394 episodes

Keep the Flame Alive® is the podcast for fans of the Olympics and Paralympics. Each week co-hosts Jill Jaracz and Alison Brown keep you up-to-date on the worlds of the Olympics and Paralympics through interviews with athletes, Gamesmakers, historians and more. We're the cure to your case of Olympic Fever. Give us a call: 208-FLAME-IT.

Keep the Flame Alive Jill Jaracz & Alison Brown

    • Sports
    • 4.5 • 43 Ratings

Keep the Flame Alive® is the podcast for fans of the Olympics and Paralympics. Each week co-hosts Jill Jaracz and Alison Brown keep you up-to-date on the worlds of the Olympics and Paralympics through interviews with athletes, Gamesmakers, historians and more. We're the cure to your case of Olympic Fever. Give us a call: 208-FLAME-IT.

    Women's Sled Hockey with Monica Quimby

    Women's Sled Hockey with Monica Quimby

    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 auditioned with this) Some Marathon Pour Tous bibs are up for grabs (enter by March 18). The International Paralympic Committee has released its guidelines for neutral athletes at the Games.  TBach had a few words to say about Russia. Team Australia released its kit. In news from TKFLASTAN we have updates from:
    Decathlete Jordan Gray Nordic combined athlete Annika Malacinski Para shooter McKenna Geer Sailors Stephanie Roble and Maggie Shea Skeleton racer Brendon Doyle Para equestrian Sydney Collier Paddler Luuka Jones Rower Kristi Wagner Shooter Kim Rhode Artistic swimmer Jacqueline Simoneau Boccia player Alison Levine For a transcript of this episode, please visit http://flamealivepod.com.
     
    Thanks so much for listening, and until next time, keep the flame alive!
     
     Photo courtesy of Monica Quimby.
    ***
    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 http://flamealivepod.com
    VM/Text: (208) FLAME-IT / (208) 352-6348

    • 58 min
    Film Buff Fran on The Boys in the Boat

    Film Buff Fran on The Boys in the Boat

    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 this episode, we dust off our Tokyo 2020 music for a follow-up about the Belorussian coach who sent home athletics sprinter Krystisina Tsimanouskaya.
    We have tons of news about Paris 2024! The opening ceremony on the Seine with free tickets for hundreds of thousands of people has gotten an audience makeover--tickets now are being given out by invitation only and all ticket holders will have to go through security checks.
    The Athletes Village is now complete--mostly on time and on budget! We've got the details.
    The Paris 2024 official posters have been released! Created by illustrator Ugo Gattoni, the two posters can be combined into a single image, making it the first diptych in Games history. 
    Plus, so much hospitality house news! Will you apply to volunteer at Team NL House or Team NZ House (go Silver Ferns!)? Will you get VIP tickets to Club France?
    Also from the follow-up file, the justice system works quickly in France, and the surfingnovela has another installment.
    In TKFLASTAN news, we hear from: 
    Bobsledder Bree Walker Pole vaulter Katie Moon Para powerlifter Louise Sugden Speed skater Erin Jackson Sailors Stephanie Roble and Maggie Shea Author Andrew Maraniss 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 http://flamealivepod.com
    VM/Text: (208) FLAME-IT / (208) 352-6348
     
     

    • 59 min
    Track Cycling with Olympic Hopeful Mandy Marquardt

    Track Cycling with Olympic Hopeful Mandy Marquardt

    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 mere six months until the Paralympics start, which means that Alison will be watching wheelchair rugby before we know it!
    We also have a few details about Olympic Opening Ceremonies and another ticket drop.
    Tickets for Team Ireland House have gone on sale, and we have details about what that entails. Also look for activities at the Irish Cultural Centre in Paris.
    Plus, a new square to check off if you're playing "What will the media blow out of proportion?" bingo.
    In news from TKFLASTAN, we hear from:
    Bobsledder Bree Walker Para shooter McKenna Geer Pole vaulter Katie Moon National governing body exec Phil Andrews 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!
    ***
    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 http://flamealivepod.com
    VM/Text: (208) FLAME-IT / (208) 352-6348
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

    • 1 hr 8 min
    Book Club Claire on If Gold Is Our Destiny

    Book Club Claire on If Gold Is Our Destiny

    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 drag on for a while: Skate Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee are appealing the reallocated results.
    In Paris 2024 news, we learn how the Olympics will affect grain shipments, and how Manny Pacquiao won't be able to contend for a medal. Plus, Poland will have a hospitality house! 
    Slidingnovela update: Milan-Cortina has started construction on the new sliding venue, with just over 700 days until they host the Winter Olympics. What could possibly go wrong?
    In news from TKFLASTAN, we hear from:
    Pole vaulter Katie Moon Bobsledder Bree Walker Anti-corruption expert Andy Spalding - check out his AFP interview Para equestrian Sydney Collier - pre-order her book here (affiliate link) Listener Nick 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 Podcast for Fans of the Olympics and Paralympics 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 http://flamealivepod.com
    VM/Text: (208) FLAME-IT / (208) 352-6348
     
     
     
     
     

    • 42 min
    GHM: Chamonix 1924: Mountain Climbing Was an Olympic Sport

    GHM: Chamonix 1924: Mountain Climbing Was an Olympic Sport

    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, please visit http://flamealivepod.com.
    Thanks so much for listening, and until next time, keep the flame alive!
     
    Photo credit: Project Gutenberg

    ***
    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
    Insta: http://www.instagram.com/flamealivepod
    X: http://www.twitter.com/flamealivepod
    Facebook Group: hhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/flamealivepod
    Newsletter: Sign up at http://flamealivepod.com
    VM/Text: (208) FLAME-IT / (208) 352-6348
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

    • 11 min
    Unretiring with Olympic Artistic Swimmer Jacqueline Simoneau

    Unretiring with Olympic Artistic Swimmer Jacqueline Simoneau

    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 to have a cupcake) and the opening of one of the few arenas built for these Games. Milan-Cortina 2026 announced its mascots--are they winners? And what's the deal with their posse The Flo? [Careful here, we get into some weird Tony Orlando and Dawn references] Brisbane 2032 put the kibosh on a multi-billion dollar construction project--what is happening in Brisbane?!? We also have news from TKFLASTAN, including word from:
    Marathoner Abdi Abdirahman Speed skater Erin Jackson Para shooter McKenna Geer Shooter Kim Rhode Bobsledder Bree Walker Cross-country skier Kikkan Randall 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 Podcast for Fans of the Olympics and Paralympics 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. In 2024, we're featuring Chamonix 1924, as it's the 100th anniversary of the very first Winter Olympic Games.

     
    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 http://flamealivepod.com
    VM/Text: (208) FLAME-IT / (208) 352-6348
     
     
     
     
     

    • 1 hr 8 min

Customer Reviews

4.5 out of 5
43 Ratings

43 Ratings

Mxsandy12 ,

Inspiring!

A great listen that lifts me up!

Lo Dandy ,

Informative, Fun, Exciting, Surprising, Funny

Who knew that two librarians could create such an amazing show about the Olympics and Paralympics?? I’m actually not surprised because every librarian I know is vastly interesting and interested in the world. You won’t hear the same sports content you hear everywhere else! And, as a disabled athlete and former Paralympian, I’m thrilled to hear the sports and athletes of the Paralympics discussed with the same depth and nuance as their counterparts in the Olympics. Thanks!!!

Brittachan ,

Great all around Olympic Podcast

This podcast has really expanded since its beginnings to become a true all around source of information regarding the Olympics. Great interviews of both athletes and behind the scenes folks, history segments, book and movie deep dives and follow ups for both past and future games. Definitely worth a listen if you’re interested in all the Olympics encompasses.

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