Keep the Flame Alive

Latest Episodes:

Olympic Cross Country Skiing and Para Nordic with Team USA Jan 22, 2026

Show notes

We're prepping for cross-country skiing and para Nordic at Milano Cortina 2026! At the Team USA Media Summit in October 2026, we talked with cross-country skiers Gus Schumacher and Julia Kern, as well as para Nordic skiers Oksana Masters, Aaron Pike, Sydney Peterson, Kendall Gretsch and Jake Adicoff ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics about the finer details of their sports.

In Milano Cortina 2026 news, the cauldron has been unveiled. We have thoughts! We also have some updates on the Olympics Opening Ceremony, including the shade that was thrown during a recent Opening Ceremony press conference.

We have an update on ticket registrations for LA 2028, and lots of news from Team Keep the Flame Alive - more TKFLASTANIs have puched their tickets to Milano Cortina 2026!

Links mentioned in this episode:

Our Book Club episode of Oksana Masters' The Hard Parts: https://flamealivepod.com/book-club-claire-on-the-hard-parts-by-oksana-masters/
The Milano Cortina 2026 cauldron: https://www.olympics.com/en/milano-cortina-2026/news/the-design-of-the-two-milano-cortina-2026-cauldrons-has-been-unveiled
Our blog post on how to buy tickets for the LA 2028 Olympics: https://flamealivepod.com/la-2028-olympic-tickets/

TKFLASTANIs mentioned in this episode:

Josh Williamson: https://flamealivepod.com/episode-4-the-next-olympic-hopeful/
Frank Del Duca & Elana Meyers Taylor: https://flamealivepod.com/bobsled-elana-meyers-taylor-frank-del-duca-chris-fogt/
Shannon Galea: https://flamealivepod.com/episode243/
Bruna Moura: https://flamealivepod.com/bruna-moura-olympic-quest/
Ryan Shane: https://flamealivepod.com/episode-260-ryan-shane-on-short-track-speed-skating/
Josh Levin: https://flamealivepod.com/episode-74-josh-levin-on-olympic-sport-climbing/
John Naber: https://flamealivepod.com/episode-52-the-john-naber-swimming-experience/
Louise Sugden: https://flamealivepod.com/louise-sugden-paris/

For a transcript of this episode, please visit http://flamealivepod.com.

***KEEP OUR FLAME ALIVE:*** Support our fundraiser to bring you the most fun coverage of the Olympics and Paralympics from Milano Cortina 2026. Learn more and give here: https://flamealivepod.com/milano-cortina-fundraiser/

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.

***

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VM/Text: (208) FLAME-IT / (208) 352-6348

Cortina 1956: Welcome to the Cortina d'Ampezzo 1956 Winter Olympics Jan 19, 2026

Show notes

New year, a new historical Olympics to explore! Thanks to you, our listeners, in 2026 we'll be exploring the Cortina d'Ampezzo 1956 Winter Olympic Games.

In our first episode, Jill looks at Cortina's bidding process, which was the last of its kind. She also examines the sports program and what additions were--and weren't--made. Plus, Cortina had to do a lot of construction in the area to have Olympic-ready venues and spectator-friendly facilities. Did 1956 Italians manage construction projects differently than their 2026 counterparts?

These Games had a number of firsts, including live televised events. We get to some of the other firsts, including what could be the first Olympic appearance of a future VIP. Listen to find out who was there!

For a transcript and complete list of sources used in this episode, visit: http://flamealivepod.com.

Thanks so much for listening, and until next time, keep the flame alive!

Photo credit: Olympics.com

***

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 in 1956. Look for our regular episodes every week, with daily editions during the Olympics and Paralympics.

Support the show: http://flamealivepod.com/support

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VM/Text: (208) FLAME-IT / (208) 352-6348

Olympic Biathlon with Sean Doherty and Deedra Irwin Jan 15, 2026

Show notes

Buckle up for biathlon! We're talking with U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program members SPC Sean Doherty (3x Olympian) and SSG Deedra Irwin (2022 Olympian) about the sport, competing at altitude, skiing with a rifle on your back, and how you come back after a tough race.

Plus, Milano Cortina 2026 got the Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in good enough shape for a test event. Will the paint be dry? Will there be sandwiches at the bar? Time will tell. Check out journalist Brian Pinelli's series of articles about the event:

https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/iihf-president-luc-tardif-and-olympic-leaders-give-approval-of-santagiulia-venue

https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/players-satisfied-with-future-olympic-ice-surface-on-day-two-of-milan-test-event

https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/first-hand-look-at-milan-s-santagiulia-olympic-hockey-arena-officially-opened-but-far-from-perfect

And Salomon is holding an Olympics-inspired 10K run in Milano during the Games. Find out more here: https://www.salomonnewshapersrun2026.it/

Registration has opened for the LA 2028 Olympics ticket lottery. We have the details. You can sign up here: http://tickets.la28.org

Plus, we have tons of news from TKFLASTAN, including great results, Olympic teams named, and a potential scandal in skeleton.

For a transcript of this episode, please visit http://flamealivepod.com.

Thanks so much for listening, and until next time, keep the flame alive!

***

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:

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Newsletter: Sign up at https://flamealivepod.substack.com/subscribe

VM/Text: (208) FLAME-IT / (208) 352-6348

Figure Skaters Amber Glenn Jason Brown and Spencer Howe Jan 08, 2026

Show notes

Olympic excitement is building, as more athletes qualify for Team USA! This week is the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, so to get ready to watch that, we talked with figure skaters Amber Glenn, Jason Brown, and PV2 Spencer Howe to hear more details about their programs for this year.

After the event is over, U.S. Figure Skating will make the final selections for the 2026 Olympic team. Cheer on Team Keep the Flame Alive (TKFLASTAN) this weekend!

Also on the show, we have plenty of news from Milano Cortina 2026, including more Opening Ceremony performers, the introduction of the official soundtrack, and word that the new ice hockey venue likely won't be finished on time.

Listen to more about the soundtrack here: https://youtu.be/TI8f-Ke4ZbM?si=0Byo5AiSxPO9D_ez

Let us know what you think of it!

If you're in Canada, Tim Horton's new Team Canada sponsorship means more fun for you! We've got the details of what they're doing during the 2026 Winter Olympic Games.

Plus, more TKFLASTANIs have made Olympic teams--find out who's punched their ticket to Italy!

For a transcript of this episode, please visit http://flamealivepod.com.

Thanks so much for listening, and until next time, keep the flame alive!

***

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

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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

Milano Cortina 2026: Olympic Figure Skating Preview with Sarah Hughes Jan 01, 2026

Show notes

(Not Olympic Champion) Sarah Hughes of The Runthrough podcast joins us to preview the figure skating competition for Milano Cortina 2026. Who's likely to be on the podium for the pairs, ice dance, men's and women's events?

Listen to The Runthrough, which also features Olympians Ashley Wagner and Adam Rippon, on YouTube @TheRunthrough or your podcast app. They're @therunthroughpodcast on Insta.

For a transcript of this episode, please visit http://flamealivepod.com.

Thanks so much for listening, and until next time, keep the flame alive!

***

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

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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

Anything But Footy Olympics Crossover Spectacular Dec 25, 2025

Show notes

John Cushing and Michael Weadock from Anything But Footy join us for a rousing look ahead at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics.

***Are you a Milano or a Cortina?*** Let us know by helping us raise funds to cover the production costs of our Milano Cortina 2026 coverage, which includes at least 32 daily episodes (and probably 100+ escapades that only your favorite Olympic and Paralympic aunties can get into). We need your support to make this coverage happen. Please make a contribution here: https://flamealivepod.com/milano-cortina-fundraiser/

For a transcript of this episode, please visit http://flamealivepod.com.

Thanks so much for listening, and until next time, keep the flame alive!

***

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

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Newsletter: Sign up at https://flamealivepod.substack.com/subscribe

VM/Text: (208) FLAME-IT / (208) 352-6348

Olympic Bobsled with Elana Meyers Taylor, Frank Del Duca and Chris Fogt Dec 18, 2025

Show notes

Alison interviews 4x Olympic bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor on her long career in the sport and being an athlete/parent. Then Jill and Alison interview U.S. Army World Class Athletes LTC Chris Fogt and SGT Frank Del Duca. Fogt is a former bobsledder turned coach for USA Bobsled. Del Duca is an Olympic bobsled driver looking to qualify for his second Games.

Follow our TKFLASTANIs on Insta:

Elana Meyers Taylor: @elanameyerstaylor

SGT Frank Del Duca: @frankiedelduca

LTC Chris Fogt: @chris.fogt

Plus, we get into the hockey stadium drama at Milano Cortina 2026 and the surprise announcement of some Olympic Opening Ceremony artists.

In other Games news, LA 2028 announced the date of registration for its ticket lottery. And we have big updates from Team Keep the Flame Alive!

We want to know if you are a Milano or a Cortina! Let us know by helping us raise funds to cover the production costs of our Milano Cortina 2026 coverage, which includes at least 32 daily episodes (and probably 100+ escapades that only your favorite Olympic and Paralympic aunties can get into). We need your support to make this coverage happen. Please make a contribution here: https://flamealivepod.com/milano-cortina-fundraiser/

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 credits: Elana Meyers Taylor - Xfinity; Frank Del Duca - U.S. Army; Chris Fogt - U.S. Army

***

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:

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Newsletter: Sign up at https://flamealivepod.substack.com/subscribe

VM/Text: (208) FLAME-IT / (208) 352-6348

Sydney 2000: Paralympic Closing Ceremony and Games Legacy Dec 11, 2025

Show notes

In our final episode on the Sydney 2000 Olympics and Paralympics, Alison is thrilled that the demon chicken has returned to the Paralympic Closing Ceremony. Then Jill looks at the legacy (both good and questionable) of these Games. Were they the greatest Games of all time (at least in 2000)? Listen to find out!

Plus, we look forward to the Winter Olympics we'll cover during our 2026 history-themed shows.

For a complete list of sources used in this episode, visit: https://tinyurl.com/sydney2000sources.

For a transcript of this episode, please visit http://flamealivepod.com.

Thanks so much for listening, and until next time, keep the flame alive!

***

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

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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

Team USA Olympic Speed Skaters Erin Jackson and Corinne Stoddard Dec 04, 2025

Show notes

On this episode of Keep the Flame Alive, we have conversations with Olympic speed skater Erin Jackson and Olympic short track skater Corinne Stoddard that we had at the Team USA Media Summit.

Follow Erin and Corinne on social:

Erin:

https://www.twitter.com/@ErinJackson480

https://www.instagram.com/@speedyj

https://www.facebook.com/ErinJackson480/

https://www.youtube.com/US%20Speedskating

https://sites.google.com/site/jacksonerin5032/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinjackson480

https://www.tiktok.com/@ErinJacksonSkates

Corinne:

https://www.instagram.com/c0rie815/

https://www.tiktok.com/@fastbutunstable

https://www.facebook.com/share/1B8epkSqbg

Alison reports back from a Milano Cortina 2026 talk on branding, where she learned about the thinking that went into the look of these Winter Olympics.

We have plenty of news about Milano Cortina, including the torch relay ceremony, the victory ceremony uniforms, woes about the ice hockey stadium, results from the speed skating test event, the Cortina Athletes Village, and woes about the construction delays of a gondola from Cortina to Tofane. Read more about the gondola here:

https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/28/sport/olympics-2026-cortina-ticket-sales-cap-intl

Plus, LA 2028 has a new sponsor, and SLC 2034 has a new name! And we travel to TKFLASTAN to get the latest from Team Keep the Flame Alive.

For a transcript of this episode, please visit http://flamealivepod.com.

Thanks so much for listening, and until next time, keep the flame alive!

***

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:

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Newsletter: Sign up at https://flamealivepod.substack.com/subscribe

VM/Text: (208) FLAME-IT / (208) 352-6348

Book Club Claire on A Team of Their Own Nov 27, 2025

Show notes

Book Club Claire joins us for a discussion of Seth Berkman's 2019 book A Team of Their Own: How an International Sisterhood Made Olympic History, about the 2018 Winter Olympic Korean women's unified ice hockey team. This story happened during the podcast's lifetime. What did we remember? What was new news? Did we fall for the IOC's unification propaganda?

Plus, our Milano Cortina 2026 sliding novela comes to a close and the torch is lit!

In other Games news: LA 2028 opened an intent form for those interested in volunteering. Learn more here: https://la28.org/en/volunteer.html

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: Links to products are affiliate links. We earn commissions through purchases made through them, which helps to fund the show.

***

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