supported by Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine): https://supportukrainenow.org/
-Donate to The Kyiv Independent to support Ukrainian English-language journalism: https://www.gofundme.com/f/kyivindependent-launch or https://www.patreon.com/kyivindependent
-Petition to ask NATO to close Ukrainian airspace/create a no-fly zone: https://www.openpetition.eu/petition/online/people-around-the-world-ask-nato-to-close-the-airspace-over-ukraine
-Follow these Twitter accounts for news: @KyivIndependent, @NewVoiceUkraine, @KyivPost
-Contact your congressional representatives to demand they stand with Ukraine: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/stand-with-ukraine
This episode was a true team effort. Thank you Roman Korol (Coach, Ukranian National Paratriathlon team), for making our speaking with Valentyna and Vita possible, to high school friend, Sasha Kamenetska for working with your family and friends to help us find a Ukranian translator, to Anna Synakh for making this episode possible in Ukranian, to classmate Ilya Timtchenko (Head of Ukraine, REDD Intelligence) and classmate and friend, Grace Stone for your English voiceover for Vita.
Sources Used in this episode
-TIME's YouTube, 'Ukrainian Paralympians Protest Russian Invasion'
-WION's YouTube, 'Amid Russian invasion, Ukrainian athletes make it Beijing for winter Paralympics'
-Paralympic Games' YouTube, 'Andrew Parsons' Beijing 2022 Opening Statement | Paralympic Games'
-NBC Sports' YouTube, 'Ukrainian athletes deliver powerful Opening Ceremony moments | NBC Sports'
-NBC Sports' YouTube, 'Ukrainians SWEEP PODIUM in emotional Para biathlon finish | NBC Sports'
-Paralympic Games' YouTube, '🇺🇦 Ukraine's Grygorii Vovchynskyi celebrates victory after Paralympic GOLD | Paralympic Games'
-Paralympic Games' YouTube, '🇺🇦 Ukraine's Oksana Shyshkova Incredible Gold Medal Finish! | Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games'
24 min
March 09, 2022 That Moment Changed Everything: Mihaela Hogas (RO)
When Mihaela was 9, she went to a park and saw some kids inline skating. She didn't realize it was actually for the winter sport of speed skating, but she was curious enough to give it a try herself: "In that moment, I decided my life. Here I am 13 years later, still doing it" despite the fact that Romania doesn't have any rinks for her to train on. Mihaela is now her country's fastest female speed skater.
In this episode, Mihaela reveals how the life of a professional athlete during COVID-19 has actually been quite lonely (even in the Olympic village), and what it means to her and others to be the fastest female Romanian Speed Skater in the world. We hear from her sister, Adina, nephew, Darius, and two best friends, Florentina and Madalina.
16 min
March 02, 2022 2 Games in 2 Sports: Kendall Gretsch (USA)
3x Paralympic Gold Medalist, Kendall Gretsch is one of the only athletes who competed in Tokyo this past summer who is also competing in Beijing. Less than 6 months ago Kendall won gold in Paratriathlon, and she's now one of the Para Nordic favorites in Beijing. In this episode we talk about how Kendall got into para sports, what the postponement meant for her, and her goals for the future.
Contributing experts include Emily Allison (Kendall's Roomate) and Patrick Criteser (CEO & President, Tillamook).
Media clips from:
-NBC Sports' YouTube, Kendall Gretsch's INCREDIBLE sprint finish steals Paratriathlon gold | NBC Sports
-Paralympic Game's YouTube, Victory Ceremony | Women's Biathlon| Sprint sitting | PyeongChang2018 Paralympic Winter Games
20 min
February 16, 2022 Dr. Parasnowboard: Dr. Natalia Siuba-Jarosz (PL)
Dr. Natalia Siuba-Jarosz is an elite Polish Parasnowboarder and Doctor in Radiology. She has gone by Simba ever since her last name was misspelled in grade school, and the nickname stuck. In this episode we hear how Natalia balances both the world's of elite snowboarding and being a doctor, as well as her thoughts on women in the sport. Hint: we need more women. "Now it's changing, but almost all of the coaches from other teams are men...It's hard to be a disabled woman in Poland."
Hear more via Simba's new Flame Bearers podcast, live wherever you get your podcasts.
Contributing experts include Margorzata Kelm (Natalia's Coach) and Maciek Jarosz (Natalia's Husband).
Media clips from:
-Paralympic Games' YouTube, Lillehammer 2021 | Para Snowboard | Dual Banked Slalom (m/w) | WPSS Championships
-Paralympic Games' YouTube, Para Snowboard: Sports of the Paralympic Winter Games
21 min
February 09, 2022 Valentina Margaglio (Italy): the Skeleton Lioness
Valentina or 'The Lioness' grew up in Italy as a 'very competitive child' with her three sisters and one brother. She describes her heritage as "the perfect mix" of cultures, crediting each of her parents and their respective origins with various parts of who she is today (her Dad is from Italy and her Mom is from the Ivory Coast).
Valentina is the first Italian to ever win a Skeleton medal in the World Championships and she’s now poised to dominate the ice in Beijing. In this episode we talk about how she got into the sport, changing weight restrictions and how this impacts her push, and how she got her trademark name the Lioness because of her big fabulous curly hair.
Contributing expert: Andrea Gallina (coach and boyfriend)
Media clips from:
-RTL 102.5's YouTube, Valentina Margaglio: torna l'appuntamento con "Fisi News"
-IBSF Bobsleigh & Skeleton's YouTube, Tina Hermann shines once again in Saxony | IBSF Official
-IBSF Bobsleigh & Skeleton's YouTube, Margaglio/Gaspari: "It was a miracle on ice" | IBSF Official
-InfoByte's TV's YouTube, Olympics: An Animated History of Skeleton Sledding
19 min

About Flame Bearers

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Flame Bearers is a women's sports storytelling studio. We tell stories via video production, podcasts, and live events and have supported just shy of 400 world-class athletes from 52…