When we think of athletes being professionals, we often think of the big bucks that are in major sports. But for most Olympic and Paralympic sports, the pot of money is pretty small and that's because the National Governing Bodies (NGBs) behind them are running on shoestring budgets.   On this episode we talk with Ramsey Baker about the challenges small NGBs face and how they think about sponsorship and broadcast rights in working to increase their budgets. Ramsey is a SVP at Aggregate Sports, a consulting firm that helps NGBs find sponsors and broadcast partners. Prior to joining Aggrega ..read more

Often considered to be the precursor to biathlon, military patrol was one of the more unusual competitions of the first Winter Olympic Games at Chamonix, France in 1924. In this event, teams from six countries competed in a 30-kilometer ski race combined with a shooting segment that involved balloons. The weather and some unforeseen illnesses made it tough for the competitors, but one did emerge victorious. Of course, it wouldn't be an Olympics without some colorful characters, and from this competition that includes Vaino Bremmer, the Finnish officer who competed in modern pentathlon in the 1 ..read more

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Note: In this episode, we discuss discovery, treatment, and life with an eating disorder. If you would like more information about screenings, support, and treatment for eating disorders, please visit the National Eating Disorders Association for more information. Transitioning to life after sport can be complicated and difficult. On this episode, we welcome back TKFLASTANI and Olympian Samantha Schultz, who's one of the subjects in Johanna Garton's latest book All in Stride. After competing at Tokyo 2020, Sammy's transition to non-competitive life has been a big adjustment, and in 2023 she so ..read more

Documenting different stories of the Games is vital to providing an accurate picture of Olympic history. On this episode, we talk with documentary filmmaker Gabriel Veras, director of the new documentary Athletes of War. The movie looks at the ongoing war in Ukraine from the lens of athletes who are trying to do sport and train for the Paris 2024 Olympics amidst bombed out facilities and the threat of death. We talk with Gabe about how he conceived this idea, made the documentary, and the athletes involved. Athletes of War screens at CIFF on Wednesday, April 10. Streaming will also be availabl ..read more

Today we’re talking with Johanna Garton, author of the new book All in Stride, which is about the US Army's World Class Athlete Program and two runners who were part of it, Elvin Kibet and Shadrack Kipchirchir. Also featured in the book is TKFLASTANI Samantha Schultz, who becomes friends with Elvin during their Army duty. Sammy gets to know Johanna as well and opens up to her about her struggles with body image and disordered eating. Learn more about Johanna at her website. Get your copy through our bookshop.org storefront! Purchases made through this link will help the show earn money to ..read more

It's Women's History Month, so we're devoting this episode to the women of Chamonix 1924--all 13 of them.  At the first Winter Olympics, women competed in ladies and pairs figure skating. We take a look at this competition, as well as the men's event, to learn just how different this Olympic sport was back in the day when Austria was a powerhouse (let's just say it doesn't include ice set on a specific Pantone color base).  The competition features Olympic and figure skating legend Sonja Henie in her first Olympics. Entries also include many people who were influential to the history ..read more

At the LA 2028 Paralympics, the US will compete in blind football (aka blind soccer) for the first time--but a national team is still in development. Molly Quinn, CEO of the US Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) joins us to talk about the process of building an internationally competitive team. Learn more about blind soccer at the USABA's website and follow them on X, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn! If you get involved with the team, we'd love to hear from you! Plus: Medal reallocations from London 2012 (not a typo). Paris 2024 news with details on Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN), Villa ..read more

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 ..read more

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 hom ..read more