We're marking one year to go to the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics with a look at how the sport of wheelchair basketball developed. David Davis, author of the new book Wheels of Courage: How Paralyzed Veterans from WWII Invented Wheelchair Sports, Fought for Disability Rights, and Inspired a Nation, joins us to talk about the fascinating history of this sport.
Film Buff Fran is back for another edition of our movie club! We've got a double-feature this time, looking at two biopics on 1972 Olympic runner Steve Prefontaine. "Without Limits" stars Billy Crudup as the confident athlete, while "Prefontaine" stars Jared Leto in the same role. Which movie was more accurate? Which actor was the better Pre? Listen to find out!
If 2020 was a normal year, we would've just said good-bye to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics--and many athletes would be making big decisions about their futures. Since many athletes retire after an Olympics, we wanted to look at how elite athletes transition out of competitive life. To help us understand this topic, we talked with Leslie Klein, an Olympian who most recently was the Director of Athlete Career and Education (ACE) at the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee until the COVID-19 pandemic eliminated her position. She told us about the efforts of Team USA and other National Olympic Committees to help their athletes plan for life beyond sport.
On the track, a relay team can make or break its race based on the quality of its baton handoffs. 2004 Olympic relay gold medalist and current Bethel University head track coach Andrew Rock walks us through the process of handing off the baton. And, we announce our virtual Closing Ceremonies meetup.