Keep the Flame Alive

Obsessed with the Olympics and Paralympics? Just curious about how Olympic and Paralympic sports work? You've found your people! Join your hosts, Olympic aunties Alison Brown and Jill Jaracz, for smart, fun, and down-to-earth interviews with athletes, coaches, and the unsung heroes behind the Games. Get the stories you don't find anywhere else. Tune in weekly all year-round, and daily during the Olympics and Paralympics. We're your cure for your Olympics Fever! Call us: (208) FLAME-IT.

Keep the Flame Alive is a sports podcast hosted by Jill Jaracz & Alison Brown, with 593 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Jill Jaracz & Alison Brown hosts Keep the Flame Alive, a sports show with 593 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #445

  Amy Van Dyken: 6x Olympic Gold Medalist and Disability Advocate

  Sep 10, 20261h 6m

  At Atlanta 1996 swimmer Amy Van Dyken became one of the heroes of the U.S. team, bringing home a whopping four gold medals in five events. She followed that up at Sydney 2000 with another two gold medals. After retiring and getting into broadcasting, Amy's life took a turn in 2014, when an ATV accident left her paralyzed. While she's continued to broadcast (you may have heard her as an analyst on NBC's coverage of the Paris 2024 Olympics), she's also become an advocate for people with disabilities, helping able-bodied people understand the world from the eyes of someone in a wheelchair. Alison talked with Amy about some of the specifics of her swimming training (including shave parties) and the approach to her second Olympics at Sydney. Amy shares the specifics of her injuries, the many complications she's had, and her secret for approaching recovery. They also get frank about the lack of understanding around accessibility and just how unaccessible America can be, even though there are disability laws in place. Follow Amy online: https://www.amyvandyken.com/ https://www.instagram.com/amyvandyken/?hl=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-van-dyken-rouen-oly-ab017323/ Also on this episode, it's torch relay time for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games , and Jill and Alison get into the newly announced sports program for the Karlsruhe 2029 World Games . We're excited to see what sports stayed on the program, what came back, and what's new for this edition. Who's ready for some minigolf? 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 Amy Van Dyken. *** Keep the Flame Alive: Obsessed with the Olympics and Paralympics? Just curious about how Olympic and Paralympic sports work? You've found your people! Join your hosts, Olympic aunties Alison Brown and Jill Jaracz for smart, fun, and down-to-earth interviews with athletes coaches, and the unsung heroes behind the Games. Get the stories you don't find anywhere else. Tun in weekly all year-round, and daily during the Olympics and Paralympics. We're your cure for your Olympic Fever! Call us: (208) FLAME-IT. *** Support the show: http://flamealivepod.com/support Bookshop.org store: https://bookshop.org/shop/flamealivepod Become a patron and get bonus content: http://www.patreon.com/flamealivepod Buy merch here: https://flamealivepod.dashery.com Hang out with us online: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flamealivepod Insta: http://www.instagram.com/flamealivepod Facebook Group: hhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/flamealivepod Newsletter: Sign up at https://flamealivepod.substack.com/subscribe VM/Text: (208) FLAME-IT / (208) 352-6348

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  Episode #444

  How USA Fencing Builds Growth in Non-Olympic Years with CEO Phil Andrews

  Sep 3, 202655 min

  Seemingly every time we open our Inbox, we have an email from the folks at USA Fencing with another amazing announcement: They're doing a panel at Comic-Con, have a champagne sponsor, creating a theme song, getting colleges to create NCAA competitive programs in an era where college sports are declining, signing on celebs like actor Mandy Patinkin to be fencing ambassadors, and the list goes on! Team Keep the Flame Alive member and USA Fencing CEO is leading that charge, and we talked with him about what a national governing body for a small Olympic sport does in non-Olympic years to boost interest and growth in the sport. Phil shows how it's possible to think differently, try new ideas, and get great results. No idea is too out there, and Phil tells us why. Also, the second ticket lottery for the LA 2028 Olympics is over, but that doesn't mean all the tickets are sold! Listen to hear why you may not have been able to score any tickets in this lottery and what the Organizing Committee's plans are for future ticket sales. Plus, it's two years until the LA28 Paralympics! LA celebrated by unveiling Wheelchair Basketball Square. In attendance at that event? TKFLASTANI David Davis, who wrote the history of wheelchair basketball in America. 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 Phil Andrews. *** Keep the Flame Alive: Obsessed with the Olympics and Paralympics? Just curious about how Olympic and Paralympic sports work? You've found your people! Join your hosts, Olympic aunties Alison Brown and Jill Jaracz for smart, fun, and down-to-earth interviews with athletes coaches, and the unsung heroes behind the Games. Get the stories you don't find anywhere else. Tun in weekly all year-round, and daily during the Olympics and Paralympics. We're your cure for your Olympic Fever! Call us: (208) FLAME-IT. *** Support the show: http://flamealivepod.com/support Bookshop.org store: https://bookshop.org/shop/flamealivepod Become a patron and get bonus content: http://www.patreon.com/flamealivepod Buy merch here: https://flamealivepod.dashery.com Hang out with us online: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flamealivepod Insta: http://www.instagram.com/flamealivepod Facebook Group: hhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/flamealivepod Newsletter: Sign up at https://flamealivepod.substack.com/subscribe VM/Text: (208) FLAME-IT / (208) 352-6348

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  Keep the Flame Alive

  Cortina 1956 Winter Olympics: Speed Skating's Magical Lake Misurina

  Aug 20, 202628 min

  We're going back to the Cortina 1956 Winter Olympics and the last Olympic speed skating competition on natural ice. Lake Misurina proved to be a fantastic venue as records fell by the dozens over the four races of the speed skating competition. We've got all the details, including the debut of the Soviet Union's fast skaters, a Norwegian comeback, and some Scandinavians who managed to make it onto the podium. As mentioned on the show, you can find the documentary My Name Is McNamara here: https://vimeo.com/31206599 For a transcript and complete list of sources used in this episode, visit: https://flamealivepod.com . Thanks so much for listening, and until next time, keep the flame alive! Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons via Picryl Keep the Flame Alive: Games History Moment with hosts Jill Jaracz & Alison Brown is released monthly. In 2026, these episodes explore the 7th Winter Olympic Games at Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy in 1956. 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 Merch: https://flamealivepod.dashery.com 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 https://mailchi.mp/ee507102fbf7/flamealivepod VM/Text: (208) FLAME-IT / (208) 352-6348

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  Episode #443

  Book Club Claire on Heroes, Villains & Velodrome's: Chris Hoy and Britain's Track Cycling Revolution

  Aug 12, 202642 min

  Book Club Claire returns for our first book club episode of 2026, featuring Heroes, Villains & Velodrome's: Chris Hoy and Britain's Track Cycling Revolution by Richard Moore. This book covers Hoy's early cycling career and the development of Great Britain as a cycling powerhouse until around Beijing 2008. Claire joins us for a rousing discussion of Chris Hoy's early success, the 1000m race, keirin racing in Japan, and the Wild West days of track cycling. Plus, we make a surprising discovery about this title. Also on this episode, we discuss the second ticket drop for the LA28 Olympics. Plus, the tennis schedule seems to be brutal. And we learn about more hospitality houses that plan to be at the Games. Get your own copy of Richard Moore's book--and any other books--through our bookshop.org storefront . Commissions we earn from purchases through this link support the show's operating budget. Want in on our Summer of Nostalgia? Find out more at our Patreon site . 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: Obsessed with the Olympics and Paralympics? Just curious about how Olympic and Paralympic sports work? You've found your people! Join your hosts, Olympic aunties Alison Brown and Jill Jaracz for smart, fun, and down-to-earth interviews with athletes coaches, and the unsung heroes behind the Games. Get the stories you don't find anywhere else. Tun in weekly all year-round, and daily during the Olympics and Paralympics. We're your cure for your Olympic Fever! Call us: (208) FLAME-IT. *** Support the show: http://flamealivepod.com/support Bookshop.org store: https://bookshop.org/shop/flamealivepod Become a patron and get bonus content: http://www.patreon.com/flamealivepod Buy merch here: https://flamealivepod.dashery.com Hang out with us online: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flamealivepod Insta: http://www.instagram.com/flamealivepod Facebook Group: hhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/flamealivepod Newsletter: Sign up at https://flamealivepod.substack.com/subscribe VM/Text: (208) FLAME-IT / (208) 352-6348

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  Keep the Flame Alive

  Cortina 1956 Winter Olympics: Important Evolutions in Nordic Combined and Ski Jumping

  Aug 6, 202626 min

  In our ongoing series about the Cortina 1956 Winter Olympics, we look at the sports of Nordic combined and ski jumping, both of which underwent their own evolutions at these Games. For Nordic combined, a format change and uncoupling from other competitions allowed this event to finally stand on its own. That didn't mean it was easy for anyone outside of the sport to understand how it worked or how some athletes made it to the podium. Plus, there was drama in certain countries about who got to be on the team, and one coach's pushback led to medal success. Ski jumping, which was actually called "special jumping" at these Olympics, had its own technique revolution led by Swiss jumper Andreas Däscher. The results were a perfect example of "innovate or die." To see some fun footage from the ski jumping competition, check out this clip that shows athletes jumping in very unexpected clothing. For a transcript and complete list of sources used in this episode, visit: https://flamealivepod.com . Speaking of Olympic history, we're having a Summer of Nostalgia at our Patreon site. w here we're sharing never-before-seen photos and videos from our escapades at Beijing 2022, Paris 2024, and Milano Cortina 2026. Relive those memories with us by becoming a patron or purchasing the Summer of Nostalgia collection ! Thanks so much for listening, and until next time, keep the flame alive! Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons via Picryl. *** Keep the Flame Alive: Obsessed with the Olympics and Paralympics? Just curious about how Olympic and Paralympic sports work? You've found your people! Join your hosts, Olympic aunties Alison Brown and Jill Jaracz for smart, fun, and down-to-earth interviews with athletes coaches, and the unsung heroes behind the Games. Get the stories you don't find anywhere else. Tun in weekly all year-round, and daily during the Olympics and Paralympics. We're your cure for your Olympic Fever! Call us: (208) FLAME-IT. *** Support the show: http://flamealivepod.com/support Bookshop.org store: https://bookshop.org/shop/flamealivepod Become a patron and get bonus content: http://www.patreon.com/flamealivepod Buy merch here: https://flamealivepod.dashery.com Hang out with us online: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flamealivepod Insta: http://www.instagram.com/flamealivepod Facebook Group: hhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/flamealivepod Newsletter: Sign up at https://flamealivepod.substack.com/subscribe VM/Text: (208) FLAME-IT / (208) 352-6348

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