Flame Bearers: Pathways to Paris Jamie Mittelman

2x Olympic Gold Medalist and 3x World Champion, Caster Semenya has made headlines since winning the 800m at the 2009 World Athletics Championships at the age of 18, yet the media (and many of her fellow athletes) wouldn't gracefully acknowledge her generational talent for what it was, but rather started accusing her of being a man. This was news to Caster, someone who was born a woman and grew up a woman her whole life. Given her muscular build, speed, deep voice, and color, Caster didn't look like what many believed a woman "should" look like.

Wednesday is a landmark court case determining the future of women's track and field. For the last decade Caster has been fighting to compete without changing her natural body. The IIAF (formerly World Athletics) mandated that in order to compete she had to reduce her natural testosterone levels, which according to Caster, left her feeling "like the walking dead." To hear more of the backstory from Caster's perspective, check out our season 1 episode elevating Caster right before the Tokyo Olympics. This Wednesday, May 15th, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) is examining Caster's appeal against regulations requiring female athletes with high testosterone levels to take medication.

In our conversation Caster shares "Let's stop allowing people to give us a view or an opinion of how a woman should look like. You are born with your differences, I'm born with my differences...We need to celebrate one another." That is the world we are working towards with you, Caster.

This episode is co-hosted by Michelle's son, Cody. As Michelle shares, "If you want to know who I am, Cody has been with me through it all." According to Cody, growing up, "my classmates and teachers would pull me aside and say, 'we know who your Mom is,' but for me, she was just my Mom."

Michelle was born 6 years before Title IX, and never got to watch women compete growing up. Her hero was Super Bowl champ, Mean Joe Greene, Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle. She didn't have a professional predecessor, so she became the Mean Joe Green – and more – of women’s soccer.

Legendary USA coach Tony DiCicco described her as “the best woman that has ever played.” She played on the first USWNT (the 1985 team!), won the first Women's World Cup and Golden Boot (‘91), was the first women's player to gain global fame, the first player to sign a shoe deal, and was named FIFA Player of the Century ('00). Throughout it all, Michelle's journey has been characterized by her unbridled love of the game, an unwillingness to deal with BS (she always keeps it real and calls a spade a spade), and a prioritization of her family and teammates. In fact, this ENTIRE 1985 series was her idea, as she wanted to give credit to her teammates for the foundational role they have played in the USWNT.

In Michelle's story she shares about her ups and downs, her battles with U.S. Soccer, and her life today with son Cody on the farm. We hear from Anson Dorrance (Women's Soccer Coach, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill & Former Coach, USWNT), Jill Ellis (President, San Diego Wave & Former Coach, USWNT), Lesle Gallimore (GM, Seattle Reign FC & Michelle's Former USWNT Pool Teammate), and Heather O'Reilly (USWNT and TST teammates).

To write a letter thanking Michelle or anyone on the original USWNT, please send it to marissap@flamebearers.com

Media used in this production:
-38 years after making history, first USWNT to be honored at Asheville City regular season finale, Chris Womack, June 29th 2023,
-The Forgotten Early History of Women’s Soccer, Laurent Dubois, January 22, 2016
-ESPN YouTube Channel, 'USWNT win the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage | 2023 ESPYS (📍 @CapitalOne)'

It’s been a few months since the World Cup, but we committed to telling the stories of the entire first USWNT, so we tracked down one of the two outstanding players. Here she is!

Tara Buckley O'Sullivan, grew up doing everything with her twin sister, Moira. The duo would go to their older brother's soccer games, and then their younger brother's games. When Tara and Moira were watching younger brother, Danny play, his coach asked Mrs. Buckley, "why don't you dress your girls up like cheerleaders and they can cheer for their younger brother?"

Tara's response? "Heck no! We wanna play!" So Mrs. Buckley stepped up and became their coach. She didn't really know soccer, but she knew playing was important to the girls, so she made sure they could.

Fast forward and Tara became UConn’s first 4x All-American in women's soccer. Throughout it all, she describes her teams as "in it for the love of the game," a love she imparted to her children in whatever sports they chose to pursue be it lacrosse, taekwondo, or more recently golf.

Since retiring from soccer, Tara credits her family as being her rock... and the feeling is mutual as we hear from husband Mike, son Timothy, and daughter, Caitlin.

Media used in this production:
-38 years after making history, first USWNT to be honored at Asheville City regular season finale, Chris Womack, June 29th 2023,
-The Forgotten Early History of Women’s Soccer, Laurent Dubois, January 22, 2016
-ESPN YouTube Channel, 'USWNT win the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage | 2023 ESPYS (📍 @CapitalOne)'

Yes, it’s been a few months since the World Cup, but we committed to telling the stories of the entire first USWNT, so we tracked down one of the two outstanding players. Here she is!

Sharon was the first woman to be named U.S. Soccer Player of the Year and according to Michelle Akers, she's the ultimate badass. "You showed up at the game on a motorcycle and picture me, I'm just sitting on the ground, just happy to be there and totally intimidated, but you, Sharon show up on this motorcycle, and you're Joan Jett...In my mind, when you were on that US team, there was no one better."

How Sharon got there isn't a traditional story either (not that there even was a path to the USWNT because it didn't exist). Sharon was first introduced to soccer because "Mom wanted me out of the house" once she picked up a habit of doing things with her feet. Sharon had just watched a TV program on a woman born without arms; the woman was sitting on a stool threading a needle with her toes, and given that Sharon always wanted to be prepared, she immediately started learning how to do things with her feet. "Stuff happens to people" and I "wanted to be prepared if I were to lose my arms." To her Mom's chagrin, Sharon started using her feet to open doorknobs and doing all housework. Her Mom soon thereafter decided Sharon's feet would be better used playing soccer.

Since playing, Sharon has had jobs ranging from carpenter to travel agent and coach, and she just completed illustrating a brand new children's book: The Other Side Of Nowhere: A Jack and Sabrina Adventure (link to purchase below).

When asked why it's important people know the stories of the 1985 USWNT she shares, "you always have to have try and to push the limits because there's always going to be somebody somewhere that's going to try to keep you from doing what you want to do. If you want to, you want a better place in the world, you got to do a little bit more. Aim high and go."

TO PURCHASE SHARON'S BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CTLBLKH9?ref_=cm_sw_r_mwn_dp_GG624XWC56EBY7A7P9VB&language=en_US
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Media used in this production:
-38 years after making history, first USWNT to be honored at Asheville City regular season finale, Chris Womack, June 29th 2023,
-The Forgotten Early History of Women’s Soccer, Laurent Dubois, January 22, 2016
-ESPN YouTube Channel, 'USWNT win the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage | 2023 ESPYS (📍 @CapitalOne)'

Kim Crabbe was the first African-American to roster on the USWNT. She was on the 1986 team, but given that we've been telling the stories of the original USWNT trailblazers, Kim needed to be celebrated. According to longtime friend and soccer leader, Samuel Okpodu, Kim is the "Cinderella of soccer...Today everybody's enjoying it, but nobody remembers how it all started. Kim started it all" at a time when black girls didn't really play soccer.

According to sister, Kacey, while their Mom originally wanted them to play more "girly girl sports," soccer was what the siblings were into, so "Kim led the way" and Mom was incredibly supportive. And while Kim tore it up on the field (first for George Mason University and then the USWNT), she's never hung up her cleats because for her, the game is a means to serve. As the Outreach Program Director, Wilmington Hammerheads Youth Football Club and more recently Founder and CEO of her nonprofit, Outreach of Cape Fear, Kim has used soccer to support thousands of youth. Her nonprofit bridges the gap for disadvantaged and at-risk youth in Southeastern North Carolina through soccer and mentorship. As Kim shares, "Soccer has been my tool for reaching people and my overarching calling is service." This rings true to sister, Kacey, who shares, "our mother raised us with great integrity in finding your sense of purpose, and then passing that on to others."

Kim was inducted into the Virginia-DC Hall of Fame (2016), received the Black Soccer Coaches Advocacy Group Award of Excellence (2018), Centennial NAACP Youth Services Award (2019), and the Youth Coach of the Year Award (2021). Most recently in 2022, U.S. Soccer established an award in her name: The Kim Crabbe Game Changers Award celebrating diversity, inclusion, and belonging within the soccer community.

Contributing guests include Kacey Crabbe Jefferson (Kim's sister), Laurie Curry (Kim's best friend), Richard White (Kim's Coach growing up), Logan Martinez (Coach Kim's soccer player), Jazmine Crabbe-Harris (Kim's daughter), Samuel Okpodu (longtime friend and soccer leader), Sully Hamid (longtime friend), and Lisa Pittaro (George Mason and USWNT teammate).

Learn more about Kim's nonprofit here: http://outreachofcapefear.org/

Join the Outreach of Cape Fear Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/902619116834747

Media used in this production:
-38 years after making history, first USWNT to be honored at Asheville City regular season finale, Chris Womack, June 29th 2023,
-The Forgotten Early History of Women’s Soccer, Laurent Dubois, January 22, 2016
-ESPN YouTube Channel, 'USWNT win the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage | 2023 ESPYS (📍 @CapitalOne)'

Denise was a swimmer, diver, gymnast, and track and field athlete before becoming a soccer player at 14. That said, Washington had strong support for women's soccer at the time, so once she was hooked, she was all in on soccer. Hilariously, Denise and Michelle have a moment where they both share how they felt playing against each other. Hint: they were both intimidated. As Denise offers, Michelle and others were her "idols back then...I tried to get my game up to be able to handle them." Michelle replies, "you and your team were so good. I might've not looked like I was intimidated, but inside I was like, 'holy shit.'"

Flash forward to 1985, and Denise became one of the captains of the first USWNT, not surprising as leadership was and still is a trait Denise is known for. We hear from former teammate, Jan (who speaks with us live from the Women's World Cup) who describes Denise as "very intense and focused" with "exceptional leadership" and "loads of fun." And Denise's dedication to the sport didn't end with her professional retirement. She became a commissioner because she wanted to "promote competitive play for younger people"

In this episode, Denise shares about Walking Soccer. Learn more here: https://www.whatcomadultsoccer.com/walk-soccer