By Jill Jaracz & Alison Brown
4.5
4848 ratings
The podcast currently has 481 episodes available.
Paralympic para powerlifter Louise Sugden returns to talk about her experiences at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, where she finished 5th in the 79kg weight class. However, she also opted to change weight classes this time around. We discuss that decision, the process of what it takes to successfully move down, and whether it was the best choice for this competition.
Follow Louise on Instagram, Threads, TikTok and Twitter!
Also on this episode, we discuss the Court of Arbitration for Sport's (CAS) recently announced 10-year-ban on Russian Tatyana Tomashova, who was discovered to have doped during London 2012 in the women's 1500m, which is widely considered to be the dirtiest race in history (even worse than the one we discussed in book club!).
Speaking of doping, the International Testing Agency released its final report on its pre-Paris initiative. This report details how many athletes and potential Olympic qualifiers were tested ahead of the Games. How successful was the ITA's testing initiative?
Plus,we have more news from Paris 2024, Milan-Cortina 2026, and TKFLASTAN.
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 released every week and daily during the Olympics and Paralympics. Also look for our monthly Games History Moment episodes in your feed.
Support the show: http://flamealivepod.com/support
Bookshop.org store: https://bookshop.org/shop/flamealivepod
Hang out with us online:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flamealivepod
Insta: http://www.instagram.com/flamealivepod
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/flamealivepod
Facebook Group: hhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/flamealivepod
Newsletter: Sign up at https://mailchi.mp/ee507102fbf7/flamealivepod
VM/Text: (208) FLAME-IT / (208) 352-6348
We spent the past weekend in Atlanta at the annual Olympin Olympic collectors and pin traders show. We had a fun time catching up with other collectors, pin traders, TKFLASTANIs, and--best of all--meeting some listeners!
This was also Alison's first trip to Atlanta, so we had to do a little Olympic sightseeing. Nicholas from Olympic Rings and Other Things was kind enough to show us around!
We also have a ton of news from upcoming Games!
Milan-Cortina 2026 has released the pictograms and look of the Games, which they call the Vibes. Mascots Milo and Tina are also unveiling their (adorable) sport poses on social media every day this month.
Brisbane 2032 is in a bit of a bind, with several venue projects already over budget. The new Liberal National Party is reviewing the situation.
Also, the Association of National Olympic Committees cut a deal to help small NOCs outfit their athletes for Games through 2032.
In TKFLASTAN news, we have updates from:
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 released every week and daily during the Olympics and Paralympics. Also look for our monthly Games History Moment episodes in your feed.
Support the show: http://flamealivepod.com/support
Bookshop.org store: https://bookshop.org/shop/flamealivepod
Hang out with us online:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flamealivepod
Insta: http://www.instagram.com/flamealivepod
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/flamealivepod
Facebook Group: hhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/flamealivepod
Newsletter: Sign up at https://mailchi.mp/ee507102fbf7/flamealivepod
VM/Text: (208) FLAME-IT / (208) 352-6348
Paris 2024 Olympic silver medalist SSG Sagen Maddalena on this episode to talk with us about the shooting competitions and what the Olympics were like at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre, a few hours away from Paris.
A former NCAA athlete, Sagen is a member of the US Army's Marksmanship Unit, where she's a shooter and instructor for the unit's International Team.
Paris 2024 fueled Sagen's drive for gold at LA 2028. Follow her journey to the next Summer Olympics on Instagram and learn more about the US Army Marksmanship Unit here.
In news from Milan-Cortina 2026, the latest version of the daily Olympics schedule is out. Find it here, and plan your trip and/or viewing now (note: it is subject to change, so maybe don't set your plans in stone).
In news from TKFLASTAN, we hear from:
We'll be at Olympin this weekend! If you're in Atlanta, please stop by and say hello!
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 released every week and daily during the Olympics and Paralympics. Also look for our monthly Games History Moment episodes in your feed.
Support the show: http://flamealivepod.com/support
Bookshop.org store: https://bookshop.org/shop/flamealivepod
Hang out with us online:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flamealivepod
Insta: http://www.instagram.com/flamealivepod
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/flamealivepod
Facebook Group: hhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/flamealivepod
Newsletter: Sign up at https://mailchi.mp/ee507102fbf7/flamealivepod
VM/Text: (208) FLAME-IT / (208) 352-6348
Both Alison and Jill are experiencing some post-Paris 2024 blues, and they share what they're doing to combat it--you'll have to figure out whether Alison is being a 90-year-old or not, and you can do so while listening to our Paris 2024 playlist.
Another way to combat it is to talk with someone who's been there. We're excited to welcome para cyclist Samantha Bosco back onto the show. Samantha competed in both para track and road cycling at Paris–and won gold in the road race time trial, which was the event she most wanted to win. She tells us all about that gold-medal race and more!
You can learn more about Samantha at her website and follow her on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. Also check out her lightning round with us!
In Paris 2024 news, the French economy improved, in part due to the Olympics, but the bills are starting to come in the Opening Ceremonies. Plus, seven people have been charged with cyberbullying Ceremonies director Thomas Jolly, a crime that comes with some pretty heavy penalties if found guilty.
One institution that's also done well in the Paris 2024 department is the Olympic Museum. We've got a rundown of some of the 200-plus artifacts they got from athletes and organizers. How they got them is worth a read.
In our visit to TKFLASTAN, we hear from Team Keep the Flame Alive members:
We'll be at Olympin in Atlanta next week, November 8-10! Find out more about location and hours here.
Special thanks to our Patron of the Week Lorry Luscri, who keeps our flame alive with financial support throughout the year. If you'd like to support the show, please check out all of the options here.
For a transcript of this episode, please visit http://flamealivepod.com.
Thank you 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 released every week and daily during the Olympics and Paralympics. Also look for our monthly Games History Moment episodes in your feed.
Support the show: http://flamealivepod.com/support
Bookshop.org store: https://bookshop.org/shop/flamealivepod
Hang out with us online:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flamealivepod
Insta: http://www.instagram.com/flamealivepod
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/flamealivepod
Facebook Group: hhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/flamealivepod
Newsletter: Sign up at https://mailchi.mp/ee507102fbf7/flamealivepod
VM/Text: (208) FLAME-IT / (208) 352-6348
For some sports on the Olympic program, it's easy to understand how they evolved: Swim fast, run fast, jump high, score a goal. But sports like artistic swimming? Where did that come from? On this episode of the podcast, we talk with Vicki Valosik, author of Swimming Pretty: The Untold Story of Women in Water, who delved deep in to the world of synchronized swimming to discover its roots--and along the way, she found much more.
The book is a treasure trove of rabbit holes, from the connection Benjamin Franklin had to the sport, to water-based lifesaving techniques used by the military. Vicki dives into the lives of the sport's pioneer Annette Kellerman and movie star Esther Williams as she traces the history of the sport from its earliest days to the Olympic stage.
You can find out more about Vicki Valosik at her website. Follow her on Insta, Facebook, and X!
Also on today's episode, Zeus the horse from the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony is now at Versailles for an exhibit. In Melbourne, someone's created another statue--of infamous breaking athlete Raygun.
It's just 500 days to go until the Milan-Cortina 2026 Paralympics! In other Milan-Cortina 2026 news, Poste Italliane has signed on as a sponsor, and the organizing committee announced the producers of the ceremonies and torch relay.
Plus, LA 2028 may be more of a US Games than we thought, and there's some cool legacy news out of Tokyo.
Milan-Cortina will be a regional Games, and LA 2028 may turn out to be that way too. We already know that softball and canoe slalom will be held in Oklahoma City, and now cricket may also take place outside of Southern California.
We also have updates from TKFLASTANIs:
We'll be at the Olympin show in Atlanta on November 8-10. Stop by the Marriott Atlanta Buckhead Hotel and Conference Center and see us!
For a transcript of this episode, please visit http://flamealivepod.com.
Thank you to our ongoing contributors and patrons! This show thrives because of our listeners. Want to give back? Learn more here.
Thanks so much for listening, and until next time, keep the flame alive!
Note: Where possible, we use affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of these links, we may earn a commission.
***
Keep the Flame Alive: The Olympics and Paralympics Fan Podcast with hosts Jill Jaracz & Alison Brown. New episodes released every week and daily during the Olympics and Paralympics. Also look for our monthly Games History Moment episodes in your feed.
Support the show: http://flamealivepod.com/support
Bookshop.org store: https://bookshop.org/shop/flamealivepod
Hang out with us online:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flamealivepod
Insta: http://www.instagram.com/flamealivepod
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/flamealivepod
Facebook Group: hhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/flamealivepod
Newsletter: Sign up at https://mailchi.mp/ee507102fbf7/flamealivepod
VM/Text: (208) FLAME-IT / (208) 352-6348
It's been a little over a month since the Paris 2024 Paralympics ended. How does that expereience resonate with our TKFLASTANIs once real life has settled back in? Wheelchair basketball gold medalist Brian Bell and para shot put gold medalist Noelle Malkamaki return to tell us how the Games were for them and what's next (or not) in their lives.
Follow Brian and Noelle on Insta!
We also have some news from other TKFLASTANIs, including:
If you haven't checked out Book Club Claire's Paris travelogues, do so now! You might see Alison in them!
Also, we will have a table at the Olympin show in Atlanta! The show takes place November 8-10 and is free to attend. Come by, say hello and check out all the cool Olympic memorabilia!
For a transcript of this episode and expanded show notes, 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 released every week and daily during the Olympics and Paralympics. Also look for our monthly Games History Moment episodes in your feed.
Support the show: http://flamealivepod.com/support
Bookshop.org store: https://bookshop.org/shop/flamealivepod
Hang out with us online:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flamealivepod
Insta: http://www.instagram.com/flamealivepod
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/flamealivepod
Facebook Group: hhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/flamealivepod
Newsletter: Sign up at https://mailchi.mp/ee507102fbf7/flamealivepod
VM/Text: (208) FLAME-IT / (208) 352-6348
Alpine skiing is one of the core sports on today's Winter Olympic program, but it wasn't even an event at the very first Winter Olympics at Chamonix in 1924. Instead, the only skiing that mattered was cross-country, ski jumping, and Nordic combined.
Was there drama? Of course! And it started in qualifications. We've got the full story here, including Mother Nature's revenge, an incorrect podium, and the man who created technology that would forever change the sport of skiing.
Alison's got the full details in this episode!
For a transcript of this episode and full source list, please visit http://flamealivepod.com.
Thanks so much for listening, and until next time, keep the flame alive!
Keep the Flame Alive: Games History Moment with hosts Jill Jaracz & Alison Brown is released monthly. In 2024, these episodes explore the first Winter Olympic Games at Chamonix, France in 1924. Look for our regular episodes every week, with daily editions during the Olympics and Paralympics.
Support the show: http://flamealivepod.com/support
Bookshop.org store: https://bookshop.org/shop/flamealivepod
Hang out with us online:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flamealivepod
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X: http://www.twitter.com/flamealivepod
Facebook Group: hhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/flamealivepod
Newsletter: Sign up at https://mailchi.mp/ee507102fbf7/flamealivepod
VM/Text: (208) FLAME-IT / (208) 352-6348
This past weekend, Jill and Producer Ben found herself in Salt Lake City for a few days, which gave her the opportunity to visit some of the Salt Lake City 2002 venues to see how the legacy of those Games continues on.
In this episode, hear what it's like at Utah Olympic Park, home of the 2002 ski jumping, Nordic combined and sliding competitions. Currently, the park is a training and competition site, with a learn to ski program for kids. It also has a number of additional activities, including summer and winter bobsled rides, guided tours, zip lines, and trails for mountain biking. The facility also houses the Alf Engen Ski Museum and Eccles Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Winter Games Museum.
Hear whether the museums and tour are worth the price of admission, as well as what it's like at the Olympic & Paralympic Plaza.
And a side note, an NHL hockey team just came to town, making a winter sports town even more winter sports happy.
Also on this episode, Milan-Cortina 2026 has released its ticket prices, and the teams for the men's ice hockey tournament are set--pending a decision on whether the International Ice Hockey Federation will allow Russia to compete.
Plus we have news from TKFLASTANIs Grace Norman, Katie Moon, Monica Quimby, and Listener Dan.
For a transcript of this episode, please visit http://flamealivepod.com.
To get exclusive content about Jill's trip to Salt Lake City, become a patron today!
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 released every week and daily during the Olympics and Paralympics. Also look for our monthly Games History Moment episodes in your feed.
Support the show: http://flamealivepod.com/support
Bookshop.org store: https://bookshop.org/shop/flamealivepod
Hang out with us online:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flamealivepod
Insta: http://www.instagram.com/flamealivepod
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/flamealivepod
Facebook Group: hhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/flamealivepod
Newsletter: Sign up at https://mailchi.mp/ee507102fbf7/flamealivepod
VM/Text: (208) FLAME-IT / (208) 352-6348
It's been nearly two months since Paris 2024, but athletes who have spent years training for the Games are still processing what happened there. Today we're talking with Canadian race walker Evan Dunfee about his Paris 2024 experience. Paris was Evan's third Olympics and marked a radical shift in his race schedule--for the first time his marquee event--the 50K walk--was off the program, and he'd be racing the 20K as well as the race walk mixed relay, a new event for the Olympics.
We've talked with Evan before about the change in race distances, but how did it turn out? Evan joins us again to break down his 5th place finish in the 20K, which, if you loved our Paris 2024 Toilet Talk segments, this also has something for you. But in all seriousness, Evan's experience is a story of adaptation, perseverance and dealing with a situation you can't control.
Be sure to follow Evan on Insta and X!
In Paris 2024 news, the Olympic Rings are no longer on the Eiffel Tower, but will they make a comeback? Jessica Long responds to the bullying situation at the Paralympics. The Organizing Committee has started recycling items from the Athletes' Village--you might be able to score some sweet Paris 2024 deck chairs at Restlos online auctions.
We also have news from Milan-Cortina, which includes updates on the sliding track and budget; the Winter Games 2030, and the International Olympic Committee.
In our visit to TKFLASTAN, we have updates from:
For a transcript of this episode, please visit http://flamealivepod.com.
Thanks so much for listening, and until next time, keep the flame alive!
Note: Where possible, we use affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of these links, we may earn a commission.
***
Keep the Flame Alive: The Olympics and Paralympics Fan Podcast with hosts Jill Jaracz & Alison Brown. New episodes released every week and daily during the Olympics and Paralympics. Also look for our monthly Games History Moment episodes in your feed.
Support the show: http://flamealivepod.com/support
Bookshop.org store: https://bookshop.org/shop/flamealivepod
Hang out with us online:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flamealivepod
Insta: http://www.instagram.com/flamealivepod
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/flamealivepod
Facebook Group: hhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/flamealivepod
Newsletter: Sign up at https://mailchi.mp/ee507102fbf7/flamealivepod
VM/Text: (208) FLAME-IT / (208) 352-6348
People choose to uproot their lives and move to the US for many reasons, and on this episode we hear one immigrant's story. Elvin Kibet came to America for opportunity--and that opportunity inspired her to give back to her new home by serving her country in the US Army and its World Class Athlete Program unit.
Elvin shared her story in author Joanna Garten's book "All in Stride: A Journey in Running Courage and the Search for the American Dream" and talked with us about her journey from a rural village in Kenya where she ran about 5K every day to get to school, to life in the United States as a new mother and Olympic hopeful.
Follow Elvin on Instagram and Facebook!
Also on today's episode we have news about the International Testing Agency's doping program at Paris, and word about the Paris 2024 bronze medals already falling apart.
We're now less than 500 days from Milan-Cortina 2026, and that organization is looking for volunteers! See the qualifications and apply here.
Our TKFLASTANIs continue to be busy after Paris 2024. We've got updates from:
We’re nominated for a Women in Podcasting Award! Winners are selected by popular vote, so we need your help! Vote by October 1 to help us win Best Sports Podcast!
For a transcript of this episode, please visit http://flamealivepod.com.
Thanks so much for listening, and until next time, keep the flame alive!
This post contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission on items purchased through those links.
***
Keep the Flame Alive: The Olympics and Paralympics Fan Podcast with hosts Jill Jaracz & Alison Brown. New episodes released every week and daily during the Olympics and Paralympics. Also look for our monthly Games History Moment episodes in your feed.
Support the show: http://flamealivepod.com/support
Bookshop.org store: https://bookshop.org/shop/flamealivepod
Hang out with us online:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flamealivepod
Insta: http://www.instagram.com/flamealivepod
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/flamealivepod
Facebook Group: hhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/flamealivepod
Newsletter: Sign up at https://mailchi.mp/ee507102fbf7/flamealivepod
VM/Text: (208) FLAME-IT / (208) 352-6348
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