Episode 13: Advocacy & Breaking Walls

In this episode, we sit down with Zach Suico, a competitive fencer, to talk about how Heated Rivalry found him at a moment when he really needed it. As a gay Asian athlete navigating an intensely competitive environment, Zach connected deeply with Shane’s story, but seeing Hudson Williams embraced by audiences for his authentic and unapologetic personality had an equally profound impact. He talks about how representation moved from an abstract concept to something he could feel in his whole body. We also discuss the exhausting belief that we have to earn respect by being exceptional. Zach tells us how Heated Rivalry helped him rediscover his confidence and the desire to pursue interests beyond fencing and nursing. Find Zach: IG: zach.suico Youtube and TikTok: zachsuico Zach's interview with OutSports

In this episode, we chat with Sydney about having hobbies again, and how Heated Rivalry somehow gave us permission to rediscover parts of ourselves we had left behind. We get into what happens when a show you love starts bleeding into every part of your life, from constantly talking about it to making edits, memes, crafts, fan art, and fan fiction. We also talk about the strange pressure we all put on ourselves to make every interest productive, and why it feels so good to have something that is simply fun. Find Sydney: Insta/Threads: @craftysmutstudio A03: https://archiveofourown.org/works/87701726/chapters/232402511?utm_source=threads&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=ZgZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAcGRvZgRzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAwyNTYyODEwNDA1NTgAQ6jGFwHSiENFUGIBZrwwM5IBOjsYjVltIyOzkFJM03CE6yExU9deMGxhhwUivdrOFA_aem_GJYWk55caF_y34EfZ9KWsQ

In this episode, we sit down with grief doula, death tender, and writer Abby Goelzer to explore grief through the lens of Heated Rivalry and Ilya’s journey. Abby introduces us to Francis Weller’s “Five Gates of Grief” and uses the framework to unpack Ilya’s losses. We discuss how grief isn’t limited to losing a person, but can come from losing an identity, a future we imagined, a version of ourselves, or the life we thought we would have. The conversation also touches on the particular grief many Heated Rivalry fans experience when the show awakens questions about youth, missed possibilities and opportunities, and whether it’s too late to create a different life. Find Abby: Threads: @aelepants IG: @garnet_andthe_moon substack: https://garnetandthemoon.substack.com/ website: garnetandthemoon.com essay: https://garnetandthemoon.substack.com/p/did-you-hear-about-rozanov Abby has a specific offering for folks who want to sort through the grief that came up for them because of Heated Rivalry, which you can find on her website listed above.

In this episode we chat with Blanca, a wedding venue owner, photographer, and self-described “collector of love stories." Blanca shares how the show arrived during a period of empty-nest sadness, political exhaustion, and uncertainty. We discuss parenting, allyship, queer joy, burnout, and the question of what it means to find happiness in difficult times. We explore the idea that joy is not an escape from the world but a way to survive it. *Unfortunately, by the time this episode airs, Blanca had to cancel the party due to concerns over ICE presence in her area.

In our first Humans of Heated Rivalry episode, we meet Stefanie Kalem, a writer whose love for Heated Rivalry unexpectedly brought her back to creativity. We talk about romance and fantasy and about how Stefanie found a creative home in the HR fandom through fan fiction and podfic. At the heart of our conversation is the power of communication, connection, and giving yourself permission to be joyful, creative, and a little (or a lot) silly at any age. Find Stefanie: Threads: @fannybaefiction Writing: stefaniekalem.com Substack: https://substack.com/@stefaniekalem