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PODCAST

Flame Bearers: Making It To Milan

Ashley Cain & Dani Aravich

Flame Bearers is a women"s sports storytelling studio. We tell stories via video production, podcasts, and live events and have supported just shy of 400 world-class athletes from 52 countries.In a landscape where 85% of coverage is dedicated to men and the remaining 15% often highlights a narrow segment of women athletes, we broaden the lens to highlight diverse voices. Why? Because we’re here to inspire the next generation of athletes, centering their stories on their terms. Our mission is to

sports personal journals

All Episodes

25:05

UNEDITED: I Am Strong

Flame Bearers: Making It To Milan ·

2025/02/05

"I touched the wall, saw my time, and was already blown away. Then I saw the 16 next to my name and thought—holy, it's happening."For Julimar Ávila, swimming was never just about the clock—it was about proving to herself and the world what was possible. Representing Honduras, she became the first swimmer from her country to make an Olympic semifinal. But her path was anything but linear. From training at a YMCA as a child to competing at the highest level, she faced cultural

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22:44

UNEDITED: 10% Action, 90% Mental

Flame Bearers: Making It To Milan ·

2025/01/29

"Be Brave. Take the Leap."For Neelam O’Neill, shooting was never part of the plan. But from firing her first shots at a tin-roof range in New Zealand to making history as the first female pistol shooter to represent her country at the Paralympics, she has defied every expectation, including her own. "The first time I held a gun, I was seven years old, just shooting cans on a family trip—I didn’t think much of it.” Flash forward to today, and she is the face of para shooting in New

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16:48

UNEDITED: There Is A Place For You

Flame Bearers: Making It To Milan ·

2025/01/22

“You can either let challenges break you or use them to inspire the next generation.”This belief drives Shelley Looney, a trailblazer in women’s ice hockey and a gold medalist at the first Olympics with women's ice hockey (1998). Growing up in Michigan, Shelley dreamed of playing at the highest level, but had no female hockey players to look up to. She became the role model she never had, scoring the game-winning goal in Nagano and cementing her place in sports history. “Not many

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21:07

UNEDITED: Challenges Can Break You OR Make You a...

Flame Bearers: Making It To Milan ·

2025/01/15

“You can either let challenges break you or turn you into a superhero.”This belief drives Saman Soltani, a former Iranian national swimming champion turned Refugee Olympic Team canoeist. Born into a culture where restrictions on women in sports are severe, Saman’s dreams were nearly crushed when she faced persecution for trained internationally without adhering to strict hijab laws. Fleeing Iran with nothing but a suitcase, she sought asylum in Austria and began a new life

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22:42

UNEDITED: Being Strong Is Cool

Flame Bearers: Making It To Milan ·

2025/01/08

*You can watch this episode of Flame Bearers: UNEDITED on YouTube via the Flame Bearers channel if you would like to tune in with visuals* -------------------- In this episode of Flame Bearers: UNEDITED, we sit down with Babalwa Latsha, the first professional woman XV rugby player in Africa, to hear her story of breaking barriers, embracing identity, and advocating for women in sports. From her early days discovering rugby in South Africa to dominating as a pro in the Premier

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25:47

2024 Highlights: Moments To Lift You Up (II)

Flame Bearers: Making It To Milan ·

2025/01/02

As we step into 2025, we wanted to pause and reflect on some of the incredible conversations we had in 2024. This episode celebrates some of our favorite moments, featuring powerful stories and insights from remarkable athletes. Here are just a few highlights:Caster Semenya, 2x Olympic champ and 3x World champ, reflects on her role as an advocate for women in sports: "It's about time we, as women, decide what is right for us. If women are respected, given opportunities, and

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22:24

2024 Highlights: Moments To Lift You Up

Flame Bearers: Making It To Milan ·

2024/12/26

Instead of releasing a new interview this week, we wanted to pause and reflect on some of the incredible conversations we've had in 2024. This episode celebrates some of our favorite moments from interviews this past year, including snippets from our full conversations with each of these athletes. To name a few, you'll hear from: -Kokona Hiraki, World Champion skateboarder, talks about her love for the evolving nature of skateboarding and its inclusive spirit: “Once you master

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26:01

UNEDITED: Disability is Not a Curse

Flame Bearers: Making It To Milan ·

2024/12/18

*You can watch this episode of Flame Bearers: UNEDITED on YouTube via the Flame Bearers channel if you would like to tune in with visuals* ------- “Never give up. Any opportunity can come up, and you need to grasp it.” This mantra fuels Husnah Kukundakwe, a 17-year-old, 2x Paralympian from Uganda. In a culture where “most people like me, who are born with a disability, are seen as curses to the family...some are just killed right on the spot,” Husnah has defied every

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25:05

UNEDITED: I Had to be Prettier, Funnier to Compensate

Flame Bearers: Making It To Milan ·

2024/12/11

“Your body isn’t broken—it just works differently now.”That’s how Dana Mathewson—3x Team USA Wheelchair Paralympian, and Wimbledon champ—views her body today, but that wasn't always her perspective. At the age of 10, Dana developed a rare auto-immune condition. When most girls are desperately trying to fit in with their peers, Dana was forced to reimagine her identity and future. She shares, “I was 10 years old, and suddenly, the thing everyone noticed about me was my wheelchair

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12:47

UNEDITED: Not A Linear Path

Flame Bearers: Making It To Milan ·

2024/12/05

“What we do is sometimes the least interesting thing about us.”That’s how Julie-Anne Staehli—an Olympian from Canada and pro runner with Team New Balance Boston—sees it. With over a decade of experience competing at the highest levels, Julie-Anne has learned that while competing is a big part of her, it's what she does, not who she is. In this episode, Julie-Anne opens up about her journey, from growing up playing every sport imaginable to finding her stride as an endurance

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35:39

UNEDITED: Being a normal person is really hard

Flame Bearers: Making It To Milan ·

2024/11/27

"If you have the chance to be the best in the world at something, even for the fourth time, you should probably take it." Caryn Davies, a 3x Olympic medalist, shares her extraordinary journey of ambition, resilience, and self-discovery in this unfiltered conversation.Caryn, who competed in three Olympic Games—Athens (2004), Beijing (2008), and London (2012)—amassed an impressive record: a silver medal in Athens and back-to-back gold medals in Beijing and London as part of the U.S

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17:54

UNEDITED: It wasn't an accident. It was a choice.

Flame Bearers: Making It To Milan ·

2024/11/20

Charlie Guest, is a 2x Olympic skier, psych student, and an advocate for gender equity in sports. After breaking her back in 2014, Charlie went on to become the first British woman to ever win an Alpine European Cup (2019) and later went on to rack up 3 titles. Charlie opens up about her passion for skiing and the systemic inequalities she’s encountered. Specifically, Charlie recounts the infuriating disparities in media coverage during last year's Junior Alpine World Championships

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26:17

UNEDITED: Stop to Congratulate Yourself

Flame Bearers: Making It To Milan ·

2024/11/13

In this episode, we sprint into the life of Jodie Williams, a 3x Olympian from Great Britain, beginning with her early days as an unstoppable young athlete. Jodie recalls her first taste of victory, winning races at school sports days and even being pitted against older boys in a heptathlon when “no one could beat me.” That moment fueled a drive that would guide her to track and field, where she quickly became a standout.That said, her journey to the Olympics wasn’t without

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39:45

UNEDITED: Leaving on My Own Terms

Flame Bearers: Making It To Milan ·

2024/11/07

Celina Toth traded in her gymnastics leotard for her swimsuit at age 12, where she quickly rose up the ranks, and consistently maintained her spot on the Canadian National Team since 2008. "I was the oldest diver to ever qualify for their first Olympics in Canada at 28...a testament to my character, that I was never giving up." A 4x World Cup Finalist and CAN Fund recipient, Celina made quite the splash in the world of diving, and did so on her terms, calling the shots for herself

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18:10

UNEDITED: Compare Yourself To You Yesterday

Flame Bearers: Making It To Milan ·

2024/10/30

Chahat Arora is a Indian national record holder in breast stroke who has been one of the most consistent swimmers for her country over the past decade. That said, for Chahat swimming is "more about being happy than being successful. If I'm happy doing what I love, that's good enough for me right now."In today's conversation, Chahat shares how she grounds herself and develops goals for self improvement. She shares, "Instead of just thinking that I want to go to the Olympics or I

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22:13

UNEDITED: Flexible Athlete Identity vs Inflexible...

Flame Bearers: Making It To Milan ·

2024/10/23

We heard you loud & clear: you want more athlete's stories, so we responded. Today, we launch Flame Bearers: UNEDITED, a new video and podcast series celebrating the journeys of elite women athletes from around the world at all phases of their journeys: seeking their first international qualifications, a the pinnacle of their careers, and after retirement. In this largely UNEDITED series, we'll meet more athletes than ever before, all at various stages of their paths. This series is

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19:40

Asmaa Niang (Morocco): Always Been a Dreamer

Flame Bearers: Making It To Milan ·

2024/10/02

Asmaa is a 2x Olympic judoka and 6x African Champion who came to judo when most athletes are retiring. Now at 41, Asmaa has decided to say goodbye to the mat on her terms and focus on her next chapter. But first, let's hear how she got to where she is today.She's a Parisian firefighter (the only one in her community), founder, psychologist, daily ice-bath lover, and so much more. Throughout it all, Asmaa's journey has been about continually challenging herself, staying grounded,

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21:48

Debinha & Bia Zaneratto (Brazil): A Woman's Place =...

Flame Bearers: Making It To Milan ·

2024/09/25

Debinha (Deb) and Bia Zaneratto are two of the greatest soccer legends in the game. Both grew up playing with the boys, and in Deb's case often playing with whatever the neighborhood kids could grab that resembled a ball. Bia had her first opportunity to play with girls at 13. In this conversation we sit down with Deb and Bia together, as they both play for the Kansas City Current in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). This conversation is co-hosted by Maé-Bérénice

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25:30

Tezna Abrahams (South Africa): We Bleed The Same

Flame Bearers: Making It To Milan ·

2024/09/18

Tezna grew up thinking that maybe one day, she could be a Paralympic swimmer. At 12, she became South Africa's para national champ. When Tezna got in an accident one week before the Rio Paralympic Trials, she took a step away from sports to reset. Years later, she decided to pick up track and field "to stay fit," and within the year, she became a 3x African Record and South African Paralympian competing in the 200m and long jump. Because there's not (yet enough) serious prize

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18:22

Taylor Winnett (USA): Gaining A New Life

Flame Bearers: Making It To Milan ·

2024/09/11

Taylor has been in the pool since age 4, when her mom (a swim coach) and older sister (also a swimmer) first introduced her to the water. A D1 recruit at Loyola University Maryland, Taylor was gearing up to make a splash at the collegiate level. She was then diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a condition characterized by joint pain, loose joints, and hypermobility. According to Taylor, this period of her life was both physically and emotionally excruciating. She shares how she

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165 results

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