Robin Roberts talks women’s sports and her groundbreaking career

MORNING AMERICA, GOOD MORNING AMERICA, GOOD MORNING AMERICA. I NEVER TAKE FOR GRANTED WHEN I SAY GOOD MORNING AMERICA, I NEVER, I NEVER DO. ROBIN ROBERTS IS MORE THAN JUST A NAME IN BROADCASTING LIVE FROM SOMEWHERE IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN, UNDERWAY IN MAKING BROADCAST HISTORY. SHE IS A SYMBOL OF RESILIENCE, EXCELLENCE, INSPIRATION AND A WOMAN WHO TRULY IS UNSTOPPABLE. WELCOME TO BOSTON. THANK YOU. I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIT DOWN WITH ROBERTS WHILE SHE WAS IN TOWN FOR THE MASSACHUSETTS CONFERENCE FOR WOMEN, LEADING A CONVERSATION WITH WNBA STAR CAITLIN CLARK. WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO PURSUE A CAREER IN BROADCASTING? WAS THIS SOMETHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO DO? I WANTED TO BE A PRO ATHLETE, BUT THERE’S A LITTLE THING CALLED ABILITY THAT YOU MUST HAVE, AND I REALIZED THAT WASN’T GOING TO HAPPEN. AND I WAS LIKE, OKAY, I’M GOING TO BE A SPORTS JOURNALIST. IT WAS A LESSON IN THAT I WANTED TO GET TO WIMBLEDON AS A TENNIS PLAYER. I GOT TO WIMBLEDON, DIDN’T HAVE A TENNIS RACKET. I HAD A MICROPHONE IN MY HAND AND IT TAUGHT ME TO DREAM BIG. FOCUS SMALL. REPORTING FROM WIMBLEDON, ROBIN ROBERTS, ESPN. FOR 15 YEARS, SHE WASN’T JUST REPORTING ON GAMES, SHE WAS CHANGING THE GAME, SHOWING THE WORLD WHAT WOMEN IN SPORTS JOURNALISM CAN DO TO BE THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN ANCHOR ON SPORTSCENTER IS SOMETHING THAT I HOLD VERY DEAR TO MY HEART. I’M VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY THAT WAS AFFORDED ME. ROBERTS BEGAN APPEARING ON GOOD MORNING AMERICA IN 1995, BECOMING A FULL TIME CO-ANCHOR IN 2005. WE CAN ANNOUNCE TODAY IT’S GOING TO BE ROBIN. WOW. HER TENURE FILLED WITH GROUND INTERVIEWS FROM SITTING DOWN WITH PRESIDENTS TO SHARING HEARTFELT MOMENTS WITH EVERYDAY HEROES. OH, YOU DON’T KNOW HOW MANY TIMES I HAVE THOUGHT OF YOU. WHAT WOULD YOU CONSIDER THE DEFINING MOMENT OF YOUR CAREER AND WHY? I’M NOT ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO SAY THAT CANCER WAS THE BEST THING THAT HAPPENED TO ME. IT WAS NOT, BUT IT WAS A DEFINING MOMENT. IT TAUGHT ME HOW STRONG I WAS, AND THE STRENGTH THAT I DIDN’T REALIZE I HAD. AND IT REALLY WAS ONE OF THOSE MOMENTS THAT WAS LIKE, OKAY, EVERYBODY’S GOT SOMETHING. THIS WAS PLACED IN MY PATH. WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO LEARN TO BE ABLE TO SHARE WITH OTHERS? BUT WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO LEARN ABOUT MYSELF? AND I LEARNED THAT THERE WAS A DEPTH TO ME THAT I DIDN’T REALIZE I HAD, AND THAT IT IS A PRIVILEGE TO BE A MESSENGER. THROUGH IT ALL, SHE REMAINED A BEACON OF STRENGTH, SHOWING MILLIONS HOW TO FACE LIFE’S TOUGHEST MOMENTS WITH GRACE AND AN UNWAVERING SPIRIT. I REALIZED THAT PEOPLE JUST WANT YOU TO BE YOUR AUTHENTIC SELF. I KNOW WE OVERUSE THAT PHRASE A LITTLE BIT. I’M LIVING MY LIFE. I’M NOT TELLING YOU HOW TO LIVE YOURS. AND PLEASE DON’T TELL ME HOW TO LIVE MINE. THIS IS WHO I AM. I DO NOT WANT TO PLAY THE SUPPORTING ROLE IN MY LIFE STORY. I WANT TO BE THE LADY LADY IN MY OWN STORY. GOOD MORNING AMERICA. AND SHE CERTAINLY IS THAT, YOU KNOW, AS ROBIN SAID, YOU HEARD DURING THE PIECE, SHE REALLY WANTED TO BE A PRO ATHLETE WHEN SHE WAS GROWING UP. YEAH, IT WAS ACTUALLY HER SISTER, SALLY ANN ROBERTS, A RENOWNED JOURNALIST WHO WORKED IN NEW ORLEANS FOR OVER 40 PLUS YEARS, WHO ENCOURAGED HER TO FOLLOW HER PASSIONS IN SPORTS AND JOURNALISM. SALLY. AND THAT WAS SOME GREAT ADVICE. VERY GOOD ADVICE. WORKED OUT QUITE WELL FOR ROB. ROBIN WAS AMAZING. THAT IS CHRONICLE FOR TONIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

Robin Roberts talks about her groundbreaking career and the rise in popularity of women’s sports

Roberts was recently in Boston for the Massachusetts Conference for Women, leading a conversation with WBNA star Caitlin Clark

Updated: 8:30 PM EST Jan 8, 2025

“Good Morning America” co-anchor Robin Roberts is more than just a name in broadcasting; she is a symbol of resilience, excellence and inspiration. Shayna Seymour sat down with Roberts while she was in town for the Massachusetts Conference For Women. When asked if she had always wanted a career in journalism, Roberts said: “I wanted to be a pro athlete, but there’s a little thing called ‘ability’ that you must have. I realized that wasn’t going to happen. I was like, OK, I’m going to be a sports journalist. And that’s where I entered. It was a lesson in that I wanted to get to Wimbledon as a tennis player. I got to Wimbledon, didn’t have a tennis racket, I had a microphone in my hands, and it taught me: dream big, focus small. And your dream may not quite look like you think it will, but just keep moving.”For 15 years she wasn’t just reporting games, Roberts was also changing the game, showing the world what women in sports journalism can do. “To be the first Black woman anchor on SportsCenter is something that I hold very dear to my heart. Very grateful for the opportunity that was afforded me,” said Roberts. Roberts began appearing on “Good Morning America” in 1995, becoming a full-time anchor in 2005. Her tenure has been filled with groundbreaking interviews, from sitting down with U.S. presidents to sharing heartfelt moments with everyday heroes.

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