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Continued from page 3 says it was a “demanding job” but “incredibly necessary,” especially in preparing her for her role at TS! With A Channel, she was involved in “everything and anything,” including shooting, writing, editing and re- porting. The show was also shot live, which, at this point, was completely new for Kate. “It was an adjust- ahead of time at Rogers, so there was an added pressure (at A Channel).” In addition to adjust- ing to the live show, Kate says that her job interact with athletes and report on sports she was less familiar ith. “Tt was always basketball, football, then hockey for me,” she says, refer- ring to her favourite sports. But when an assignment had her working closely with the Barrie Colts (Ontario Hockey League), she not only found a new appreciation for hockey but she also gained “a lot of experience for the NHL” — a feat that would greatly benefit her four months later when a call from TSN would change her life. “They said they had seen me on TV and were inter- ested,” she recalls. “And they asked if I would come down for an interview.” When she arrrived, Kate was put through a 15 minute solo “SportsCentre” audition. Then, she recalls, “they brought in another achor to test and see if I could banter”, she laughs. Her skills with “bantering” proved to be im- pressive as, shortly after, she was hired as a sports anchor for the show. Kate will never forget her first night onset when her co-anchor, James Cybulski, made an on-air comment that proved to her just how great the TSN work environment was. When the lights came up, the camera veered towards James and he said: ‘Port Perry is smiling tonight!’” Kate a a a ee bol Ohl x MC Yom Orel el el day ¥ Home Decor & Gifts ¥ 1874 SCUGOG STREET UNIT 3 PORT PERRY (beside M&M Meats) 905-982-1900 6 FOCUS - JULY 2010 remembers fondly. “I just thought that was such a classy thing for him to do. Since that fateful day in December 2009, it is clear that Kate has been on a whirlwind of an adventure. Working with anchors she always idolized, she says she takes each day as a “new learning experience” and absorbs as much knowledge as she can. And as a woman in a traditionally male-dominated role, Kate knew she would have to prove her place. “You're under more of a microscope as a woman,” she explains. “There's this assumption that men automatically know more. I always wanted to prove I know just as much as any guy!” So how does Kate prepare for the task? “You have to know the sport inside out,” she says. “The backgrounds of players are so important and it’s a lot of repetition and memorization. There’s an expectation to know everything - every fact inside out,” she says. “So that’s where my aca- demic skills have come in handy,” she adds, jokingly. When asked about her future goals, Kate insists she is completely satisfied with where she is right now, and only hopes to stay. “It’s so nice to be at a spot where I feel good,” she says, adding that she no longer feels the need to move up in her field. This feeling of contentment is one she credits her co-workers for. “We all love to do this and that’s the biggest difference about TSN. It’s an amazing environment,” she says. “People want to make an amazing sports show and no one is out to glorify themselves.” Above all else, Kate says she can’t forget her upbring- ing in Port Perry, including her parents and teachers who encouraged her to thrive in all aspects of her life, whether it was sports, academics or her involvement in student council. “My teachers were so supportive of everything,” she insists. “It’s where I got all my confidence. They pushed me in sports and in the end pushed me in life skills.” And speaking of teachers, Kate’s mom (Chris Wagenaar) is a teacher/librarian at both Epsom and Greenbank Public Schools and her father (John Beirness) is a retired music and history teacher at Cartwright High School, who now teaches at Durham College. “They are both amazing people who always taught me to work hard and never give u Alesson she obviously took to heart. By Christina Coughlin Focus on Scugog Practising in Durham Region Since 2002 174 Mary Street, Port Perry 905-982-2650 e www.mcmurtrylaw.ca