Olympic figure skater Nicole Bobek has long been on our list of athletes to interview, and we’re thrilled she’s able to come on the show! In 1995, Nicole dazzled at the US Championships, winning gold and then taking bronze at the Figure Skating World Championships later that year. And by dazzled, we mean her magical Dr. Zhivago free skate:
Seriously, no one could do a spiral like Nicole Bobek. Look at this position!
Her career on and off the ice has had a lot of highs and lows, from her beautiful performances to dealing with injuries and the sudden death of her coach Carlo Fassi at the 1997 World Championships where she was still competing. She opted to stay in the mix and pulled out this performance:
Nicole also represented the US at the Nagano 1998 Winter Olympics and competed with a hip injury. We get the details on that too.
Nicole has a new memoir out called The Wild One, in which she talks candidly about her skating career and her life afterward, which involved an arrest for being part of an alleged drug ring, for which she served five years of probation.
Since then, Nicole has found her way back, and she embraces her role as a mother….and you can still find her free skating!
Find out more about Nicole and her book The Wild One at her website: http://nicolebobek.com
Follow Nicole on Insta! @nicolebobek77
In news from Milano Cortina 2026, we now know who will be the first torchbearers for the torch relay. One is a very inspired choice! Also, construction on the Milano Athletes Village has been completed, and Snoop Dogg is back.
In news from LA 2028, organizers plan to use electric school buses for some shuttles, and the LA Convention Center is embarking on a massive renovation plan–will it be done in time for the Games? Also, Team New Zealand’s planning an epic New Zealand House in Culver City.
The International Paralympic Committee had its General Assembly, and we’ve got the results of some key votes (that not everyone is happy about).
Plus, Team Keep the Flame Alive is busy representing TKFLASTAN at multiple competitions. We’ve got news from:
- Para swimmers Olivia Chambers and Jessica Long
- Rower Michelle Sechser
- Para athletics athletes Noelle Lambert-Beirne and Jaydin Blackwell
- Fencer Alexander Massialas
- Wheelchair rugby player Chuck Aoki
- Weightlifter Hampton Morris
And Listener Erica shared a great article about what author David Davis’ book inspired.
Thanks so much for listening, and until next time, keep the flame alive!
Photos courtesy of Nicole Bobek.
TRANSCRIPT
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411-Olympian Nicole Bobek’s Wild Life
Theme Music: [00:00:00] The greatest festival of our contemporary society, the Olympic Games is about to begin. This is gonna be close. Oh, they’re all completely gassed. They’ve given it everything. Oh yeah. Brilliant. Brilliant, brilliant.
Jill Jaracz: But that is an Olympic champion.
Theme Music: Ready.
Jill Jaracz: Hello, and welcome to another episode of Keep the Flame Alive, the podcast for fans of the Olympics and Paralympics.
If you love the games, we are the show for you. I am your host, Jill Jarris, joined as always by my lovely co-host, Allison Brown. Allison, hello, how are you?
Alison Brown: You say lovely, but I don’t think you love me anymore.
Jill Jaracz: Po quo.
Alison Brown: You forgot our anniversary. I know. I did forget our anniversary. That’s okay. I forgot our anniversary too.[00:01:00]
So last week was the show’s eighth anniversary. Pretty impressive. I know you’ve put up with me for a long time
and my shenanigans. Well, maybe
Jill Jaracz: time we’ll talk after the show. Yeah, yeah. We’ll, yeah. yeah, it’s, it’s nice that we’ve been able to be at this eight years. I know. Thank you listeners for making that possible. Really. We can’t do the show without you, and there would be
Alison Brown: no reason to.
Jill Jaracz: Right. And I always love the fact that people wonder, what do you guys talk about?
When the Olympics aren’t on, and we’ve been at this for eight years and we still have not really whittled down our list of topics that we have questions
Alison Brown: about. It’s so funny because I, I said this on the show where we talked about the gymnastics at Sydney. How mm-hmm. That was the story I wanted to talk about since we started the show, and it took nearly eight [00:02:00] years for us to get to that story.
I mean, there’s just, there’s so much. There is so much.
Jill Jaracz: So thank you listeners for making the last eight years a whirlwind of fun. A cauldron of chaos, not chaos. Oh yeah, there we go. Because catastrophe was on my mind. That was not ideal. But, uh, we really appreciate you letting us be able to do this show.
Nicole Bobek on her figure skating career
Jill Jaracz: And you know what else was fun? This is a nice way to celebrate eight years.
Alison Brown: Very much so. Talk about somebody I’ve wanted to talk to for a long time.
Jill Jaracz: Exactly. Today we’re talking to a figure skater, Nicole Bobek. Now Nicole was prime in my big time, initial watching of figure skating.
Alison Brown: I would say definitely.
Jill Jaracz: She was the, 1995 US champion and the 1995 world bronze medalist. Her career on and off the ice has had a lot of highs and a lot of lows. If you remember, she had some [00:03:00] really amazing wins, beautiful skating. She also dealt with a lot of injury and the sudden death of her coach Carlo Fasi. During the 1997 World Championships when she was competing, she managed to stay in that competition, finished 13th, which was absolutely amazing given what she had to go through.
She was part of the US delegation at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, where she competed with a hip injury. And finished 17th. Nicole has not competed since 2000. In 2009, she was arrested for being part of an alleged methamphetamine ring and received five years probation for her role in it.
Today she lives in Florida, has a young son, and she has now written a memoir about her life titled The Wild One That Will Be Released on October 8th. We talked with Nicole about her skating career and decision to write about her life. Take a listen.
Alison Brown: Nicole Bobek, thank you so much for joining us. This is kind of fun for us because [00:04:00] we both remember when you were competing and got to watch you at those times. And actually that’s, that’s kind of where I wanted to start was when you were competing at that 94 95 kind of timeframe. What was figure skating like?
What were you being told was important? What were you being coached? How much control did you have? Kind of just set the stage for us at that point in your career.
Nicole Bobek: Well, first of all, thank you so much for having me on your podcast. Um, 94 95 was really different compared to how it is now. Of course, I think our responsibilities were pretty much the same, but now.
it’s, the dynamic is so different of what is expected out there and what we can do is just totally different. at that point, for me it was exciting. It was a lot of pressure, but the demand on the short program. And the free skate. ’cause technically it is called the free skate ’cause you’re free to do [00:05:00] everything that you can do in your long program.
So your big pressure was really hitting that short program and doing those elements. That was the world I grew up in.
Alison Brown: You were known for that gorgeous spiral, and you were kind of the first to do that with that really high extension. How did that happen? Was that just, oh, I’m flexible. I can do this,
Nicole Bobek: actually, I mean, yeah, there is flexibility that goes into play with that.
But it was something that was, people have done it for many, many years, but the simplicity of it, and also where your upper body is angled in the spiral. I’ve seen people do beautiful spirals and they’re either more flexible or less flexible, but all depends on where you put your upper body. You can drop it lower to the ice or you can really arch to keep it more up.
And having long legs is a plus. It looks more beautiful.
Jill Jaracz: Could you tell when you were having a good spiral day or when [00:06:00] it was off, or try to make adjustments in the in while Doing it
Nicole Bobek: now? Yes. Before it just was automatic.
Alison Brown: Yeah,
Nicole Bobek: that’s the joy
Alison Brown: of being 18, right? It just,
Nicole Bobek: yes. Yeah. Now it’s all about like, uh, does it feel good?
Oh, can you really stretch your leg at that point? Or what are we doing today with this? But, um, at that, when I was younger, it was so automatic, it just went right into place. And that was just repetition of doing it over and over and over.
Jill Jaracz: I miss spiral sequences so much. I have to
Nicole Bobek: say that I just miss them so much.
Bring ’em back. Everybody’s, I more and more people say that and I’m, I’m down for that. Definitely.
Alison Brown: at that season you were with, with Richard Callahan mm-hmm. And you created that gorgeous Dr. Zhivago program, which I think anyone who saw it will, will remember that. Whose idea was that?
Nicole Bobek: That was my idea.
[00:07:00] I love the movie so much. The music I felt was such a known piece of music throughout different ages that it was something the audience is going to be able to connect to. And also just becoming Laura from the movie, you know, the, the outfit my clothes off eyes were like, I was in the movie with the button down jacket and, and.
Just totally got into character as an actor would get into their, act that they’re doing in the movie, who they’re trying to portray. And for me that was always important to bring that full package into a program to express that to the audience and feel it.
Alison Brown: How heavy was that costume?
Nicole Bobek: That costume actually was pretty light.
It was not that heavy. I’ve had much heavier costumes, but it was, I think the simplicity of it just hit the mark. And now when I look back at it, it’s not heavily beaded. It’s not, it’s [00:08:00] really just Right. So wasn’t heavy.
Alison Brown: You changed coaches a lot. That was one of the, I we gotta bring this up. Of course. And, and your career was kind of known for this, bouncing around and, and erratic we’ll be gone. What was going on? What was happening on ice, off ice for you?
Nicole Bobek: Um, a lot was going on. I think it was all just about what was working for me and what wasn’t and when it wasn’t moving on.
And some people. Kind of looked down on it. I actually think it’s fantastic. I got to work with so many great coaches and I got something from all of them, and that’s what we did. And it was also how it, you know, sustained, was it working? Did, is this the real click or is it time to pack up and leave? And to be able to do something like that takes a lot.
But it was just kind of my thing. I think with coaches [00:09:00] I was an easy, easy student, so finding that right click was always challenging.
Alison Brown: Let’s talk a little bit about Carlo Fosse, who I know is very special to you and any skating fan is, knows that name. So what was it like? ’cause you started with him and then left and came back.
Nicole Bobek: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, gosh, Carlos started around. Age 10, and it was, I think twice. It was kind of off once was, not that I left him, he actually went to Italy. So it wasn’t technically I left him. And um, he just was a father figure. Um, just knew how to work me correctly and to find those little niches. Like if something wasn’t working, like, okay, just go and skate to the music.
Or finding little things that communication, but that bond, we had very much father-like to me that I felt secure, comfortable, and [00:10:00] very much loved. No doubt about it. And that really did work for me.
Alison Brown: And then 97, of course,
Nicole Bobek: he’s passed away unfortunately.
Alison Brown: I, I remember watching those world championships and hearing that announcement and just being kind of flabbergasted at that whole, what was happening on the inside.
I mean, how did Krista function?
Nicole Bobek: Well, I don’t think we did. I think it’s when that saying of just going through the motions, really you do, because it was very surreal. and I don’t think it like even hits you. Like you have the shock of when it hits you and then. You know, I had all these people around me who were just, you know, very supportive and like, I’m, you know, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.
And, you know, I kind of just didn’t, like, I was in such shock and everybody just wanted me to skate, you know, and everyone was, this is what he’d want you to, but I knew I was not capable of going out and competing, but I did because I really didn’t wanna let people down. [00:11:00] And, um, I question that sometimes if I.
Should have stood my ground and said, I’m not doing this, but I did. And, um, it was very hard. And Krista, you know, we had, we were in such, with that world and everybody knowing Carlo, we had this group consistently around us and we had the media and, you know, other skaters and everything, just really felt the heaviness of him passing away.
It was very difficult, very difficult.
Jill Jaracz: How is it in situations like that when and just in the sport in general? Because skating is such a sport that there are a lot of expectations and judges are looking at you seemingly all the time when they can and. Having to live up. I, I don’t even know what I want to say here, but there’s pressure in having to live up to that.
But when you lose your father figure mm-hmm. And you feel the pressure to not just perform your best, but also perform because [00:12:00] people are saying that you should, what is that like?
Nicole Bobek: It is very difficult to be able to separate the competitor to the emotional person.
we’re made kind of like to just change channels so easily, but maybe, you know, deep down with skating and we’re dealing with a breakup or a family situations going on, or there’s something going on that nobody knows about. Maybe there’s something going on with me, but we still have to be able have that ability to.
Literally turn that off. Escaped. And that’s very difficult. It’s, you know of I work with an alignment coach of her teaching me not to let my emotions contribute. But my behavior, and that’s very difficult to do because things affect us, especially over sensitive people like myself, where every little, little thing I can read very detail on and it will affect me.
So I’ve tried to work on changing that, of using [00:13:00] that out there on the ice. So, but now I’m in a different, I’m not competing anymore or anything like that, but it is very difficult because we. Our competitors out there. But we do have lives. You know, we, we do normal things. We drive cars, we go to the grocery store, we pay bills just like everyone else.
And then we step on the ice and we’re these like hardcore competitors and ballerinas and sports women out there representing, and you want to be great all the time. You want to be positive all the time. And I don’t wanna say it’s like putting on a facade, but you know, we’re not out there going, oh, you know.
Well, I mean, I feel so horrible. You know, everybody feels sorry for me. We don’t wanna promote that. We want to promote what a great sport it is and why we’re doing it.
Alison Brown: What does that do to a kid? Because you were 18, you know, 17, 18, 19. During those, those really most exposed years when you’re, I have to be one person in public, but I have this whole other [00:14:00] life.
Nicole Bobek: That comes into personality disorder a little bit. Um, it is difficult to, but I think that we’re just brought up that way of having to know when to turn it on and when to turn it off. And that kind of just goes with the sport. And I think within any sport also, I mean, we all have struggles and, and fears and things, but we’re out there doing what we love and we want to do.
So we’re able to push those things. Okay, I’m gonna deal with that when I’m off the ice. I’m not gonna let that affect me until I’m done doing my skating. And that’s the, the learning how to separate and be in control, I think. I think it’s a great, sports are a great thing for kids. Uh, my little one, he, you know, he swims, he’s in skate school, he does gymnastics and, uh, really thrives on it.
I, I really find it fundamental for children to do sports very much and some. Are a little bit more [00:15:00] leaning towards it, and then others are a little bit more artsy or do other little things. And as a parent, I think it’s our job to find those niches for our children to make that kind of great atmosphere of either working with a team or finding their talents to bring it to the best of their ability.
Alison Brown: You had a front row seat for some of the worst. Nineties tabloid skating scandals, just in terms of the, the absolute circus, not just, around, Tanya and, and Nancy Kerrigan, but then even with Michelle Kwan and Tara Lipin, what was the skating world like with this circus happening and you’re trying to be a serious competitor and your, your own tabloid thing’s going on?
Nicole Bobek: it’s very difficult, you know, with the whole Tonya, Nancy thing. Really put skating on such a map and it became very much soap opera. And you know, we’re all very grateful for it because skating got very popular and we made [00:16:00] great money. But at the same time, it was very sad that it took something like that.
I mean, figure skaters, especially the woman, I don’t see any other sport that is putting such artistry and physical strength together. You know, that’s what makes figure skating so incredibly beautiful. And when this came in it was like, yeah, the story, everyone loves to watch the train wreck and you know, we all do it.
So it’s, you know, I think it just kind of proceeded on and it went with me because I didn’t follow the rules as much. It went with other skaters and then they loved the underdog or they were rooting for you and then you got on top and they tore you down. and that’s, that’s difficult to deal with.
That’s where you, your mental strength really has to come in strong and just be like, I’m just doing me. You gotta do me.
Jill Jaracz: What kind of support did you get at the time if, like, did us figure skating, have anything like media training? Because [00:17:00] I would imagine that people today, if they’re on the top or they’re going to the Olympics, they get some kind of media schooling.
But what happened then?
Nicole Bobek: So U-S-F-S-A was always, they’re always right there, right with you, your team leaders, everyone. You do have media training. They’re there for you. Now it’s even more extended. There’s so many outlets for help that we didn’t have back then with, you know, sports psychiatrist or nutritional programs.
Uh, craziness. The stuff I see, the off I stuff now is beyond my mind. Like we didn’t, we did a little bit of off I stuff, but nothing like it is now. And, um, we just skated. But I think also having your family and having your friends and the right amount of people around you to really guide you and package you to be there for you to help you along the way.
is so important. And I have that. I absolutely have that. I had my mom, my aunt, my coaches, [00:18:00] U-S-F-S-A agents, you know, all these people who I, you know, I wanna say like holding your hand along the way going, I got you. And you know, this looks great. Taking sides of how everything should be packaged out there, I think is really important.
You know, when it, it can be as simple as being a cook. When you do a plate, you make sure the whole plate is prepared and it looks beautiful, what you’re eating, you know, that’s what goes into it. You don’t just swap it on and go, here’s, you know, at a four star restaurant, you make it as beautiful as possible.
Alison Brown: What was your experience in Nano? Just the whole atmosphere.
Nicole Bobek: Well, nano was that feeling that got, gosh, you said, in my stomach even turns that, you know, it’s, you know, you work your whole life to make the Olympic team and then you make it and you’re like a deer in headlights, you know, like, oh my gosh.
And you do feel a tremendous [00:19:00] responsibility. to the United States to represent them the best that you can. Unfortunately, I was injured and wasn’t as prepared, but I still went, I still made the, the team, I ended up 17th. I did the best that I could, wish I could have done better always. You know, we always wish we could have done better when we didn’t do well, but, um.
Closing ceremonies were great. I didn’t go to the opening ceremonies, which a lot of skaters don’t do because it’s a long process. You wait for a long time, then you, it’s it, it can be very distracting and you still wanna be very focused ’cause you have your competition practices before the competition and each, every single one is so important.
So it was a great experience though.
Jill Jaracz: How was the food? Had you been to Japan before?
Nicole Bobek: No, I was in Korea, but I wasn’t in Japan. I was too young to really understand that whole cold. Now I would be totally different there. But, um, I was like, [00:20:00] where’s McDonald’s? And they had McDonald’s. So a lot of the athletes we did end up at McDonald’s.
So, but you know, there was little differences like buying hot coffee out of a can in a machine or, you know, so many like, just totally different things than United States, that it can be a culture shock when you’re so young also of like, whoa. it was interesting though.
Jill Jaracz: Yeah, and it’s interesting because your young.
In the greater sense of the world. But in figure skating, you’re now starting to get old for this time, correct? Mm-hmm. So how was that as well? I mean, you are dealing with Tara Lipinski was fricking 15. That was crazy.
Nicole Bobek: Not happy. Well, the body doesn’t work the same anymore. I mean, I’m trying, but, um, grabbed the set in a little bit and like I said, I have a child, so now my body’s totally different and.
Now it’s about just enjoying what I’m doing out there and really free skating. That’s, [00:21:00] and I, and I love to use that word because it really is just me, free skating and just enjoying, I don’t have demands of, you know, doing the jumps or doing this or doing that. I’m just exploring. I’m inventing, I’m playing with all different kinds of music, and I love to do that.
It’s fun.
Alison Brown: did you watch World Championships? Do you watch the US Nationals?
Nicole Bobek: I did watch Worlds. I’m learning. I think I tuned out for a long time and, uh, a lot of skaters do kind of tune out, I think. Now I feel like I’ve been gone pretty long and now my life is very different now and I’m very proud of the things that I’ve gotten through and I want to be able to give back to the skating world.
I think it’s important for the other skaters to see that the past skaters are still involved and still interested to see what the new generation is doing out there.
Alison Brown: Isn’t it nice that they’re getting a little older? I
Nicole Bobek: mean, the World
Alison Brown: Champion was not 15 this year.
Nicole Bobek: Well, you [00:22:00] know, that’s always very controversial because I think that, you know, your body’s very different.
Especially for women, you know, we go through body changes. We get our, our periods and we have hips, and then some of us have boobs, some of us don’t have boobs, and it really does affect the skating. I went through that whole bad period time and it, it’s hard to get through. So I think sometime of, of course, the things were easier when I was, you know, 12 and 13 and 14, I didn’t have hits.
I didn’t think as much as. I did on the ice later on, because those thoughts were not even there. I just skated, you know what I mean? I didn’t have the pressure. The only pressure I had was on myself, and that was it. So, the younger skaters are gonna do these bigger things. I mean, I see it on Instagram all the time.
There was like a Chinese boy, nine years old doing a triple axle, and I’m just going, what is, you know, what is going on here? it’s just mind blowing. But I do think there’s an advantage to. [00:23:00] pushing the kids when they’re so young to get out there and do the things before life, real life starts happening.
Jill Jaracz: how is that though, physically? Like I’ve never landed a jump, but, uh, but seriously, like dealing with a lot of injuries. You had hip injury in Nagano, there’s ankle injuries and other injuries, but like, what does the pressure feel like when you’re landing those jumps? On the ice consistently,
Nicole Bobek: you land about.
I think it’s two times your own body weight. So it is a consistency of landing on that one side, like a baseball player always throwing with the one arm, the one arm. Of course at some point they all got injuries in their shoulders and things like that. That pressure when you land on your right leg, ’cause I landed on my right leg.
Some, some jump the other way. Of that consistently of pounding and pounding and pounding does take a toll on you for a while. I know a lot of skaters who’ve had hip replacement. I had hip flexor [00:24:00] problems for like, I think from the time I was 17. I don’t remember a season where I was not injured with something, you know, it was either hamstring or a torn ligament or you know, hip problem, back problem.
Always something, always something. But you, you know, it, it seems like it just goes with the sport. Like, you know, for figure skaters say they don’t fall, that’s impossible. That’s mandatory, you know, that goes with it.
Alison Brown: You’ve written a book about your experiences and why now?
Nicole Bobek: I felt now was a very good time.
I was, uh, approached a few years ago and I didn’t feel I was ready quite yet, and. Now that I’ve had my child and everything, I feel it’s my superpower that I just comprehend things so much differently than how I would’ve if I didn’t have a child and being a mom. So now I see things like, oh, now, now I get [00:25:00] it.
Now I see it’s so differently. And I think that’s a great thing to be able to now do the book and kind of. Collect everything that’s happened and how I reacted to things and why things happened the way they did, and it’s it, the book has so much in it. It’s not just skating, that’s the thing. There’s of course a lot of skating because it is my life and it is what I did my whole life.
But there were so many other things that went on after, and now coming back into skating is a really great thing.
Alison Brown: Last thing that I wanna ask you is just sort of when you’re watching skating and you hear about the controversies and, and we’ve certainly heard a lot of bad things coming outta skating.
when you look at it, what does that do in your own head? You know, what’s your reaction when you see all of that?
Nicole Bobek: My reaction is always, there’s two sides to a story. and not to believe everything that’s always put out there. That is for sure. I’ve had [00:26:00] stuff written about me that was absolutely not true and it’s very hard to stomach and there’s not nothing you can do.
Now we have all these social media platforms and it, it’s there and it’s forever there and there’s really not much you can do about it. And I think, you know, people will draw up their own conclusion of how they feel about you and what they think. And I think people are also very forgiving and people do love a comeback story for sure.
And mine is definitely a comeback story.
Alison Brown: How do you feel when you, um, hear the word flut?
Nicole Bobek: Like, I should have a tattooed on me,
at least. It’s not clutz, but um, yeah, the floods was an interesting, uh, you know, I never really realized how much I did it until now when I watched the videos and, but everything was. You know, we didn’t have all those cameras like they do now, you know, so I could maneuver it in certain ways where the judges really couldn’t [00:27:00] tell at certain places.
So we, we, we worked our way around it for sure. But, uh, I rocked it. I definitely rocked it. Dick Button always saw it. You know what he did? He did. And he definitely pointed out, and, He commented a few really interesting things. Sometimes. Yeah, sometimes. That’s one way to put it. Yeah. Very, not SafeSport, but that was back in the day.
Jill Jaracz: So being a parent and also having a life where you’ve had some pretty low lows. Mm-hmm. How, and I, I know this has nothing to do with skating, but I, I find it would be interesting in a way like. Do you know, signs to watch for in your children or how to be more empathetic and help guide them so they don’t necessarily have the same low lows that you’ve had?
Nicole Bobek: Yes and no. I was raised very smartly from my mom and my Aunt Joyce, and so [00:28:00] my Aunt Joyce passed away. There is no doubt that my mom is like my hero and I know that she did. She taught me correctly and how to behave and how to say no to things and I still did what I wanted to do.
You know, that was, uh, this book is very much about, it is not a bashing book. It’s not throwing people under the bus. I firmly stand by my mistakes ’cause they were my mistakes and I own them. And I moved forward from them. And some things my mom knew, some things she didn’t know, but the things that she didn’t know, she can sit back and say, well, she got herself out of that.
And I raised a tough daughter, you know, children, sometime my son will, will do something. I said, you really can’t do that. You’re gonna hurt yourself. And he insists. And he insists and he insists. And I’m like, you know what, go ahead. When you’re, when when you get hurt and you’re done. I’ll be right here [00:29:00] and we’ll go to the ER sometimes.
Sometimes have to install the right tools to your children, but also give them the freedom to access them.
Alison Brown: Yeah. Well, Nicole Boak, thank you so much. It was, can I just say healed a little piece of my heart. Seeing you do so well.
Nicole Bobek: Thank you so much. It means a lot. It means a lot and I hope you guys enjoy the book.
It comes out October 8th. There’s presales already. Follow me on Instagram at Nicole Bobak 77. ’cause I always post daily. I put a lot of fun stuff on my storyline. It’s always me and my son and at the rink or dancing in the kitchen. I’m very, very silly and uh, and I like to promote happiness and I hope this book is going to reach a lot of different kinds of people because it has a lot of different subjects in it.
And hopefully can be a guide for a lot of people too.
Jill Jaracz: Excellent.
Jill Jaracz: Thank you so much Nicole. You [00:30:00] can find out more about nicole@nicoleBobek.com. Her memoir, the Wild one, written with Todd Fisher and Caden Faro will be out on October 8th. Happy birthday to you.
Alison Brown: Happy anniversary to
Jill Jaracz: you. That’s right, but not our
Alison Brown: anniversary.
Jill Jaracz: No, my, my, my lovely wedding anniversary. Um, that’s a big day.
So this is another reason to celebrate. Get Nicole’s book. Uh, it’s available at a number of the big bookstores like Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and Books a Million. It is not on bookshop.org yet. But monitoring the situation it, if it is available there, we’ll add it to our book lists. Check them out at bookshop.org/shop/flame alive pod.
If you purchase anything through that bookshop.org link, and that includes eBooks and games and puzzles. Ooh, there are puzzles now. Yeah. Yeah. You can get jigsaw puzzles on bookshop.org. Yeah. Oh man. Yeah, if you buy anything through bookshop.org/shop/flame Alive pod, we [00:31:00] may get a commission. That money goes to covering the operating cost of the show and we greatly appreciate your support there as well.
Milano Cortina 2026 News
Alison Brown: Ah, Manifesta,
Jill Jaracz: uh, we have some Malano Corina news. We are getting closer and closer. Ever closer. Oh gosh. I know, I know. The, the Milano Corino Organizing Committee announced the first six torch bearers who will be in the torch relay that starts. Very soon, they include hip hop, singer songwriter Achille Loro, who competed in multiple editions of the San Remo Music Festival and represented San Marino at Eurovision 2022.
Flavia Panetta, retired women’s tennis player who competed at Beijing 2008 and London 2012. Francesco Bagg, a motorcycle world champion Franco and Andrea Antonello, [00:32:00] a father son duo who represent resilience, hope, and inclusion around Andrea’s autism. Octogenarian Dario PTO will be a three time winter torch relay flame bearer.
Having participated in both the 1956 and 2006 torch relays. Isn’t that awesome?
Alison Brown: That’s that’s the best one so far.
Jill Jaracz: No. And then finally, chef Lucia Lon of Abso, who has been giving free bread, breaking lessons to people in her community. So they’re trying to run the gamut of arts and sports and.
Inspirational people and history and old culture guys.
I think it’s really cool that they were able to dig up somebody who’s, or find somebody, I don’t wanna say dig up really. When you’re dealing with an 89-year-old, it’s not a
Alison Brown: weak end at Bernie situation. They’re gonna roll him along. No, but because certainly the 1956 torch relay was not like the torch [00:33:00] relay is now.
And that that they even had the records for who were torch bearers is pretty good.
Jill Jaracz: Also, arch Daily reports that the athlete’s village in Milano is finished and has been handed over. That’s impressive. I believe it’s a little bit ahead of schedule too, which is good. President Kirsty Coventry said in a press conference that walking through it almost made her want to be a winter athlete so that she could stay there.
So that’s exciting for the athletes. The village is located within the Porta Romana railway yard and has six new residential buildings along with two restored historic structures. Those would be a former locomotive workshop and the Basilico building.
And then after the games, this will convert to student housing for the 20, 26, 27 academic year, and they’ll have below market rents because student housing is a big problem in Milano right now. Uh, students have problems finding places they can afford, so this will be helpful for that endeavor.
The Olympic [00:34:00] Plaza and other public spaces in the village will be integrated into the greater plan for renovation and reuse of Porta Romana.
Alison Brown: When I first read through this note very, very quickly, I read it as a former locomotive, like you’d be able to stay in the locomotive, and I got really excited.
But no,
LA 2028 News
Jill Jaracz: we have some LA 2028 news. We’re getting more and more 28 news, and there are days I’ve just been like, come on, let’s get done with Milano so we can move totally on to 2028. So Snoop Dogg
Alison Brown: is back.
Jill Jaracz: Yes.
Alison Brown: I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing, but he’s back. I
Jill Jaracz: dunno. He’s, he’s apparently popular.
We don’t really see him because we’re doing our thing and he’s doing his thing and we’re not watching NBC coverage at all. Um, so he will be back on NBC with his take on the games through the Snoop’s greatest hits segment on primetime coverage with Mike Tico. this will be [00:35:00] fun. LA 2028 has partnered with Highland Electric Fleets to use their school buses.
These are electric school buses that are owned by local school districts. LA Reports as these will not be for spectators. They’re going to transport people like athletes, personnel and officials, and I believe someplace else I read media.
Alison Brown: I was going to say, I have a feeling we’re gonna be on one of these electric school buses.
Jill Jaracz: Yes. So that would be
Alison Brown: fun. I’ve never been on an electric bus.
Jill Jaracz: No. And school buses are fine for what we have to do. That’s gonna be a Okay. Transportation. It also means that if they can use more local stuff, because they always have to get buses from like all over the place. So this may be a nice. Way to save a little bit of money on
Alison Brown: that.
I don’t know. You know, as long as they don’t behave like the high school boys on my school bus when I was in high school, who used to throw bagels out the window at passing cars.
Jill Jaracz: Wow, wow. [00:36:00] I’m surprised they didn’t get. Pulled over for that.
Alison Brown: What can I tell you?
Jill Jaracz: He used to have, when I was in grade school, we had a, a bus driver, who used to drink bottles, glass bottles of Dr. Pepper.
Alison Brown: Did he throw those out the window? That could have been interesting. No. No,
Jill Jaracz: he didn’t. He would yell, hold it down in the back of the bus.
Alison Brown: Okay, well we are gonna see probably some media clicks forming on this school bus. Probably like where people sit. Oh, this is gonna be fun.
Jill Jaracz: Alright, LA is going to invest $2.6 billion in the renovation of the city’s convention center that is, uh, supposed to be delivered in time for the Olympics. That.
Because it will be a venue for a number of sports. This renovation has been really controversial. It’s been in the news a lot. according to Politico, city officials have been trying for 10 years to get renovations done, but as we know from other games, and Olympic deadline will spur action. [00:37:00] So it also, in this case, meant a much bigger endeavor because.
Some of the city, uh, council members would prefer smaller renovations, but this is now a giant one. city administrative officer and chief legislative analyst both said that the work’s not gonna get done on time. Crews are gonna have to work six days a week every week for 130 weeks. There’s not a lot of give in that whole schedule, but you know, hey, if Milano can build, Hey, America, an entire sliding venue.
In a year, we can probably get some convention center. Work done. I would hope, I would hope, I would hope that Americans would be able to do that. the city controller said that financially this is a boondoggle because once you add in borrowing costs and other costs, the total bill is going to be 3.9 billion, most of which is gonna come from the city’s general fund.
It’s gonna take [00:38:00] 30 years to pay off that debt and another 25 years to break even. So, uh, this’ll be interesting if you live in southern California, LA area and have some opinions. We’d love to hear what is going on out there directly. So you can send us a email, flame life at gmail.com or call our voicemail two zero eight, flame it
Alison Brown: for the No Build Olympics.
This is a lot of building.
Jill Jaracz: Well, it’s building that the city is taking on, so the Olympics aren’t taking it on still No build.
Alison Brown: Yeah. Okay.
Jill Jaracz: Let’s move the shells a little bit more.
Earlier this year we talked about New Zealand, and the New Zealand Olympic Committee potentially having a hospitality house and fan zone in Culver City. And the project needed city council approval because it’s going to use the Town Plaza and Culver Steps. Well, the, our friend Rich [00:39:00] Perlman at the Sports Examiner reported that this week.
Culver City, city Council voted to approve the location, so now it’s official. Team New Zealand House will have a free to the public site at Culver City Town Plaza with two large viewing screens and a stage for additional programming, which could be Maori cultural ex exhibitions, local cultural and music events, medal celebrations, interviews, et cetera, et cetera.
Programs will take place from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM probably daily. Uh, and the New Zealand Olympic Committee will partner with Culver City Cultural Affairs on additional programming and activations. If you wonder, as I do what something like this costs.
Alison Brown: It’s a lot of Kiwis.
Jill Jaracz: It is a lot of Kiwis and the New Zealand Olympic Committee plans to spend about $1.4 million on it.
Culver City’s costs are gonna be about $800,000, and if stuff comes in over budget, they’re [00:40:00] gonna scale things back rather than spend more money, which I, I think that’s very interesting what the investment in these hospitality houses are and how that pays out hopefully in tourist revenue.
Alison Brown: They don’t even need a house for me to wanna go to New Zealand.
Jill Jaracz: I, yeah, exactly. Exactly, exactly. other hospitality houses, sites are surfacing, so Greece plans to be in Long Beach and Croatia has opted for San Pedro. keep your eyes open.
News from the International Paralympic Committee’s General Assembly
Alison Brown: Big doings in the Paralympic world.
Jill Jaracz: That’s right. The International Paralympic Committee held its general assembly in Seoul, South Korea. Over the last week, Andrew Parsons reelected as president for a third and final term. I’m excited. And then this is like all bittersweet ’cause we’re gonna have to say goodbye to Andrew Parsons.
It’s like when an
Alison Brown: athlete announces their, retirement before the season starts. Oh, right.
The long retirement. So we know [00:41:00] when his last Paralympics are gonna be and we kind of can all, but this’ll be a very interesting transition for the IPC because there’s so much. Bigger and more complex and more integrated with the Olympics than they were when Andrew Parson started.
Jill Jaracz: Very true. So it, it’ll be interesting.
He won, with a vote of 1 0 9 to 68 over dong Jung Bai of South Korea Other, good news is that the IPC recognized two new national Paralympic committees that they are from South Sudan and Bolivia,
they also recognized the International Federation of Sport Climbing as a sports federation, which is good because sport climbing debuting at LA 2028. Not so fun News is that IPC membership voted not to continue the partial suspensions of the National Paralympic Committees of Russia and Belarus. So this means we will see [00:42:00] their flags and teams at Milano, Corina, although some events will be affected by bans still in place from sports federations,
Alison Brown: so it is not entirely clear who we’re going to see where right.
Yeah.
Jill Jaracz: What we will see is a very upset Ukraine. Yes. ’cause they are already very, very upset and, don’t know what’s gonna happen as this goes out. Of course, Russia and Belarus are very happy with this arrangement. But did this surprise you? It surprised me. It surprised me, a little bit. But I think when you look at analyses of the vote, I believe there are certain areas of the world that voted certain ways, but don’t quote me on that because that I’ve read a lot lately, but I don’t have in front of me the actual, discussion of that.
Alison Brown: And this has no effect on what’s happening at the Olympic side. We [00:43:00] Exactly. Let’s just, they’re still neutrals. They’re still neutrals, they’re still neutrals, and we’ll see what that looks like.
International Olympic Committee (adjacent) News
Jill Jaracz: Speaking of the International Olympic Committee, we have adjacent news because although it’s weird also that John Coates is not a member of the IOC anymore. But he is, and he can still
Alison Brown: go rogue whenever he wants to make us happy, right?
Jill Jaracz: Yes, he is in the news. He has announced that he is stepping down from leading the court of arbitration for Sports Management Board due to not being able to travel internationally for health reasons after undergoing treatment for cancer.
So sad news, John Coates, we
Alison Brown: hope you’re on the mend. Yeah, no. Can you imagine John Coates fighting cancer? He’s not, he doesn’t have time for that. He, he, he’s not putting up with that.
Team Keep the Flame Alive News
Alison Brown: Welcome to sh [00:44:00] Stan.
Jill Jaracz: It is the time of the show where we check in with our team, keep the flame alive. These are past guests and listeners of our show who make up our very own citizenship of our country, sh
Alison Brown: Stan. And we’ve got some more results from the world. Paris Swimming World Championships. Olivia Chambers.
One more stuff. She’s got a bronze in the Women’s 50 Meter Freestyle Gold in the Women’s 400 Meter Freestyle S 13 and Gold in the Women’s 200 meter. I am SM 13 Jessica. Long finished fourth in the Women’s 200 meter. I am S eight and six as part of the. Four by 100 meter freestyle, 34 points. Relay Team
Jill Jaracz: Rower, Michelle Sexer won gold in the women’s lightweight singles at the 2025 World Rowing Championships.
Alison Brown: And we’ve got first results from World Para Athletic Championships in New Delhi. Noelle Lambert Burn. Oh wait, she’s using her new name? Yes, she’s using her new
Jill Jaracz: name. Oh,
Alison Brown: cool. So Noelle Lambert Byrne took bronze in the women’s long chop. T [00:45:00] 63 and Jaden Blackwell took gold in the men’s a hundred meter T 38 and broke the world’s rec record in the men’s 400 meter T 38.
I still can’t get over him doing a hundred meter and 400 meter. I know
Jill Jaracz: it’s amazing. And, para javelin thrower. Justin Fason still has to compete so. We will be looking forward. To that. Go Justin, fencer. Alexander Macias was elected to the FI’s Athletes Commission,
Alison Brown: wheelchair rugby player.
Chuck Aoki was invited to attend the 2026 National Training squad Selection camp taking place November 11th through 16th.
Jill Jaracz: Listener e Erica sent us a really cool article from Newport beach indie.com, describing how author David Davis’s book, Waterman the Life and Times of Duke Kahan Moko inspired a plaque to honor Duke and other surfers for the rescuing of 12 people, eight of which Duke himself saved when a ship capsized off of Newport Beach in 1925.
[00:46:00] And the article has a picture of, one of the, the people who was holding David Davis’ book. I mean, it’s really cool to be an author who inspires some action.
Alison Brown: And lastly, weightlifter Hampton Morris is competing at the IWF Senior World Champs in Norway on October 4th.
Review of the Week
Jill Jaracz: Excellent. Go Hampton and go us because we have a nice review of the week comment.
Alison Brown: So a comment from our Facebook group on our eighth anniversary post listener Meredith said, I absolutely can’t believe you have been my friends in my headphones every week for eight years. I’m forever great. I’m forever thankful, and we are so thankful for Meredith. She is such a big participant in our Facebook group.
Keep the Flame Alive Podcast group, so Exactly. Thank you so much, Meredith.
Jill Jaracz: Thank you Meredith. If you’d like to hear your name here, leave us a review on your podcast app or check out the other ways to get in touch with us in the episode details.
And that’s gonna do it for this week. Time to go have some anniversary. [00:47:00] Cake.
Alison Brown: Oh
Jill Jaracz: cake.
Alison Brown: Cake. As big as your head. That’s cake. As big as a curling stone. Own. Oh. Oh, well. Oh, we
Jill Jaracz: go eat some cake.
Now I just wanna make some cake. But that is gonna do it for this episode. Thank you so much for listening,
Alison Brown: and until next time, keep the flame alive.