We welcome back sports psychologist Dr. Kristin Keim to talk about the kinds of mental health issues Olympians, Paralympians and other elite athletes are facing in 2025. This includes finding your voice, what it’s like to be an American athlete today, social media, cyberbullying, disordered eating, and more.
As always, Kristin is frank about the pressures athletes face today and about the advice she gives her clients. It’s definitely therapeutic to listen to her!
Learn more about Kristin at her website, and follow her on Instagram.
We also have a ton of news from the Olympic world, including updates from:
- Paris 2024 – A cyberbullying sentence, swimming in the Seine, venue legacy news.
- Milano-Cortina 2026 – Plan B scrapped, and an upate about Russian and Belorussian athlete participation.
- LA 2028 – Opening and Closing Ceremonies venues – the possibility of air taxis – public transport news – a farewell to cardboard beds?
Plus, tons of members of Team Keep the Flame Alive are doing things to make TKFLASTAN proud! Also check out Listener Tommy’s website to see how he did in projecting the medals at Paris 2024.
Thanks so much for listening, and until next time, keep the flame alive!
Photo courtesy of Dr. Kristin Keim.
TRANSCRIPT
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393-Olympians’ Mental Health Update with Dr. Kristin Keim
Jill Jaracz: [00:00:00] 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 Jaracz, joined as always by my lovely co-host, Alison Brown. Alison, hello, how are you?
Alison Brown: I am very well. It has been a good week in the household.
We’re getting ready to celebrate and party, and then you and I are getting ready to celebrate and party.
Jill Jaracz: That is true. You have a graduate college graduate. I have a college. So exciting. I
Alison Brown: have a college graduate and I feel old. So yes. For all the class of [00:01:00] 2025, congratulations. It’s not been an easy road.
You all had to deal with COVID at some point in your career, so I hope you really get to enjoy this graduation.
Jill Jaracz: Yes, yes. Congratulations. And also we will be celebrating our 400th show very soon.
Alison Brown: That’s a big deal. We had to deal with COVID in our careers as well.
Jill Jaracz: That is correct. But we will be celebrating Show 400 in July, mid-July, and we would like to have you on to celebrate with us.
We’re going to do a call on show, but it’s gonna be kind of like a party and you can come in and leave whenever you please. Unless there are more people who wanna come in than Riverside can handle our editing software. we wanna hear from you and chat with you and see what, you think of the Olympics and the Paralympics and the state they are today and what what you think is gonna happen down the road.
I see some predictions happening.
Alison Brown: Well, I have already made a prediction for la. I realized as I was [00:02:00] listening back to the show, so that was a little disconcerting. I’m like, wow, that was bold. So yeah. I wanna hear predictions. I want to hear questions you have for us because you know me, I’ll say whatever.
And anything that you’d like to see on the show. Because we’ll take those too,
Jill Jaracz: right? So look for more information coming down the pike in June, and we will have information at least on our Facebook group, We’ll also post it around Facebook group is Keep the Flame Alive Podcast. So excited,
Dr. Kristin Keim Interview
Jill Jaracz: also excited.
about this week’s guest. We
Alison Brown: always love when a friend comes back, especially this friend.
Jill Jaracz: That’s right. We are welcoming back. Dr. Kristin Keim, a sports psychologist who works with a lot of athletes at all levels, including Olympians. Alison talked with her about what mental health challenges elite athletes are facing these days, including talk about disordered eating and dealing with social media bullies.
Unfortunately I was not able to be on the interview, but I [00:03:00] will say it’s always great when Kristin comes on ’cause I got a free hour of therapy while I was, it was more than, ’cause it takes longer to edit the interview, but,
Alison Brown: well, we did talk for more than an hour, so Yeah, there was the, I think we ended up talking for like an hour and a half ’cause there was, you know, pre-interview and post-interview.
Oh, right, right, right. So yeah, I got bonus time with my therapist.
Jill Jaracz: Right. So lie back on the couch and take a listen to Allison’s conversation with Dr. Keim.
Alison Brown: Dr. Kristin Keim K. So nice to see you again. Welcome back.
Kristin Keim: See you too.
Athletes’ current concerns about health
Alison Brown: So the last time we spoke was 2020 was in the middle of Covid. I know. So many the time goes quickly.
Kristin Keim: It does.
Alison Brown: And obviously Worlds was very different five years ago.
Kristin Keim: Mm-hmm.
Alison Brown: one of the things you talked about at the time was a lot of athletes being very concerned about their own health and kind of that not hypochondria ’cause that clinicalize it.
Are you still seeing that come up with a lot of people?
Kristin Keim: [00:04:00] it was interesting ’cause you definitely had people that were very aware about wearing masks, from the get go were, then there were some that I felt kind of had that. I’m invincible lens like, you know, I’m more worried about an injury or hurting myself than like I’m gonna get sick per se.
And I think a lot of it has to do with the culture of sports too, more often than not. I mean, it was interesting ’cause like the first time I really ever had athletes think about masking was actually ended up being a political thing for towards the negative. Right? Was it? when they traveled that one time overseas and wore masks.
And so it’s just, again, it’s all about the timing of things and situations. I think now what I’m sensing is not that there’s a resurgence. I think that some athletes still. Became [00:05:00] more aware to wash their hands and sanitize, obviously maybe not wearing masks per se, but ever since, for the last four or five years they have been, again, not hypochondriac, but more aware when they travel.
Right. More aware not being around athletes, they’re sick, like kind of on a, I’m not invincible, healthy lens right now though, with the measles and all that. It is. a hundred percent, my athletes are now back to wearing masks and stuff on flights. Now it, and it’s weird because not as many people are wearing, no, maybe no one else is.
But I don’t think at this point in the stage they, they don’t really mind that people might think that they’re looking weird or whatever. It’s sort of like, I. I don’t wanna get sick and you know, I don’t need to explain myself to you. Plus it’s a generational thing. I mean, these are usually younger athletes who are just so, like woke, whatever you wanna call ’em, right?
And they’re just like, [00:06:00] screw you, I’m doing what I’m gonna do. I don’t wanna get sick. So I am a hundred percent seeing that, like just more caution, not wearing masks at a grocery store per se, but definitely on my clients who maybe not flying in the US but when they go on, five, six plus hour international flights and stuff, when they’re gonna be trapped in a cubicle for a longer period of time with germs.
So, now I’ve had athletes who are. Beautiful human being, compassionate empathy when they have been sick and then wanting to protect themselves from their athlete, like from their teammates have said, Hey, Dr. K, do you think it’ll be weird if I wear my mask? Like I’ve been sick. I don’t want my teammates to get at team camp.
And I’m like, oh my God, I love you. You’re amazing. And I think that’s just that, again, we’re forgetting that that’s really why people are trying to wear, it’s not, you’re trying not to get sick, you’re trying to help others not get sick too. so it’s not to the level of that, [00:07:00] but I think with unfortunately what’s going on in, with other illnesses and covid still around, there definitely are athletes who again, I think that that resurgence of this idea, I’m not invincible, has lingered and might be kind of rising back up as a reminder.
Dr. Keim on athletes finding their voice
Alison Brown: So let’s talk about, huh? The world we live in right now and Yeah, A lot has changed even in the past four or five years. Yeah. So are you getting a lot of issues that you haven’t seen before? Things with social media, things with cyber bullying, other, other new stuff that, that’s coming to the table?
Kristin Keim: at the height of when we last talked, I was also going through my own, physical, challenges with my disease. And it actually ended up only getting worse. I mean, like, seriously worse till, 2023, I had to take time off.
Now granted the Olympics were around, and it was hard to be open. I didn’t wanna [00:08:00] be like, well, I can’t work with you, but I can work for my Olympians. But it was like that. I did. Continue to work with some clients who, I mean, I just felt like I could not not work with them, so I had to cut back.
And I mean, most of my clients were very understanding. I think a lot of them were also dealing with this idea that they knew I was sick and hurt, so they were so wor or not, you know, I was in pain, so I didn’t want them to be like, worried about me, but they were becoming worried about me. Like, are you sure?
Like, I don’t need to meet today if you’re not feeling good, you know, and I’m like, okay, this is not working. you know, we could spend 20 hours talking about how I miraculously got better. I did, but I learned that I got better because I stopped working and I could just focus on myself, take a page on my book to my clients.
so slowly since September I’ve started engaging back. And again, like I said, I I was still working with some of these people, Olympians and stuff. it’s interesting ’cause like. I think some of them have always had things like whether it’s women’s sports or [00:09:00] climate change or depression in athletes, I do feel like they’re feeling like they could have more of a voice about this, which is like how we fight it.
The irony of it. It’s like, what’s so much darkness? I think light, and I don’t wanna get all star warsie, but I like, I truly believe that like you need both in the world and that light will always win. Good will always win. Like, and that’s how you fight authoritarianism or tyranny, is they don’t want you to have hope.
They want you to be fear, you know, fear and apathy is where democracy dies. and so, we’re having these talks. you know, some of these kids live like me in places where they don’t feel like they can talk about this stuff. Family members, friends, yes. Who have political different views or just are trying to be blind to it.
not that I wanna be political. But if that’s what they wanna talk about, I’m here to, to have a lens and teaching them how to do it. So how can they be respectful to their company and their sponsors. And I think that’s a [00:10:00] new thing that a lot of them are dealing with. I want to have a voice, but how can I have a voice and I represent this, establishment I need to respect that they’re a business and that, you know, and they’re not at a point where I feel like, if it’s me, what I would do.
Right. But I do think some of them are realizing maybe these are things that they don’t wanna be associated with anymore. so there’s a lot of that going on. Like, I think just, some hard life lessons and darkness that I don’t think people realize were dark, that they’re a part of, and that they’re really questioning.
Do, do I want to be a part of that? I think, I feel like is. Really interesting, especially for early 20 year olds. But like one of my clients is really, really into climate change. and every day, they’re sending me texts of whatever someone’s closed in America and it’s causing stress and anxiety.
And this is like an Olympian, like level athlete. And they were always into climate change, but it was good. I we had [00:11:00] stuff we were doing, it could be better. Now it’s like even the minimal that we have is now being, and they just feel like, I mean, they’re already stressing about it.
They were to have children. I mean, like, you know, like, and I don’t think that their coaches or their team realize that this is the stuff they’re losing sleep over, not are they gonna win a race. It’s like, you know, and my children gonna be able to have a planet to live on in 20 years kind of stuff.
It’s pretty. Again, that’s not stuff you see in the news, but this is what people are stressed and worried about. It is a reality. It’s not fake news.
2025: The view of America in the sporting world
Alison Brown: So you’re, you’re hearing your athletes not focusing on athletics anymore?
Kristin Keim: Oh, a hundred percent. I’m glad that the races have started up right. Like, oh my God, thank God races are bad. But even then between the races, it has nothing to do with, I. The racing to some degree is the cathartic escapism, which is why a lot of athletes get into racing, right?
Like, that’s why most are have depression or anxiety because it is [00:12:00] something, you know, that is a coping mechanism. and that’s all I try. And I think they, you know, again, I’m so blessed to work with such amazing human beings and they’re starting to feel, it’s kinda like what happened during Covid, like, but during Covid they couldn’t compete.
They didn’t race. So it kind of made them feel like, okay, well I can’t do what I love. I’m in solidarity with everyone else. Well now they’re going off and racing and traveling, and my Americans are just traveling to other countries and not worried that they might end up, in a prison or something.
And this is the reality. And they’re sitting there with all their, like most of their teammates are from other countries and they just is, some of them are, are American champions, and they are embarrassed. To where their national champion kits in other countries right now. Like this is happening right now.
I’m not trying to be, a ranting liberal lunatic. This is reality. Like my kids are embarrassed to be known as an American [00:13:00] act. I can’t even imagine. Imagine I’m living in a world where this ever happened, like I’ve worked with Olympians and I have gone to the Olympics. I have never been more, I mean, yeah, there’s we can always change in every country, but I’ve never been ashamed of my country.
I mean, I should to some degree, our history. But like I said, this is like a whole new thing where athletes are afraid and embarrassed for their teammates, for other athletes, and they’re afraid and embarrassed to even wear things associated to America. And international races
Alison Brown: obviously very different issue than performance anxiety.
Stress and mental health triggers
Kristin Keim: Oh my gosh. Yeah. I mean, I would love it to be performance anxiety. Well, and the sad thing is that these are human beings. So when they get stressed, whether it’s not doing well in a race or destruction of mother nature, it will trigger whatever they do have. So if they have a history of depression, if they have a history of eating [00:14:00] disorders, if they have a history of generalized anxiety disorder, then that stuff gets exasperated and then that triggers ’em.
Alison Brown: I’m so glad you said that because we talk so much about how a situation causes a particular mental challenge, and it’s almost like. A body injury where if your knee is weak, if you start running, your knee’s gonna hurt. So what you just said is so important, the idea that if you have a history of depression or an eating disorder, it doesn’t have to be about food to the trigger eating disorder.
Yeah,
Kristin Keim: I mean, it, it’s a body image mainly. especially for most athletes, regardless whether it’s basketball, softball, or soccer or cycling, eating disorders about control. Yes, this is about body image and all that. But I do think with this generation, I think earlier on when I worked and studied eating disorders, it was a lot about food and we had this whole like really [00:15:00] increase in bulimia and like the starving practices.
Now with social media, it’s really about body image. But in a way I think that is, opens up a door for proper nutrition to work on that. get in the bubble, get off social media. These things usually tank down than this really destructive obsessiveness about the food. I mean, there’s still that, but it is mainly more about the body image.
But if they are clinically, I mean, you know, there’s a difference. I would say most athletes across sports, and I say this with, there’s research, I don’t know the exact number. So I say this as like a, overarching statement. Not a fact, but an opinion with some science to back it.
Evidence-based. There’s a difference between an eating disorder clinical diagnosis that I would give a therapist would give psychiatrist. Not just your doctor. It needs to be someone who’s done testing, like actual testing. check the boxes. But I would [00:16:00] say about 90% of athletes have disordered eating, not an eating disorder.
Right. So that’s the thing. It’s like. So if you have an eating disorder, it never goes away. I mean, you do tend to outgrow it, but like if you had a really horrific stressful thing hit you, that it will come back up. And so the same with depression. If you have a diagnosis of a depressive disorder where you might be on medication, it will get better.
But the reason why we diagnose you is so that as preventative measures, so when you are stressed, you need to be aware of the symptoms that you might be falling back into a depressive episode so that you can either avoid it or have your tools and your toolbox to make it less of a episode, basically.
Approaches to mental health in 2025
Alison Brown: Are you approaching these athletes different than you did 10 years ago?
Kristin Keim: A hundred percent.
Alison Brown: Okay. So how are you advising [00:17:00] them? Definitely. And, and giving them different, what different tools are you doing and, and different approaches?
Kristin Keim: I think the biggest thing would be a lot of, like, I understand all my, micro macroaggressions, and I understand my privilege too. I think there was a point where I would teach athletes that, especially women, you need to be embracing this identity. We don’t need to have that. You were a teacher, that you were a student. You know, you need to be, I don’t wanna say singular focus, like it’s okay to have other interests, but it’s okay also to just really own this.
Athletic identity, not that I’m saying that’s bad, but I think my lens now is really more about pushing people to have a variety of identities that you need to be, instead of black and white, be a facade of beautiful colors, be colorful, and I think the problem is that cultures and sports really want you to be one thing in a box.
I don’t think I was [00:18:00] perpetuating that. And I understand at the time, ’cause this is a very different time 10 years ago. And I think for the athletes that I was working with, they were the ones that really struggled with even owning their athletic identity. We still got ways to go, but it’s definitely better. I mean, a hundred percent better. Again, I don’t wanna settle for where it’s at by any means, but it is definitely better, has not gotten worse since 10 years ago. I will say that maybe not to the level I would love it to be, but we’ve had massive advancements and just the way that, how many millions and millions of people just watch the championship NCAA championship?
Hell no. That was not happening 10 years ago. Right? but most people didn’t even know, probably know who Dawn Staley was 10 years ago. Right. and, and women’s cycling like now, every Sunday and Saturday on Max. HBO max, I can watch pro mountain bike races. That was not happening 10 years ago.
So that’s what I’m saying we’ve gotten better at where I [00:19:00] really had to push women to own their athletic identity because they didn’t own it. And even some guys, like I had some 23-year-old dudes that were just like, I don’t know if I’m good enough. And I’m like, yes, you are. Right. Like you’ve got to own your work.
I don’t see that. I think these kids are I, and it’s a generational thing. I think these kids coming out are like, hell yeah, this is who I am. But I think that they struggle with having ’cause of the internet. I struggled with this and this is where I can come in too. I’ve never seen myself reach the highest level of one thing, because I’ve always had, I don’t wanna say distractions, but so many talents, right?
It’s the plague of talents, what I kind of say. And I intend to work with a lot of people who are very talented human beings. And I think that that’s their secret weapon to do greatness. You don’t need to be perfect and great in one thing to have a meaningful life. That has changed, that message has changed that, but I [00:20:00] think it’s more, not as less me, it’s me adapting to the times.
And I would say that I’m most proud of that as a therapist is that I’m taking the tools I learned 15, 20 years ago. But I I read journals, I stay in tune, but I just listen and I adapt my message and my hearing and my history personally and professionally with the sign of the times and where it’s going.
And I love, I mean, I’m not a parent, but literally I could be the parent to some of these clients. And I think that that’s why I’m not a parent. It’s like I have. 20 kids right now. Right. And so I’m very blessed in that way.
Alison Brown: It’s like the Dolly Parton of athletic psychology. It
Kristin Keim: did. I really, and I think that’s a good, I mean, and it’s amazing ’cause when I work with kids who are 18 under, I always a hundred percent have like monthly check-ins with parents.
it is interesting to talk to parents who are literally my age. [00:21:00] and I need to be confident in that. It’s like, just because I don’t have my own kids, actually I think that’s good because then I don’t have bias lens on how I would parent because I’m not a parent. So this is what I’m seeing from my clinical expert of taking tons of classes on this.
But also just working with tons of parents and kids over periods of, you know, 15 years.
Social media and athletes’ mental health
Alison Brown: And let’s talk about the elephant in the room, social media and how that’s playing into what your athletes are bringing to the table.
Kristin Keim: Ooh. Well, I personally can’t even go on Instagram right now.
Like, and the only why I engage usually is to follow my sister or my clients. I don’t even know what to say. ’cause if I’m very honest on here, and I always wanna be who I am, so if anyone listens to this and they don’t wanna work with me because of it, I can’t see people just taking pictures of their foods while our democracy is about to be implode or being taken over by an oligarch or [00:22:00] authoritarianism.
I mean, I just, I can’t Now, if you can, more power to you. I’m not saying that’s bad. I personally, as long as I have my own freedom right now, I cannot do that. I go on and I’m just like. I can’t do this. I can’t do it.
Alison Brown: Have any of your kids talked about cyber bullying?
Kristin Keim: so I definitely dealt with it a lot in the previous years with high profile clients where I’m just, you know, my lens is this and I’m, I kind of feel the same with actors and I, I think it’s funny when they’re like, oh, I don’t want all the media.
And I’m like, this is what you signed up for. That doesn’t say that people should paparazzi and should be mean people on the, the internet. Right. this is what I have to remind myself. I’m like, y’all think it’s all about winning?
It’s not, you would not have a team. you’re smart is indicative of fans. And so if you’re going into this territory, if you’re gonna [00:23:00] share your journey, you’re going to have mean people who are usually just empty, hollow, really sad human beings who have no life basically. And I feel sorry for them, and I really do.
It’s like when people used to flip me off, when I was riding my bike, and my friends would flick ’em off and I would be like, I just really feel sorry for ’em. And they’re like, what? I’m like, what really went on in their life where they really felt like a group of human beings riding on a beautiful sunny day?
Or were running off the road and flicking off when literally we’re in a bike lane, right? Like, that’s so sad. And so that’s why I try to have this human contact with them. It’s like, it ha, I know you hear this, but it really has nothing to do with you. They’re projecting their stuff onto you. That doesn’t mean you have to like it, but you are only giving them power.
When you read it and digest it, they’re winning if you get upset by it. So we [00:24:00] have some really hard talks about that. And some of ’em, they’re just now getting that, like they’re just now being seen as real professionals and they’re posting stuff and people are starting to say, you know, oh well you shouldn’t be doing this.
You should be riding your bike more. And you know, it’s like what happened with the South Carolina girls? They had some rapper that’s really big fans of them and they weren’t playing well and they do a lot of tiktoks and they’re like, y’all need to get off TikTok. And the girls came back and said, you know, we play basketball 10 hours a day.
Like if we were to sit there and do nothing but basketball, we would all be depressed and literally we would not be at national championships like we’re also 18-year-old girls. Who love to dance and have fun and we love playing and we play because it’s fun. And it’s like, who are you to dictate? I’ve never seen you at a women’s national championship game.
Right? But I was so proud. Again, these kids, [00:25:00] no one would ever have done that 10 years ago to someone like that. These girls, these kids are like, you ain’t gonna tell me to get off TikTok. Right? but I do know, even though they’re standing up for it, I’m sure they’re questioning, should I be on TikTok or what do other people think?
Like they’re human beings. So now that is in the back of their mind when they go on TikTok. Even if they’re gonna be like showing up and still enjoying it, it’s already tainted something that they really was pleasurable. You know? So I mean, that’s the conversation that a lot of my clients are having where they’re just now starting to understand that like, they have fans, but more importantly they have a platform that is something that I do push.
It’s like. If you are really passionate about depression, share your story. If you’re really passionate about your eating disorder, share your story. I’m not saying you have to, but I definitely empower them to share their story.
Alison Brown: Does that advice change age wise? Like if you’re talking to an 18-year-old [00:26:00] versus a 28-year-old?
Kristin Keim: Oh, definitely. I think, oh wow. I never even have an 18-year-old probably say that. and it’s people I’ve worked with for a long time, and then they decide like they’re, they’re healthy. And on the other side of the journey, I would never say share it when you’re in the middle of crisis.
No, no, no, no, no. only share your story of, of conflict, not while you’re in the process of sickness, illness, or grieving. It’s the same thing. Right. Don’t, it’s not good. you aren’t helping people, unless if you’re trying to help yourself by writing this and sharing this, you’re only sharing this because you want to help people.
There’s a difference.
Alison Brown: So we spoke to Gracie Gold who just, you know, she wrote the, the memoir obviously on the other side, but she had the issue of during her worst times, she was very much in the media. often the worst moments of an athlete’s life, the cameras are on them.
Yeah. And if they fail, when they should have won, or if [00:27:00] they’re struggling with mental health issues, like Simone Biles had to step back. All those things. And as you’re saying, don’t put yourself out there, but you’re being put out there. Right. So what do you do with that? What do you advise them and what, how can we as fans also, it’s a multi-part question.
Do better.
Kristin Keim: Well, you named it. It’s the, it’s the education. And that’s what I would do. obviously she had support around her. She had a really good village. That’s what you lean into, but that’s what you’re never in control of. That’s why I try to teach my clients like, you cannot control others.
people will always try to taint or misconstrue the story, just like what we’re saying. But that’s why you have to have a succinct message. You just need to go out there. You tell your story to where you’re comfortable. That’s all you can control, but that’s what you sleep on. You sleep at night knowing that you have done, you’re living your truth and you have no control what other people are telling about.
And you have to just stay, [00:28:00] you know, go into your bubble. And like with her, it would be about, yeah, like she hasn’t had control of that, but by her staying true to her story and then really trusting in the people that she trusts, look where she got. And that’s really it. It’s the, it’s making things smaller.
Make your world smaller. That’s always what I say when, when my clients start to have challenges with their eating disorder again or something like that, I’m like, okay, well then obviously your world’s gotten too big. Something is just too much. So make your world go back to your 1%, eating good food, hanging out with your friends, laughter.
I have some clients who have some really cool interests and there’s a local, uh, lady in Columbia, South Carolina who does like. Adult coloring books. And they’re super cool ’cause they have like quotes for runners, quote for cyclists, quotes for climate change. I mean, and they’re beautiful drawings, like, super cool.
So I just, use my little business discretionary funds and bought tons of them and shipped ’em out to all my clients. And, you know, and, and it really is the [00:29:00] basics. Like, go make your world small. Go color, make some art or write your poetry or, do fun TikTok dances, right? Like, get back to things again.
When you give power to people outside of your village, they win. But you and your village and the people that you really care about are the only people. You don’t need to prove something to the world. You just prove something to yourself first and to the people that truly love you, not because you’re a really good skater or whatever, but they love you.
Even if tomorrow you quit skating, they don’t care. They love you as, as a human being, a flawed, unique human being.
What retirement is like for an elite athlete in 2025
Alison Brown: We had the summer Olympics now we’ve got a lot of athletes transitioning into retirement. Is retirement different now than even 10 years ago?
For athletes,
Kristin Keim: yes. Because they don’t really retire. They don’t, which I also think is its own [00:30:00] challenge, especially for some endurance sports, because now they can stop maybe Olympic World Cup level, but now there’s all this like, gravel racing or endurance racing or, I mean, and there’s really good, like the Leadville 100, so they, I mean, these kids are making more money and have more sponsors than my athletes trying to go to the Olympics.
They were in retirement. So I’m very conflicted about this. But then you see the issue, especially if it’s a client like that I used to work with and then they retired and then they got back into it. And I just see from me following their social media that all those issues have come back up again. I don’t think it’s bad ’cause I get it, you gotta make money.
But I mean, when we talk about the really bad part of an identity, it’s like, wow, this is not good because you do need to be able to move on. and that’s what the problem is. It’s like, you’re a firefighter for your whole life. Yeah. But firefighters don’t eat sleep. I mean, it is [00:31:00] different.
I would say that’s closer. A surgeon. There are some that are closer. But yeah, it’s still different and I just don’t think it’s healthy for the athlete, but more importantly, their family. I mean, they have different roles now, and I just see that bleeding over, now it’s one thing if you’ve been a pro into your 40, that’s a little different.
But when you have retired and then you get back into it, obviously there’s something going on that this person is struggling with something, they cannot let this go. And you see that a lot more as normalized.
Paris 2024 in terms of mental health
Alison Brown: Were there good moments you saw mental health wise in Paris and not so good moments that you, that you noticed?
Kristin Keim: I mean, Paris was interesting. I mean, it was so weird with the last Olympics because of Covid, that I feel like that was still this lingering. feel, I mean, Rio, London and Rio were just very different than Tokyo and Paris, and I don’t, and now I’m [00:32:00] really scared about la and now the winter will be interesting to see how that changes.
I felt like it was life or death to make it to London or to Rio. And then I, there’s like so many layers to that. What was it? Tokyo? Tokyo? Yeah. Tokyo. that’s what I’m saying. It was sort of like, ah, I didn’t make it, but really I don’t really care.
Kind of the same thing with Paris. Like they, like they wanted to, but I don’t feel like they were in it. Like they said, oh, I wanna go to Paris. And I’m like, do you really? Like, do you really think you can or are you really in the back of your head just aiming for LA 2028? Right. I’ve really sensed that.
And so I don’t know if that was just the sports that I work with, but I kind of felt like that was the energy of the world. It was sort of like Paris Olympics, but it really wasn’t what I felt like it was. So again, I can’t speak to swimming and tennis and soccer and all that, but I just felt that from the world that it just [00:33:00] didn’t seem to have the passionate following and, and excitement that we usually, I mean Summer Olympics, no matter where it is, but I just felt like was something that you just always had on TV all day.
Even winner. I’m not even like a big winter sports person. I mean, I still did it, but I didn’t sense that from the news, from the social media just didn’t sense that.
Sports psychology and Paralympians
Alison Brown: Are you working with any Paralympians?
Kristin Keim: not currently, but I have in the past.
Alison Brown: what’s different in terms of sports? Honestly, I
Kristin Keim: feel like that’s what I followed more in Paris. I love that you brought that up. I love totally started following and engaging that men’s gymnastics is about the only two things I really focused on.
Men’s gymnastics and Paralympians
Alison Brown: When you’re dealing with sports psychology with Paralympians, is that significantly different? obviously there are many issues that are different, but when you’re really in the nitty gritty of performance, [00:34:00] anxiety and and managing those things, is it still different?
Kristin Keim: again, I’m really on the lens of you’re a human being and I really sense, especially from my own disability, having worked with disabled athletes and just human beings, I think it’s owning that you’re disabled, but in the day you, it’s kind of interesting lens. I learn when I work with cancer patients where yes, there’s a school thought that’s like, I’m a warrior and, and I’m gonna beat cancer.
And then there’s a school thought that I learned from clients who are like, I have cancer, but I’m not some pink warrior like I am still a teacher, an author, a mom, a poet. I have cancer, but I don’t wanna be this like, you see me and I’m this cancer. I sense that that’s kind of what Paralympians are. They they’re athletes, that’s what they wanna be.
Yes. They’re Paralympians. But they’re athletes and they’re human beings. And that’s how I treat ’em right now. They might [00:35:00] come up with their own unique knit, challenges because of their physical disabilities, or if they have autism, you know, on an autistic spectrum or whatever. I mean, it’s interesting ’cause there is no perfect being.
So they either have a history of their family having cancer or chronic illness, or, they do have a severe injury or they break something. I mean, you know, so disabled body is very, I mean, I hope that that’s something that. You know, sometimes you have to face darkness. The only way to do it is to go through it.
That is something we definitely as Americans has been a massive micro, I mean, yeah, we got sexism, we got racism, but let’s talk about ableism. Holy crap. Like that is something that has needed to be worked on. I, I’ve been preaching about that for 20 years. Like it is horrible. And this idea that we have Special Olympics and Paralympics, it’s like we’re doing them a [00:36:00] service that is so toxic.
I’d like to see some of these people able-bodied go and do some of the stuff these human beings do. Holy crap. It’s amazing. I’ve been to tryouts for the swimming Olympics and I’m like, I couldn’t do what those swimmers are doing with two arms, and they have like one leg. I’m like, what? this is amazing.
I’m sorry. That’s more impressive than Michael Phelps doing something with two arms and two legs. I mean, it’s stuff like that. I’m just like, but in the day, they don’t wanna be known for that. They wanna be known because they have a talent, a skill, and they want their pr no different than Simone Biles wants to stick her landing.
They do too. Right? More light than different.
How old should Olympians be?
Alison Brown: What’s too young to be an Olympian? Woo. Psychologically.
Kristin Keim: Oh my God. it should be 18 and above. I’m sorry.
Alison Brown: Okay. Because I, I
Kristin Keim: mean, I’m sorry. Like [00:37:00] this 14-year-old, 16 stuff is just scary, toxic. emotional physically, first off, the stuff that they’re doing to their body.
I, Americans, and the whole world should be appalled, especially gymnasts. The, the torture they’re doing to those girls’ bodies, especially in regimes like in China and stuff like that literally is, I mean, people have gone to, prison for stuff. I mean, there’s so many layers.
I know you don’t wanna get probably into the transgender thing, but like, there’s so much sexual, predatory and emotional and physical abuse in sports towards girls and boys that no one talks about I’m also worried about parents that will allow their kids to be at this level at 14.
I work with 14 year olds and you know, some of them are very gifted, like some, skip grades, so they’re running with older people and they’re struggling. But I’m like, well, yeah, because you know, you’re 14 and you’re running against 18 year olds. [00:38:00] I’m trying to remind the parents, like it’s one thing to be in class with them, but they’re physically more mature.
this is that difference. and I just think that, yes, I’m all about the individual and maybe that kid’s really mature and they can do that. But I also think that that’s when parents and educated adults need to be adults and we need to have, allow children to be children.
And children are in the Olympics, the Olympics is something for excellence and kids need to be kids and they can be great at 18. I see no reason that anyone 14 years old should be having to have that level of stress put on them mentally. But also if they’re that good at 14, that worries me to what they’ve been doing to their bodies to be at the level of a 25-year-old athlete also.
That scares me.
Alison Brown: What kind of psychological ramifications are happening to those kids?
Kristin Keim: Well, I [00:39:00] mean, again, you don’t have a childhood. They don’t play, which could lead them to being victims because they learn to trust the wrong people because they are trustworthy. Children are, they’re innocent, they’re trustworthy.
but then they don’t have a breadth of, it’s almost a naiveness because they don’t have, they’re not allowed to go outside play with diversity, so they don’t know when something’s. Right or wrong, or if this is not right to do to my body. but also if there’s a history of anxiety, depression, you’re only just creating a space for that to happen too.
Like it’s only going to lead to a closer chance that this human being could have that because I’m sorry. There is no way that trying to get at the level of being Olympic, I mean, think about it. They’re making the Olympic team how much competition are they putting, right? Like that is stressful. Whether you’re the best or not, think about all [00:40:00] the cor flooding of cortisol levels that that body is going through at those young ages.
And that’s why those are the kids. If you see these little kids, like all gymnasts that were really great, really young, I. I wanna know what their, his mental health history looks like in their physical history. And we now know, again, I’m not gonna say names, but most of them have all had histories of severe depression, eating disorder, chronic injuries, hello, connect the dots, causation, correlation, whatever.
Disordered eating vs. eating disorder
Alison Brown: We can do a whole show probably on eating disorders. Yeah. But I do wanna spend a couple of minutes, ’cause you said something, earlier about disordered eating versus eating disorder. So I just wanted you to explain that a little bit and how that kind of plays into what athletes are dealing with because they are so focused on their bodies.
Kristin Keim: Yeah, it’s interesting ’cause like I was a dancer and I was a cyclist [00:41:00] and I had a very different lens because of my chronic illness my whole life. I always struggled to keep weight on, which is a real reality. I always struggled with being too masculine, muscular looking when I like, which again, people would be like, oh, I wish I had that problem.
Like, no, you don’t. It’s still a problem, you know, it’s my worldview, it’s my lens, my body. so it’s interesting to have that lens when I would say majority. It’s not that it’s the opposite. I, I look too big. just that lens. But I also have to understand that when they are trying to make the Olympics and win world cups, you do have to be a certain weight and you do have to eat certain foods.
Like there’s no way around it. obviously you can have good support, you can have nutritionist, you can have all that, and you still struggle with it. I think it’s just. It is what it is. You’re gonna struggle with it. So I’d rather you text me that, all right, you had a bad race.
So I’ll wait one or two days. Then all of a sudden my client will be like, oh my God, I’m so fat. And so I kind of get, I’m like, yeah, you’re [00:42:00] triggered. I kind of was waiting that. But are they gonna go off and binge eat and then throw up or are they going to withhold food? No, they’re not. They just need to it, you know?
I sense that maybe that might be happening more, but if they don’t get proper therapy or have somewhere safe to talk about these emotions, then it can turn to something more chronic. So those people have an eating disorder, but probably, I’m not worried that they’re even eating disorderly.
’cause they have had a severe deceive. I know they’re gonna eat now. Are they gonna struggle and overanalyze that they had? Ice cream for dinner. Yes. But they did eat it. They did eat. they’re not withholding. There’s no sign physically that they’re withholding. It’s now way more just like that body image.
I think that is more what I’m sensing. So I think there’s why coaches and parents need to understand, and even research and eating disorder needs to expand upon that. cause what is [00:43:00] disordered eating, right?
and I don’t even like the word disorder, but like you’re having to have a certain nutritional caloric input of calories for a sport and most of the time it’s. A lot of quality, a lot of certain sugars, lot, that could push you to being too healthy, right?
So there’s these different layers of, and I think it is what we need to do in sports context and the clinical context, just like we had to with bulimia, like you have to broaden definitions and new diagnoses. I think that that’s something that’s coming up more. It’s like, okay, when does disordered eating, maybe not become a clinical, the same as a clinical, but maybe there is something that needs to be more understood about How does the disorder then lead to something worse?
And now it’s not just, oh, they’re just, hyper about what they eat. It’s like, no, that’s a red flag for something. Uh, that usually starts off more about the [00:44:00] food and performance, and that’s why it’s not a clinical, but then the clinical usually has nothing to do with the food or the image.
I mean, that’s usually, more of a, an anxiety, depression, manifesting through that control. ’cause they don’t have control. Right. But the disorder eating is usually a lot more of the performance based, but it could lead to something else. I don’t know if that really helps the
Alison Brown: distinction. No, absolutely.
I know, like I said, we can do, a whole show a whole, and again, this is
Kristin Keim: kind of my lens. I mean, I, I don’t have the energy to sit there and write these complex articles on it. I’m sure I’ve tweeted about it, you know, 10 years ago.
There’s a difference between a clinical eating disorder and disordered eating. But Lord, now that is really paramount. I will never tell an athlete, just eat whatever you wanna eat. Just go eat Snickers. Like you can’t do that to a professional athlete.
That’s not good for them either. Right? But can you eat ice cream? Yes, but it’s kind of [00:45:00] moderation. So I try to tell them that. I’m like, do you feel good? Like, does it feel great to eat 10 donuts? No, you feel like a sugar bomb. You feel bad. Not because you you’re gonna gain weight. so that’s what I try to teach ’em too.
It’s just like, here’s the science about our emotions and our food. Like you may crave this because you’re starving, but really are you just thirsty? Right? So it’s just getting back to that’s why having really good sports science, nutritionists not maybe registered dieticians, there’s a difference, to teach the science.
’cause these kids are obsessed with numbers and they know all this stuff about their watts and data for their swimming prs running. I mean, they know it all at 14. So just have someone have science. So if you tell them this is how many calories you need to eat to perform, and then they have a good race and they ate.
like, I had a guy one time and he kept. He kept having these panic attacks and I was like, so tell me like [00:46:00] take me through your race. Like what? What’s your nutrition plan? We hadn’t even gotten there. He was a new a, oh my god. He was under fueling like massively. And I was like, oh my God, you’re bonking.
That’s what’s causing this. So then he talked to my friend who’s a sports nutritionist and the guy was like, I don’t even know how you even made it to this level. You have not been eating enough on the bike, off the bike So we took a while. It took about six months. This kid, he like wins it. I don’t even know the last time he’s lost anything in his career since then.
I mean that was it. And now he still little, still very fit, but the kid eats like, I mean he’s a great role model ’cause he eats like 17 million bars in gels on an hour ride now, right? those are the people I want out there. Like, I teach those kids, I, I empower them. show them what you eat on your training rides.
Because I will say this, eating disorders is actually getting way worse. It’s having a resurgence. I’m [00:47:00] seeing this like red light, green light stuff the athletes are doing where they don’t eat for so long and it’s like a TikTok thing. Oh, it’s bad. But we definitely have lots, I’m sorry, you know, when someone is sick and there’s just too many athletes where I’m like, and I don’t blame the athletes.
These are kids. These are like U23 athletes. And I’m like, I blame coaches and parents. That is child abuse. they shouldn’t be competing, they shouldn’t be racing. And I’m pretty adamant about it. and then I get proof, like their teammates are like, yeah, they never eat, never see ’em eating.
and they’re just letting ’em race. And the other winning. Well, we know that to a degree. You will do well and then your body literally is eating itself and you may cause damage to your organs for the rest of your life. So is it worth it winning a few races when you’re 18?
Alison Brown: Yeah. .
What fans can do to help
Alison Brown: What can we as fans do better to protect our athletes’ mental health? Ooh,
Kristin Keim: that’s a good question. I think [00:48:00] just be empathetic and sharing. I get it. And you know, again, don’t put ’em on a pedestal. just be like, yeah, you know, when I was depressed or, I think it’s really amazing that, you know, you’ve inspired me, not only because you can do back flips, but I’m even more inspired.
And that’s what makes me feel really good about. Human beings is that when athletes come out, maybe 20 years ago, it was hard, but now it seems like, I mean, it’s tragically, you know, it does humanize them more. It makes them feel kids are, you know, people are like, especially like what that time when those NBA players started coming out on Tribune or whatever, sport Tribune or whatever that site was opening up about their depression and stuff.
that, again, that’s the platform. If you have a platform and you have gone through a miscarriage, I mean just some hard life stuff I’m not saying you need to share it, but the world would [00:49:00] love to see that. You can do great things.
But no one’s. Life is perfect. We all have our struggles and in solidarity, we’re gonna support each other. And I feel like when an athlete is vulnerable, you as a human being, giving them and offering our athletes and these people that have, they are amazing. What they do is amazing. Because again, you know, people always say, is it what comes first?
Chicken or the egg? I truly believe that you were born an Olympian. Like I don’t think there’s people sitting on couches, like a couch potato would be an Olympian. I don’t believe that. I think it’s a very physi, I think these are people that were born to do something. Like they’re wired that way, right? No matter nature, nurture.
I mean they, their parents could have been like, never done a sport in their life. Never been. I mean, there’s like this girl, that’s what they said, like. Number one recruit coming outta high school for basketball. She doesn’t even look athletic. And [00:50:00] literally her parents had nothing to do with sport.
They’re all academics. And they were like, yeah, she just picked up a ball one day and was like really good at it and like never put it down. Right? Too born that way. Right now there is a lot of complexities to it, but I do think at the end of the day, like, but with anything like that, there’s a dark to it.
And I think that that’s what people have to realize. Like it really is hard to be the best at something. Your world becomes very vanilla and very black and white, but that’s the sacrifice you have to take to be greatness. And so with that, we’ll become a lot of internal challenges. And when someone is vulnerable enough to share their story, we need to be empathic and compassionate.
To just listen to ’em. We don’t, they don’t need your feedback, just listen to ’em. And I think that’s it. Just encouraging a safe and environment for anyone to [00:51:00] share their story. And, and again, less judgment and less giving advice. just be, just listen. you know, one of my favorite quotes was that like, listening without a reply. So when you’re listening to someone, are you already thinking of your reply to that? Because if you are, you’re not really listening to them.
Alison Brown: Dr. Kristin Keim, always great to see you again.
Me too, so much for being with us.
Kristin Keim: Oh, this is great. Thank you for igniting my be to podcasts in like, I don’t know how many years.
Jill Jaracz: Thank you so much, Kristin. You can find out more about Kristin’s services @keimperformanceconsulting.com and follow her on Insta at the K 2. That’s the number two. We will have links to all of that in the show notes.
Paris 2024 News
Jill Jaracz: speaking of cyber bullying, all seven of these cyber [00:52:00] booers who went after, uh, opening ceremonies and closing ceremonies, director Toma Choli were found guilty and they will have to pay, uh, some pretty hefty fines and have suspended prison sentences, so folks does not pay to cyber
Alison Brown: bully. It’s just such a stupid thing to do because this wasn’t just cyber bullying.
They made death threats. Come on. Grow up right? Right.
Jill Jaracz: In happier news, almost time for the return of the cauldron. The Paris 2024 cauldron will return to the jar de every June 20, se first through September 14th until LA 2028. The cauldron will be called Vasque Paris, probably. And oh,
Alison Brown: now you’re getting fancy with the numbers.
Jill Jaracz: Oh, pairs. 2024. And it will have a white flame to differentiate it from the Olympic and Paralympic flames. And by flame we mean light.
What color was it before? Was it orangey? It was, yeah, it was orangey. Okay. It was like a fire, [00:53:00] looked like a fire. So, uh, to mark the 2025 return, there will be a big concert on June 10th, so look out for that. If you happen to be in Paris, there will be no reservations needed to visit the cauldron. Unlike there were for, the games.
And then there’s also going to be a one year anniversary celebration at the end of July. So it will be very exciting to see the cauldron back. It’s, it’s a really funky cauldron when you’re talking about thinking outside of the box. They really thought outside of the box with the hot air balloon,
Alison Brown: and it was, I’m sure everyone who was in Paris has this experience that we had where you would just see it, you’d be coming out of the metro and there was up in the air in, in the evenings.
And that was just a, such a distinct memory mm-hmm. For, for those games. And that’s what makes it so special.
Jill Jaracz: Uh, also on the docket for the summer public swimming in the sand. Yes. They made it happen. They’ve made it happen. France [00:54:00] 20 four.com reports that the promise of swimming in the sun is a. finally coming to ooh, fruition on July 5th, when there will be public swimming in three different spots of the bra Marie in the historic center, the Grinnell District on the west side and on the east side.
So water quality will continue to be monitored. And of course, if it’s not safe, uh, there will be posts to let people know that they cannot swim that day. That’s kind of like in a rain situation, and that happens. All that happens up by me in the Great Lakes. So, that’s just. So exciting that people will be able to swim in the sun again.
I am curious to know how popular that’s gonna be, more legacy. Ellen Court Hill, which was the mountain bike venue, is now open to the public. The venue had been a sandstone quarry and a landfill. It was fenced off for decades. According to olympics.com. The games renovated the space for use during the Olympics.
It’s now at park with mountain bike trails, walking track, pass a pump track, and [00:55:00] picnic areas. So now we have another green space to use.
Alison Brown: Yeah, and Paris definitely needed. Really do needed some more green space.
Jill Jaracz: And in speaking of green space in San Saint Deni, p George, Val has been expanded as a result of the games taking over and cleaning up what, what was a contaminated military fuel depot and adding that land onto the park.
And during the games, it was one of the fan zones that was around the city. So some very nice news coming outta Paris.
Alison Brown: We like green space.
Jill Jaracz: That’s right.
Alison Brown: And clean water.
Milano-Cortina 2026 News
Alison Brown: New York.
Jill Jaracz: Very true. According to Lake Placid News, the town’s Olympic Regional Development Authority announced that Plan B will not be activated. So Lake Placid will not be needed as a site for the Olympic Games because the sliding track situation [00:56:00] is under control.
Alison Brown: I was just thinking like.
Plan B will not be activated. Like is there a button in IOC headquarters and they hit it and it’s like, buzzers go off at Lake Placid Plan B. Activated plan B activated.
Jill Jaracz: Sadly we will not find out. but I’m curious, is the sliding novella really over? No. Okay, good. Absolutely
Alison Brown: not,
Jill Jaracz: but that does, that does mean good news.
Four Milan Cortina, which is already spread out. They didn’t necessarily need it spread out even further,
Alison Brown: and good news for the sliders that they’ll get to be at least in Italy and have a shot at going to the ceremonies
possibly.
Jill Jaracz: the International Skating Union has published a list of athletes from Russia and Belarus who are now eligible to participate in ISU events for qualifying for Milano Cortina in both figure skating and speed skating. list is [00:57:00] small, but that does mean that there’s potential for neutral athletes to compete at the games again, individual.
Because Reuters reports that Russian teams will still be banned from the games. So do not look for Russian teams in hockey
Alison Brown: and also in team figure skating and team speed skating, right, and curling, but don’t think and curling. So even though those individual athletes may participate, none of those team events will be allowed for them.
And Milan’s
Jill Jaracz: getting closer. Because
Alison Brown: I know, I
Jill Jaracz: know we have a lot of work to do, but NBC has already been filming promo shots. And who have we spotted with the tiny mic? Erin Jackson
Alison Brown: looking so sharp in her promos as you expect, as
LA 2028 News
Jill Jaracz: We have a lot of news from LA and of course we take two weeks of non-typical episodes. And what does LA do? Right at explodes The beginning. Yes.
Right at the beginning of that period, it [00:58:00] exploded. First off, we now know where the opening and closing ceremonies will take place. For LA 2028. The opening ceremony for the Olympics will be split for the first time, we’re having two stadiums for an Olympic opening ceremony. It will be split between the La Memorial Coliseum, which was the opening ceremony stadium.
Well, actually the ceremony stadium for. LA 1932 El LA 1984, and then the stadium in Inglewood,
Alison Brown: which the rest of the world calls SoFi
Jill Jaracz: is going to be the other host for the opening ceremonies, and according to LA 2028, artistic elements of the ceremonies will be at both venues, but if you read the press release pretty carefully, they obviously have not thought that far ahead on execution of this.
Well, we don’t have a director. Right. So, uh, I mean, at least she’s got the brief of, okay, two stadiums make it happen. closing ceremony for the Olympics will be at the [00:59:00] Cossum Paralympic. The paralympic opening ceremony will be at the stadium in Inglewood, and the closing ceremony for the Paralympics will be at the Coliseum.
Alison Brown: Oh, that’s interesting that that’s how they’re, they’re. Using the two stadiums.
Jill Jaracz: Yeah, for the Paralympics. So it’s just this opening ceremony for the Olympics. Much like Paris only had the send for the Olympics, the Paralympics will just have the one stadium for each. so many thoughts about
Alison Brown: this. I’m.
The biggest question for me was, didn’t we know this already? I was so confused when it was announced because I felt like we had already had this conversation, but I think it’s just because it was kicked around as an idea and people just assumed that this was going to happen. Like this was gonna be LA 20 eighth’s big idea after Paris did the send, oh, we’ll do two stadiums.
So when they made the official announcement, I felt just Groundhog Day.
Jill Jaracz: Right, and they did [01:00:00] this for the Youth Olympic Games in the last winter one, and I don’t think there was a good idea.
Alison Brown: Hmm. It’ll be interesting to see. How they play this out because if they’re doing artistic elements in both, that could work very well, especially for television because then you don’t have any of that transition time.
Yes, you’ve got the next setup ready to go in the next spot, co. So maybe it’ll go more quickly or they can do more intricate things. you can get away from the projection screen floor, which you hate. Well, because it’s old now, it’s done. But if you can have more physical elements because you have time to move them out,
Jill Jaracz: that would be interesting.
And if you’re sitting in a stadium, you have something to look at besides the screen, because that was the one problem I noticed with the Youth Olympic Games opening ceremony. It was like one stadium just watched it on a screen.
Alison Brown: And we had that problem both in the opening and closing for Olympics in Paris.[01:01:00]
You know, when you were on the send. 90% of the show was on a screen for you. And then when we both went to closing, once we got to that LA portion, we just sat there watching it on the screen. There was nothing in the stadium. So it makes it very frustrating for the people in the stadium thinking they’re number one, paying a pretty penny for tickets.
But I’m seeing it on a screen. I could have stayed home and right
Jill Jaracz: and had a better watch my big
Alison Brown: tv.
Jill Jaracz: Yeah. Better experience. Probab probably. So I’m very curious as how this will work. Also, the stadium in Englewood, the pouring rights are for Pepsi. That’s all I can think of. Remember how we, I know when we
Alison Brown: were, when we were there, there were the Pepsi signs everywhere and we said, Ooh, something’s gonna have to be done about this.
But the other thing about SoFi Stadium, and someday I’ll get used to saying the stadium in Englewood, I have a few years, is they have that special giant projection screen in the center. Remember, we saw that when we were there, [01:02:00] and it’s. State of the art. It’s huge. It’s complex. So how are they going to use that?
Has there been a Super Bowl in SoFi yet?
Jill Jaracz: I believe so.
Alison Brown: Okay. So we’ll have to go back and look at that, halftime performance,
Jill Jaracz: right, because that was the halftime performance where it was all the, the rappers. It was a really good show.
Alison Brown: That was a good show, and they really didn’t use that screen. For that show much.
No, no. That we saw. That we saw. I mean, there could have been things, but it wasn’t a central element.
Jill Jaracz: Mm-hmm. But it can be. So how do you tie, how do you tie this old and new together?
Alison Brown: Right, because you have the old stadium and the new stadium, and where is the creative nations going to be and are they gonna split up the athletes?
That’s whi, which on the one hand could be good because maybe then the athletes won’t have to stand around as long because makes it quicker. Makes it quicker. But on the other hand, it defeats [01:03:00] the purpose of having everybody in one place. But it’s so big now.
Jill Jaracz: it’s very much a juxtaposition of you’re bringing the world together, but you want your opening event to be divided.
if you split out the Parade of Nations, which we had listeners in the Facebook group, we’re not thrilled about that idea unless you brought Rocket Man into the equation from LA 1984.
Alison Brown: I am all for that,
Jill Jaracz: but. You do have an element of speeding it up. if you switch back and forth between stadiums and you have country, country, country, country.
I think the one thing that Paris did pretty well was interspersing the parade of nations in between artistic elements. I thought that broke everything up really nicely. It still was a very long parade because it was a very long route that that, that I think was a bad choice.
Alison Brown: I mean, maybe they can do something similar where you’ve got part [01:04:00] of the parade of nations in one stadium, artistic elements in the other, then switch places.
So you do do that interspersing? Mm-hmm. Quality, because you’ve just, like on the send, you’ve got more space to work with.
Jill Jaracz: Right, right.
Alison Brown: More people can see it live.
Jill Jaracz: Mm-hmm.
Alison Brown: They can make more money, which, okay, they gotta make their costs back as long as those people just don’t get stuck watching a screen.
Jill Jaracz: Yeah. Yeah. And then where’s the cauldron? Are you having two cauldrons and that’s, that’s the other thing. Or does Rocket Man go back and forth? Um,
Alison Brown: oh. Or is the cauldron in a third place entirely? Which is what they did in Paris, really? Right. It was in a totally different spot.
Jill Jaracz: Which can be done, but then everybody’s watching it on tv, right?
I don’t know. And you have a cauldron in the coliseum. That’s the other thing. You have this cauldron do. So what are you going to do?
Alison Brown: Do you [01:05:00] have rocket man come into the stadium in Inglewood with the torch, do the lap, and then take off? How far are they apart? And then carry the torch. To the old. I don’t know how far apart they are.
I don’t remember. You know,
Jill Jaracz: it’s, it’s,
Alison Brown: it’s far enough that he probably can’t do that.
Jill Jaracz: What? Or he gets in his drone taxi, which we’re gonna talk about in a second air taxi, but, but he could. We could have a rocket man bring, you know, somebody lights it, hands some flame to, or they’ve, you know, he rockets around the stadium, goes to the other one so everybody gets to see the flame.
But, or do you have a, the cauldron in the coliseum in a makeshift cauldron and they go at the same time, or like you say, third party place, which I don’t think was very, I don’t think that cauldron lighting was very successful because it was very, [01:06:00] very long. It was cool. The whole, I liked the whole cauldron thing with the torch and the, the man and the armor or the man and the cloak with the torch and they’re carrying it all through the city.
All through the, all through the performance. But that last bit where we gotta get in the boat and ride the boat and then, oh, you are a long run to the jewelries. That was long. Yeah,
Alison Brown: that was long. Don’t do that. Yeah. So we’ll see. Curious to know. Maybe. Maybe it means there’ll be more press seats, so we’ll get to both though.
Jill Jaracz: That would be nice. actress and TV host Maria Manes, who is the Greek ambassador for LA 2028, will be the master of ceremonies for the flame lighting and handover.
Oh, how clever. We have a lot of venue news, going on. Hollywood Park Studios will become the International Broadcast Center according to deadline. [01:07:00] This is a mixed use development owned by the La Rams owner, e Stanley Reka, and it will be located in Inglewood by SoFi Stadium.
It will have five 18,000 square foot sound stages and an office building for production and post-production. The ground level’s gonna have a six to 60 trailer capacity. Bay Area,
Alison Brown: big, big studio. Yeah, we were at SoFi Stadium and I’m, I’m kind of wondering where are they putting this
Jill Jaracz: far out?
’cause that, that parking lot was big too.
Alison Brown: That’s true.
Jill Jaracz: after the games, it’s going to transition into a production studio, which, word in America is like, bring film production back to America and to California. Really. But we’ll see how that works. Construction aims to start later this month.
Other venue news.
Alison Brown: Well, you know, there’s no way to make anybody happy or everyone happy.
Jill Jaracz: No, very, very true. So not everyone is happy with the big [01:08:00] venue plan that LA released earlier in May earlier. A few weeks ago, and, uh, according to the Sports Examiner LA City Council member, Tim m Oscar, once sailing, moved from Long Beach to San Pedro because that would make it in his district.
International Table Tennis President, Petra Soling would like a bigger venue for table tennis because table tennis is currently slated for a 7,000 max capacity spot in the LA Convention Center. But she says the sport is selling out bigger venues than that. And at Paris, its spot at.
Arena Sued, had a 6,500 person capacity, venue. but. I think because it’s gonna be geographically closer to countries where table tennis is more popular. It might be more popular for la, but doesn’t everybody want a bigger venue?
Alison Brown: Of course, everybody wants to be the center of attention. Everybody wants to be the main character.
You remember what we didn’t get in Paris? When I saw [01:09:00] this on our show sheet, I said, did Jill put this on for me? Because I was so excited about that. The air taxis for Paris, that did not happen. And you said you would absolutely not take an air taxi. And I said, sign me up. I am still in that stance of sign me up.
Jill Jaracz: Wow. I’m still on the fence here because we have an air taxi partner Archer is going to be the official air taxi provider of the games according to Brian Bunts of r and d world. There are some obstacles to this actually happening. Because, we’re gonna start with the technology problems first.
The air taxis are supposed to be powered with E-V-T-O-L technology, which is electric vertical takeoff and landing, and they are supposed to travel between verta ports at SoFi Stadium. Again, more stuff going in in SoFi. Uh, they’ll also be at, uh, Los Angeles International Airport, the Coliseum and other hubs throughout the SoCal footprint of the games.[01:10:00]
They hope that the flights, uh, will be 10 to 20 minutes long. They will travel it up to 150 miles per hour. They, taxis can carry four passengers at a time, and they’ll have a range of about a hundred miles before recharging. But that’s where the issues come in because right now the batteries for these things are still in prototype.
Stages and they can only go tens of miles on one charge. So, you’re talking about needing a lot of charging time, but even if the, the specs say it takes about 10 minutes to charge them, if you have to charge them more often, you still have taxis out of the sky. It’s also going to be a big draw on the power grid during.
The hottest time of the year, so we’ll see how that does. The other issue is that Archer is still not yet certified with the Federal Aviation Administration. This is a multi-stage process. They have passed three stages. They’re working on the fourth and final one now. Brian Bunts says they will probably need to pass this [01:11:00] by 2026 to 2027 to allow enough time to train the pilots and prepare for the games and set all the operational preparations into place.
Will it happen? If it does, you need a lot of taxis. For a relatively small number of people who will be able to take them. So, buns did some back of the envelope math and wrote that if they had a hundred air taxis in service, they could probably transport up to 16,000 people a day. Best case scenario at Paris, the biggest peak day for attendance was July 30th, 743,000 spectators at Paris that day.
Alison Brown: Though, to be fair, the air taxis would make sense to and from the airport. Or you know, the longer distance stretches, like not everybody is going to, first of all, not everybody goes to more than one venue in a day, so you wouldn’t have to move people by air taxi. You know, Paris had only intended to do it from the airport to the [01:12:00] center of the city, so maybe they will limit it that way.
But I’m telling you, I’m gonna take Ken Hanscomb, maybe his wife Ashley, and I will go on an air taxi because I have a feeling Ken would do it with me.
Jill Jaracz: Oh, I, that’s the first thing I thought was Ken Hanscomb will be so on this. And because when you say, oh, people won’t try to fit in more than one venue, no, people are gonna see this service and go, oh, I can go from something in the north side to something down in Long Beach and make it.
I think that would be Ken Hans gum’s thought process right there. I can get to even more places than would be possible, so we’ll see. We’ll, we’ll see if it happens. We’ll see if people take it. price could be a factor for some people. Oh, I can’t
Alison Brown: imagine this is gonna be cheap.
Jill Jaracz: But I also think that there are gonna be plenty of people who in, in LA who have the means and, and get hooked on the Olympics and will go, oh.
I would like to take an air taxi around
Alison Brown: or will this be exclusively for Olympic friends [01:13:00] and family?
Jill Jaracz: If it is, then the games has eaten it and I’m sure they’re not. It’s gotta be an expensive process.
Alison Brown: Yeah.
Jill Jaracz: So keep an eye on that. Air taxis travel of the future, But if air taxi travel is not in the cards for you, LA is beefing up its public transportation system. LA Times reports that it has closed the D line, also known as a purple line for 70 days to continue work on an expansion project under Wilshire Boulevard.
this extension has been in the works for. A long time plan is to open three new stations this year. Two more stations coming in 2026. Final two is are coming in 2027. That will take the line out to UCLA where the village is gonna be, so there will be more access in the Olympic area with the metro line.
Uh, speaking of the village, you will be able to get transportation out there, but one other partnership has been announced, which makes me wonder if we are done with cardboard beds.
LA 2028 and team USA have [01:14:00] partnered with Sattva A made in the USA luxury mattress manufacturer to be their official mattress and rest restorative sleep partner.
Alison Brown: I have a sattva. It’s very really is. I do, and I never thought it was a luxury mattress. It was the one mattress that my husband and I could agree on.
It’s very lovely. I think the Olympians will sleep nicely.
Jill Jaracz: Very good.
TKFLASTAN News
Alison Brown: Welcome to sh
Jill Jaracz: Stan. 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 the show who make up our citizenship of our very own country. Sh Stan.
Alison Brown: Fencer Hadley Husan won silver at the women’s FIEA Grand Prix in Bogota, Columbia. And Lee Keefer won silver at the FIE Foil Grand Prix in Shanghai
Jill Jaracz: okay. I’m gonna call out listener Tommy. About, oh no, because [01:15:00] I was looking at his, he did some metal projections for Paris and he really put a lot of work into it. And he talked about this on the Facebook group and I went in to see who he projected. He did not project Lee Kiefer to win fencing.
Right.
Alison Brown: Tommy? Tommy? Did he have to? Oh, well I have to go back now and look at his fencing. Yeah, yeah,
Jill Jaracz: yeah. But he did, he was talking, uh, the final analysis he was doing on country counts where he, under predicted over, under projected and over projected. And then also he did hit on the number of medals total that France would.
Win, which I think pretty good. That’s impressive. Yeah. ’cause you always, it’s always kind of a, there’s always surprises. So you never really know what’s going down and people have bad days or there’s injuries at the last minute or people get sick or you know, somebody just has a great day and surprises you from a place that you never knew was gonna happen.
but come on, you can believe in lay when you do your projections for [01:16:00] Milano. Put in the team, keep the flame alive factor because it makes a difference.
Alison Brown: And I was at that one too.
Tommy. My heart is broken. It is sliced by an.
Jill Jaracz: Well, we will have, uh, Tommy’s website in the show notes for you to check that out too. at the World Athletics relays in Guang Cho, Kenny bna and team USA placed second in the four by 100 meter relay, just five one hundredths behind first place South Africa, which, where South Africa been there coming outta nowhere it feels like.
Uh, so the USA has qualified a team for world champs later this year.
Alison Brown: Greco Roman wrestler, Alejandro Stacia won gold in the 72 kilogram weight class at the Pan-American Wrestling Championships. His performance contributed to Team USA, bringing home the team title as well.
Jill Jaracz: It’s good to see Alejandro back and I didn’t even realize how nicely I set this up because [01:17:00] I did not have to say the type of wrestling he did. We all know, I can’t say it.
Alison Brown: I have to dig up that, uh, that whole quote that we have when we were struggling trying to say Greco roam and, and post that again, because honestly, I’m not sure if we put it in the show.
I know I’ve published it before, but it honestly is one of the funniest moments we have ever had
Jill Jaracz: at the Diamond discipline. Meet in Doha pole vault or Katy Moon tied for silver. Then she went to Morocco and won gold in robot.
Alison Brown: Para javelin thrower. Justin Fon took gold at the jco. I will go with that pronunciation.
2025 Grand Prix
Jill Jaracz: Hammer thrower, Deanna Price, one second at the U-S-A-T-F Throws Festival in Tucson
Alison Brown: and the spring badminton player Bei Wing Jean competed at the Yex All England Open Badminton Championships 2025 where she lost in the round of 16 and the yitz opened [01:18:00] 2025 where she lost in the round of 32.
Jill Jaracz: Uh, former. I’m not saying never for Jackie, uh, artistic swimmer. Jacqueline Semino did commentary at the recent artistic Swimming World Cup in Ontario
Alison Brown: race Walker. Evan Dunphy was named to his seventh Canadian World Athletics World Championship team to compete in the 35 kilometer race walk in Tokyo in September, but he’s currently off to Madrid for another competition.
Jill Jaracz: kudos to sports communicator and ski history expert Tom Kelly for receiving the US Ski and Snowboard teams. Julius Blegen Award. Its highest honor.
Alison Brown: Congratulations to Liana Mutia, who was elected to the USA Judo s Board of Directors in the Paralympic athlete director role,
Jill Jaracz: and Nordic combined skier, Anna Kaminski was profiled in the Colorado Sun about advocating for the inclusion of women’s Nordic combined in the Olympics.
Take a breath. There’s been a lot going on. I know, and it’s so exciting to see so [01:19:00] many people compete. Again, it’s, it’s nice to be like, oh, we haven’t heard about. Alex Sancho for a long time, and when I saw Justin Ponson competing, that made me happy. Does he, Deanna
Alison Brown: Price,
Jill Jaracz: right? Uh, does Justin have an enemy yet?
You know, that’s,
Alison Brown: oh God. Do I adore Justin?
Coming Soon and Get in Touch!
Jill Jaracz: So, yeah, good job team. Keep the flame alive, getting things going for the start of summer and we want to hear what you’re doing for the start of summer too. also let us know if it helps you to hear from others about how they manage mental illness. I.
Alison Brown: You can chat with us and other listeners on our Facebook group.
Keep The Flame Alive Podcast. Email us at Flame Alive pod@gmail.com. The voicemail and text line is always open at 2 0 8 3 5 2 6 3 4 8. That’s 2 0 8. Flame it and get even more Olympics in Paralympics from our weekly newsletter. You can sign up for [01:20:00] that@flamelivepod.com. We’ll have links to that and a whole bunch of other stuff in the show notes.
Jill Jaracz: Oh, next week is gonna be fun ’cause remember how LA 2028 was gonna have more female athletes than male athletes. Were they really? Were they really well? Well, that meant we needed to ping our lesi gender and sports expert, Dr. Michelle Donnelly, to get her opinion. And oh, she has thoughts about that. And the interesting thing is they may surprise you.
So be on the lookout for that next week. Thank you so much for listening, and until next time, keep the flame alive.