Image commercially licensed from: Unsplash
During Women’s History Month, it’s important to recognize companies like Flame Bearers who are making a significant impact on the representation of women in sports. Founded in 2020 by Jamie Mittelman, a Boston-based entrepreneur, Flame Bearers is a visionary company that serves as the world’s first storytelling platform solely dedicated to sharing the stories of elite women athletes. Through their innovative podcast, short-form video content, and live events, Flame Bearers empowers female athletes by giving them a platform to showcase their talents and inspiring others to follow in their footsteps. This Women’s History Month, we celebrate Flame Bearers for their unwavering commitment to uplifting women in sports and for being a trailblazer in the industry.
According to the Women’s Sports Foundations’ 2020 Chasing Equity Report, just 3.2 percent of US sports media coverage is devoted to women’s sports and 70% of women leaders say the lack of media limits girls’ sports participation. Media coverage is even lower globally and practically non-existent for women athletes with disabilities. Flame Bearers illuminates the unsung stories of resilient women Olympians & Paralympians from around the world. To be clear, Flame Bearers doesn’t report on scores; they tell stories that inspire, help us to understand the world better, and move us to tap into our own resilience.
Jamie Mittelman, a former teacher, recovering MBA student, and social entrepreneur, has dedicated her career to advocating for others with a specific passion for gender equity and media. According to Mittelman, “As a teacher, I could influence the 15 students in my classroom. With media — for better or worse — one can help shape the minds of millions.”
While pursuing her Master in Public Administration (MPA) from the Harvard Kennedy School, Mittelman founded Flame Bearers in an effort to help change the narrative around women in sports. She was frustrated by the lack of coverage elite athletes were receiving, and how they were being covered. According to Mittelman, “Nobody wants to be painted with the pity brush. Everyone wants to be seen and heard in their full complexity for who they are, not just where they come from, and what they’ve gone through. Many Paralympic athletes for example are continuously talked about as sources of inspiration because they have overcome A, C, and C. Yes, that is true, they are inspirational for their commitment to their sport and resilience in the face of adversity, but what part of telling that story serves the audience versus the person the story is about? What if a para-athlete doesn’t identify with the term disabled or prefers to focus on another part of her story such as how she’s struggled with mental health? We as consumers have come to expect certain stories, but those storylines frequently don’t serve the people featured and can often reinforce limiting beliefs. In consuming only certain types of content (in this case, what Stella Young termed ‘inspiration porn’), we as consumers are fueling our mental cars with a very limiting type of gasoline: it makes us believe that if you’re a disabled athlete, we already know where your story is going and we know that we’ll feel great after hearing it. Flame Bearers gives the athletes the mic and focuses on what they want to focus on, not pushing a narrative that is driven by clicks or what will necessarily make the readers/listeners feel good. We tell their stories how they want them told.”
Flame Bearers takes its name from the symbolic Olympic and Paralympic torch that is lit and passed from athlete to athlete before the games. The athletes featured are leaders or bearers of light in sports, but also in their other areas of commitment and interest such as racial justice, pay equity, disability bias, etc. Featured athletes possess the power to ignite change on behalf of whatever it is they are passionate about.
Addressing the Issues of Women Olympians & Paralympians
Besides telling the stories of the women athletes, the company also provides clear calls to action for how listeners can support each athlete. Every podcast episode, live event or video ends with the call to action for what the featured athlete wants the community to do. Athletes are specifically asked, ‘what is the one action you want our community to take’, and responses have run the gamut. Some athletes have very concrete asks such as ‘Please email this address to advocate for disability rights’ while other athletes ask community members to read a book, or call a loved one. The point is, the power is in the athlete’s hands.
Expansion of Flame Bearers: Reaching Women Worldwide
As we celebrate Women’s History Month, it’s important to remember the incredible achievements of women throughout history and to honor the trailblazers who paved the way for progress. Flame Bearers is a shining example of the impact that women can have when they come together and support one another. With its innovative approach to community-building and its unwavering commitment to promoting Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and Public Service & Activism, Flame Bearers has become a beacon of hope and empowerment for women around the world. As Flame Bearers continues to expand its reach and provide more opportunities for women to connect and grow, we can look forward to a future that is more inclusive, more equitable, and more just for all. Join the movement and connect with Flame Bearers on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram, and let us celebrate the accomplishments of women, past and present, during this Women’s History Month and beyond.
Mittelman credits the growing community to the unmet market demand and her exceptional teammates including Elizabeth Michael, Marissa Potter, Ravi Rao, Sakshi Singh, and Madhughanda Singh.
