Episode Details

We're delving into the sport of wheelchair tennis with American Charlie Cooper, who's currently ranked #2 in the world for junior wheelchair singles. He talks with Alison about the sport and his plans to qualify for LA 2028.

Plus, we also talk with Dr. Thomas Rietveld, a researcher at the Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport at Loughborough University in the UK. Dr. Rietveld's PhD thesis examined wheelchair tennis chairs, so he answers our burning questions about tennis chairs that we had after Paris 2024.

Follow Charlie on Insta: @charliejcoop

Learn more about the Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport here: https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/phc/

Milan-Cortina 2026 has unveiled its art posters. This is a set of 10 works (five Olympic, five Paralympic) created by emerging Italian artists. Check them out here: https://www.olympics.com/en/news/milano-cortina-2026-olympic-paralympic-art-posters-revealed

Also, if you're interested in volunteering for the Olympics Closing Ceremony or Paralympics Opening Ceremony, find the application here: https://milanocortina2026.olympics.com/en/news/volunteers-experience-ceremonies-verona

This past week was Olympic Day, and the International Olympic Committee celebrated by officially instating Kirsty Coventry as the new president of the organization.

Plus, we have updates from Team Keep the Flame Alive - TKFLASTAN has been busy!

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

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

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Keep the Flame Alive: The Olympics and Paralympics Fan Podcast with hosts Jill Jaracz & Alison Brown. New episodes released every week and daily during the Olympics and Paralympics.