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Pro skater glides in
Source: |
Centennial College Courier |
Date: |
April 23, 2009 |
Author: |
Courier Staff |
From skating to commentating, Kurt Browning loves what he
does.
Browning, a four-time world champion figure skater, recently visited
the sports journalism students to talk about his transition from the
ice to the broadcast booth.
"Anybody who loves what they're doing is going to do a better job at
it," Browning said. "I think that anybody who has a curiosity and
passion for what they do, that's important (and it should be
pursued)."
The former competitive figure skater was the first person to
successfully land a quadruple jump in competition, which he
accomplished at the 1988 world championships in Budapest,
Hungary.
Throughout his career, Browning says he's had positive experiences
with the media.
"I was fortunate to have a group of reporters (follow my career) that
seemed truly interested in what I was doing," Browning said. "They
motivated me with their good words as well as their negativity,
something that I respected."
Browning, who continues to remain a part of figure skating by
commentating as well as doing choreography for some of the world's top
skaters, says successful journalists need to build a rapport with the
people they interview.
"If you're a journalist and you don't build a relationship of trust
and integrity with your athletes, you're not going to get the best of
them and they aren't going to give their best (back to you)."
He also believes in the importance of good storytelling.
"It's important to hear that there are people behind the stories,"
Browning said. "There's more to them than just what happened on that
day."
Browning has been commentating alongside Scott Russell, who is a
veteran of Canadian amateur sport storytelling. The pair recently came
back from the world figure skating championships in Los Angeles, where
they called the events for CBC-TV.
Browning says he enjoyed his time at Centennial because it enabled him
to see Russell in a different role as a teacher.
"One of the things I liked the most about (visiting the program) was
getting to see my friend Scott in a different role," Browning
said. "It was nice to crack open the door on what makes him tick a
little bit."
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