
Robin Roberts
pioneering sportscaster
Robin Roberts is living proof of the adage that what you learn in sports helps you in life. A tennis star and college basketball player, Robin wanted to go pro. When that didn't happen, she took up journalism at a time {mid 80s} when few women covered sports. Her athletic savvy, work ethic + ease on air helped her break into male-only bastions like ESPN's Sports Center, ABC's NFL Primetime Show and even doing play-by-play.
Her determination + faith saw her through two battles with cancer and covering the destruction of her home town by Hurricane Katrina. She's currently a host of Good Morning America, a show that ~ not surprisingly ~ she helped propel to #1. "I've still got it," she says. "I refuse to lose."
a catchphrase | "Go on with your bad self" ~ from Sports Center
versatility | equally comfortable covering sports, politics, lifestyle, business + arts
2x survivor | breast cancer + myelodysplastic syndromes
athleticism | graduated third all-time leading scorer of college's basketball team
1983 | got first job at WDAM-TV in Hattiesburg, Mississippi
1990 | hired by ESPN ~ first woman to host NFL Primetime
2005 | became third anchor of Good Morning America ~ expanding beyond sports
from | to
girl who dreamed of being a professional athlete | award-winning sportscaster + host of top morning news program
born on
November 23, 1960
born in
Tuskegee, Alabama
birth name
Robin Rene Roberts
nickname
the "Bo Jackson of Atlanta sportscasters"
~ because she worked in radio + TV ~
citizen of
The United States of America
daughter of
Colonel Lawrence E. Roberts
~ pilot with Tuskegee Airmen ~
Lucimarian Tolliver Roberts
~ executive + board member | 1st woman chair for Mississippi State Board of Education ~
younger sister of
2 sisters | Sally-Ann + Dorothy
1 brother | Lawrence Jr. {"Butch"}
grew up in
Pass Christian, Mississippi
early achievements
State Bowling Champion of Mississippi ~ at 12
educated at
Southeastern Louisiana University
~ Hammond, Louisiana | B.A. Communications | 1983 ~
most memorable test failed
entrance exam to the naval aviation academy
partner of
Amber Laign
~ massage therapist ~
advocate for
breast cancer awareness
rebuilding Louisiana in wake of Hurricane Katrina
influenced by
her parents
John Walsh
~ executive editor of ESPN's Sports Center ~
worked alongside
Diane Sawyer + Charlie Gibson
in her spare time
drove the pace car for the 2010 Indy 500
piloted a P-51 Mustang air plane | the same plane flown by her Dad + Tuskegee Airmen
~ a gift from owner/actor Tom Cruise ~
talks + Skypes with cancer sufferers
plays Angry Birds
confessed "Law & Order" junkie
tweets
@robinroberts
image credits
Flickr | The Heart of Truth | Public Domain
collapse bio bits"I had a father and a mother who were the first to do this and the first to do that and always getting this award or that award, so I figured, well, shoot, I guess I should be a physicist on the weekend."
Who Let Them In? | june 1991
"My coaches taught me that talk is for dreams, but when you write it down it becomes a goal."
Scoring Big on the Small Screen | april 1997
"Often the person who catches the break isn't the most capable or talented, but the one who is standing there with his or her arms outstretched at the right moment."
From the Heart: Seven Rules to Live By | 2007
"What makes the difference between success and failure is not whether you have doubts, but what you do when the doubts creep in."
From the Heart: Seven Rules to Live By | april 2007
"You never know which experiences of life are going to be of value . . . You've got to leave yourself open to the hidden opportunities."
From the Heart: Seven Rules to Live By | april 2007
"The only time you are really insecure or not sure of yourself is when you are not being your authentic self."
Robin Roberts Miami University Commencement Address | may 2008
"Being optimistic is like a muscle. It grows stronger with use."
Robin Roberts' Journey | february 2013
"True strength isn’t when you face down life’s challenges on your own, it’s when you take them on by accepting the help, faith and love of others and knowing you are lucky to have those."
Arthur Ashe Award for Courage | july 2013
"Find the meaning of whatever it is you're going through—because, everybody's got something."
Arthur Ashe Award for Courage | july 2013
"It's one thing to love your family, but to actually like them is simply priceless."
Everybody's Got Something | april 2014
"My mother always said, 'God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.'"
One-on-One with Robin Roberts | april 2014
"I could never figure out why Americans view taking time off as a sign of weakness, when everywhere else around the world it's encouraged."
One-on-One with Robin Roberts | april 2014
"It takes courage to believe the best is yet to come, especially when you are flat on your back and don’t know if you’re going to see tomorrow."
One-on-One with Robin Roberts | august 2014
"Don’t worry so much about what other people think or say about you. Because, what other people say—it’s none of your business."
YouTube’s #DearMe Campaign Urges Women to Share Advice to Their Younger Selves | march 2015
for further reading about Robin Roberts:
curated with care by Kathleen Murray {december 2014}
Robin Roberts 'GMA' Return: Co-Host Says She's Heading Back To ABC Morning Show
After being diagnosed with a rare blood and bone marrow disease, Robin took a break from broadcasting for treatment and recovery. Her older sister was her marrow donor. Robin's optimism + determination helped her recup, step back into the spotlight and inspire others to live fully.
ABC via HuffPost
Robin Roberts Receives Arthur Ashe Award
In 2013, Robin was honored by her former employer ESPN. The pioneering broadcaster + inspirational survivor was presented the Arthur Ashe Award for courage by LeBron James and was met with a hug from The King and a standing O from the audience upon taking the stage.
ESPN