Flame Bearers: Pathways to Paris

"If you have the chance to be the best in the world at something, even for the fourth time, you should probably take it." Caryn Davies, a 3x Olympic medalist, shares her extraordinary journey of ambition, resilience, and self-discovery in this unfiltered conversation.

Caryn, who competed in three Olympic Games—Athens (2004), Beijing (2008), and London (2012)—amassed an impressive record: a silver medal in Athens and back-to-back gold medals in Beijing and London as part of the U.S. Women’s Eight. She reflects on her initial decision to retire after London, only to feel drawn back to rowing years later, inspired by her enduring love for the sport and the possibility of a fourth Olympic appearance in Tokyo.

Her return, however, was anything but straightforward. She recounts the struggles of reintegrating with a younger team, battling a significant injury, and ultimately being cut from the Tokyo squad. Despite not making the final team, Caryn explains how she redefined success: "Even though I didn’t make it to the Olympic Games... I had won something more important than a gold medal: the respect and love of my teammates."

In this conversation Caryn shares about her learnings from the most challenging moments, including the power of vulnerability, the importance of seeking feedback, and the delicate balance of intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation. She also offers unique insights into what it means to embody the Olympic ideals of excellence, respect, and joy in effort: "A true Olympian honors not just excellence but also friendship and respect, even amidst fierce competition."

Caryn takes us behind the scenes of her life as an elite rower and shares how the lessons from her Olympic journey now guide her in her career as a lawyer. She shares how "being a normal person [not an elite athlete] is really hard." This conversation is a testament to the idea that greatness isn't just measured by medals but by the impact you leave on those around you.

Charlie Guest, is a 2x Olympic skier, psych student, and an advocate for gender equity in sports. After breaking her back in 2014, Charlie went on to become the first British woman to ever win an Alpine European Cup (2019) and later went on to rack up 3 titles. Charlie opens up about her passion for skiing and the systemic inequalities she’s encountered. Specifically, Charlie recounts the infuriating disparities in media coverage during last year's Junior Alpine World Championships championship, where men’s races were given priority while women’s events were ignored. "It wasn’t an accident. It was a choice," she shares. She highlights how these decisions have ripple effects, impacting sponsorships, visibility, and future opportunities for women athletes.

The conversation takes a deeply personal turn as Charlie reflects on her realization that even training methods were not designed for women. “None of the training we were doing was designed for us, and it broke me—physically and emotionally."

Yet, this story isn’t just about challenges—it’s about hope and action. Charlie emphasizes the power of speaking up: “If you use your voice, it gives others the courage to use theirs. That’s where real change begins.”

In this episode, we sprint into the life of Jodie Williams, a 3x Olympian from Great Britain, beginning with her early days as an unstoppable young athlete. Jodie recalls her first taste of victory, winning races at school sports days and even being pitted against older boys in a heptathlon when “no one could beat me.” That moment fueled a drive that would guide her to track and field, where she quickly became a standout.

That said, her journey to the Olympics wasn’t without setbacks. She reflects on the heartbreak of missing the London Olympics due to a torn hamstring and feeling overwhelmed in her first Olympic experience in Rio. But by Tokyo, she had found a new mindset: “I just looked up... there was no crowd, but I felt at peace. I thought, 'Wow, I’ve done it.'”

Jodie opens up about the highs and lows of pursuing her dream, describing how fear has been ever-present: “Fear is a huge part of it… if you're dreaming that big, there’s going to be a lot of fear involved. That’s part of the journey.” Learning to manage her inner dialogue, she says, has been essential, as she’s worked to “make friends” with her inner critic and celebrate each small victory. Jodie shares how wherever you are in your journey, she wants you to stop to congratulate yourself today. "Say, 'Good job for getting out of bed, for getting dressed,' because sometimes, that’s the biggest achievement of the day."

Beyond her athletic career, Jodie founded the Listen Journal, a platform for women to share their stories authentically. She’s also found a passion for coffee, seeing it as a way to build community and raise awareness around its history.

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Flame Bearers is a multi-platform media movement illuminating the stories of our world's best women athletes. We tell stories via video, podcast, and live events, centering her story in her words.

For more videos about elite women in sport, subscribe to our YouTube channel ► / @flamebearers

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Celina Toth traded in her gymnastics leotard for her swimsuit at age 12, where she quickly rose up the ranks, and consistently maintained her spot on the Canadian National Team since 2008. "I was the oldest diver to ever qualify for their first Olympics in Canada at 28...a testament to my character, that I was never giving up." A 4x World Cup Finalist and CAN Fund recipient, Celina made quite the splash in the world of diving, and did so on her terms, calling the shots for herself. Her motivation? "Every time I step on that platform, I'm diving for the little girl who was told she wasn’t good enough."

And it hasn't been easy. Throughout her career, she's battled toxic training environments, body shaming, and abusive coaches. She shares, "I was told I was too fat, that I’d never get the scores I deserved because of the way I looked...but I made it anyway." In today's conversation, Celina opens up about her decision to retire from competitive sport and in traditional Celina-fashion, is doing it her way: "I’m leaving the sport on my terms, doing it for myself, after standing up to every ‘no’ and every doubter along the way."

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Flame Bearers is a global storytelling platform, illuminating the unsung stories of resilient women Olympians & Paralympians that inspire people to drive change for themselves, in their connections with others, and their communities.

For more videos about elite women in sport, subscribe to our YouTube channel ► / @flamebearers

Follow us -

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Chahat Arora is a Indian national record holder in breast stroke who has been one of the most consistent swimmers for her country over the past decade. That said, for Chahat swimming is "more about being happy than being successful. If I'm happy doing what I love, that's good enough for me right now."

In today's conversation, Chahat shares how she grounds herself and develops goals for self improvement. She shares, "Instead of just thinking that I want to go to the Olympics or I want to do this, they should every day try to be better and just compare yourself with who you were yesterday, instead of comparing it to others."

Let's dive in!

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Flame Bearers is a global storytelling platform, illuminating the unsung stories of resilient women athletes who inspire people to drive change for themselves, in their connections with others, and their communities.

For more videos about elite women athletes, subscribe to our YouTube channel ► / @flamebearers

Follow us -

Instagram - / flamebearers

Facebook - / flamebearerspodcast

Linkedin - / flame-bearers

Tiktok- / flame_bearers

X- / flame_bearers

OUR WEBSITE - https://flamebearers.com/

We heard you loud & clear: you want more athlete's stories, so we responded. Today, we launch Flame Bearers: UNEDITED, a new video and podcast series celebrating the journeys of elite women athletes from around the world at all phases of their journeys: seeking their first international qualifications, a the pinnacle of their careers, and after retirement. In this largely UNEDITED series, we'll meet more athletes than ever before, all at various stages of their paths. This series is different not only because we're broadening who we're featuring, but how we're doing so. In the spirit of bringing you MORE STORIES, the tradeoff is fewer bells + whistles (i.e. animations & fancy sound effects than we normally include in our productions). We think it's worth the trade off so we can elevate more women doing incredible work -- we'd love to hear your thoughts.

To launch this new series, we're kickin' things into gear with Skyler. Skyler is a baker, writer and podcaster (links below), proud dog mom, and a Paralympic tandem pilot. Not sure what that means? As Skyler shares, "Priority number one is always keeping Hannah safe when we ride. My responsibility is to be her eyes and make sure she feels empowered in her journey."

In today's conversation, we hear how Skyler grew up with multiple incredible female athletic role models (including her aunt, an athlete whose name you definitely know...). As Skyler shares, even at an early age, "I was taught most to just follow what was exciting to me, and I’ve been really supported in that way, which I’ve been really lucky."

We talk how she got into para sports and what she wants to dispel about para sports. She shares, "The biggest thing I want to dispel is the idea that para-sports are easy. These athletes are dealing with challenges that make training and racing more difficult, but it’s just as competitive as able-bodied sports."

Check out Skyler's podcast, Sports with Sky and Miche: https://open.spotify.com/show/3X8syAf6Py30nD2tCUGTc2?si=8c3e3c58a1874888

Check out Skyler's blog here: https://empowerwomensports.wordpress.com/

📸: @cbgphoto

📝: photo of Skyler and Hannah at World Championships

Asmaa is a 2x Olympic judoka and 6x African Champion who came to judo when most athletes are retiring. Now at 41, Asmaa has decided to say goodbye to the mat on her terms and focus on her next chapter. But first, let's hear how she got to where she is today.

She's a Parisian firefighter (the only one in her community), founder, psychologist, daily ice-bath lover, and so much more. Throughout it all, Asmaa's journey has been about continually challenging herself, staying grounded, and playing. “I’m 20 years old with 21 years of experience. I have a child’s spirit.” She shares how, "The word ‘PLAY’ is literally in the world ‘OLYMPIC,’ so you can never forget that we are playing a sport."

We talk about Asmaa's motivation and what gets her up in the morning. “I am driven by helping a human being reach their full potential.” We hear about her hopes for the future of women's sports, and how women (whether they are athletes or not) can support the movement.

This conversation is co-hosted by 2x Olympian and 6x National Figure Skating Champ, Maé-Bérénice Méité.

Debinha (Deb) and Bia Zaneratto are two of the greatest soccer legends in the game. Both grew up playing with the boys, and in Deb's case often playing with whatever the neighborhood kids could grab that resembled a ball. Bia had her first opportunity to play with girls at 13.

In this conversation we sit down with Deb and Bia together, as they both play for the Kansas City Current in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). This conversation is co-hosted by Maé-Bérénice Méité (2x Olympian and 6X National Figure Skating Champ, France) and conducted in Portuguese with English translation courtesy of Ana Ramos.

If you don't know these two superstars, you should. Deb has played for Brazil in 2X FIFA World Cups, 2X Olympics, and has 130+ caps for her country. In the NWSL, she's wracked up 10,000+ minutes played, and is one of the most decorated players in the league (2x NWSL championships, 3x NWSL shields and multiple MVP titles). Bia skyrocketed onto the world stage at 14, and has since been a veteran of 4X FIFA World Cups (2011, 2015, 2019, 2023) and 2X Olympics. Both of them are on a mission to make the future of women's sports brighter and better than it was for them.

In today's conversation we discuss motivation, overcoming challenges/stereotypes, and their hopes for the future of women's sports. When asked about her early motivation, Deb shares, "The boys wouldn’t let me play soccer with them, so I wanted to show them there was no reason I couldn’t play with them." Similarly, Bia offers, "I wanted to show the boys that I was just as capable. That a woman's place is wherever she wants.”

As both look to the future, they share a commitment to increasing opportunities and support for women and girls in Brazil. Tune in to hear how!

This episode was made possible in partnership with the Kansas City Current. Photo and video credit to the KC Current.

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Tezna grew up thinking that maybe one day, she could be a Paralympic swimmer. At 12, she became South Africa's para national champ. When Tezna got in an accident one week before the Rio Paralympic Trials, she took a step away from sports to reset. Years later, she decided to pick up track and field "to stay fit," and within the year, she became a 3x African Record and South African Paralympian competing in the 200m and long jump.

Because there's not (yet enough) serious prize money in para athletics, Tezna also works full-time in iGaming and is pursuing her Masters degree in Sports Management. That's right: she's a full-time athlete, full-time employee, and full-time student all at once. One day, Tezna hopes women and para athletes are able to make a living off of their professional athletic careers.

In this conversation -- recorded before the Paralympics -- Tezna shares how she stumbled upon track, her aspirations for the future, and why representation matters. According to Tezna, "You have no idea how much you being there makes a big difference to someone else." While she's the only mixed athlete on the South African Paralympic track & field team and is proud to be a role model who can inspire future generations of athletes, "we are more human than we are our skin color. If you cut us open, we all bleed the same."

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Flame Bearers is the world's first media and production company specifically illuminating the unsung stories of resilient women Olympians & Paralympians. We tell stories via podcast, video, and live events and are working towards a world where people feel more represented, empowered, and enlightened about the power of community.

Learn more on our website: flamebearers.com

Watch & subscribe to our YouTube channel to exclusive video interviews and bonus content ► / @flamebearers

Follow us on social media for behind the scenes content:

Instagram: /flamebearers

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Taylor has been in the pool since age 4, when her mom (a swim coach) and older sister (also a swimmer) first introduced her to the water. A D1 recruit at Loyola University Maryland, Taylor was gearing up to make a splash at the collegiate level. She was then diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a condition characterized by joint pain, loose joints, and hypermobility. According to Taylor, this period of her life was both physically and emotionally excruciating. She shares how she needed to "mourn the life [I] lost but also realize that [I] gained a new life."

Hearing how important swimming was to her, Taylor's physical therapist encouraged her to return to the water. One day when at the Loyola pool, the swim coach who recruited her suggested Taylor explore para swimming. This recommendation changed Taylor's life.

Flash forward to today and Taylor is a 2x S10 American Record Holder and 7x Parapan Games medalist. As Taylor looks to the future, she hopes to see a world in which women are "valued like the men." She also shares how she hopes to become a Mom and how "women can be strong and powerful" while also at the top of their sport.

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Flame Bearers is the world's first media and production company specifically illuminating the unsung stories of resilient women Olympians & Paralympians. We tell stories via podcast, video, and live events and are working towards a world where people feel more represented, empowered, and enlightened about the power of community.

Learn more on our website: flamebearers.com

Watch & subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch a video version of this episode ► / @flamebearers

Follow us on social media for exclusive behind the scenes content:

Instagram: /flamebearers

Facebook: /flamebearerspodcast

Linkedin: /flame-bearers

Tiktok: /flame_bearers

X: /flame_bearers