EXCLUSIVE: US-Based Pinay Michele Steele On Her Journey As A Sports Journalist

Michele Steele didn't grow up wanting to become a journalist. Her story is one of those that unfolds thanks to an openness to opportunities and a curiosity for life's windows of chance. And for Michele, boy did the windows give her breathtaking views! It all began when she was wrapping up college as an economics major at the University of Illinois. Thinking she would dive head first into banking and finance, she was unaware that there were other plans being made for her behind the scenes. She'd kept her father's advice close to her all those years: pursue something practical, something that would prove to be useful in a variety of contexts and industries. But being young and wanting to see what else was out in the world, Michele immediately took up an overseas job in France to become an English teacher. Like many young people, she wanted to travel before getting serious about a full-time job! Her time in Europe eventually came to a stop, however, and found herself back home in Chicago where she took up a job in business journalism. Journalism, she whispered to herself.

Then just a job, it wasn't something she'd particularly taken to heart but nevertheless, Michele found herself combining her business background and her knack for covering stories and reporting at firms like Forbes, Fox News, Bloomberg Television, and ESPN. And she discovered that she was good at it—good enough, and interested enough, to pursue a grad school degree in journalism at Columbia University. After her earning her master's degree, the rest, as they say, is history. Recalling a pivotal event that proved to be a catalyst of change in her life, Michele shares, "An opportunity arose at Bloomberg to cover the biggest story in sports at the time: Tiger Woods. And although I wasn't a 'sports reporter' (I was more general assignment at the time), I decided to jump on the story. It turned into a regular beat, I sent my tape to ESPN, and here I am. The moral of the story? Walk through open doors. I never saw myself in sports, but it's become a fulfilling and fun career for me."

It's a lesson worth learning for anyone, no matter what stage of career they're at. Opportunities come in all shapes and sizes, but when they appear, seize them. You know what's waiting behind a door. Now at the top of her career, Michele couldn't be happier with the choices she's made. Currently, she's at the forefront of America, trying to figure out inventive yet captivating ways to deliver sports stories and coverage to a nationwide audience amidst a pandemic. Michele has mastered the art of sports journalism in "normal" times, but recent months have changed the game for her, requiring her to draw from fresh resources and execute creative ideas at the snap of a finger. There's relief, however, in the fact that football season is going as planned unlike other major sports in the country that have been severely delayed. She's back to doing what she does best, even learning a new thing or two along the way.

Although her resume dubs Michele as a sports journalist, never mistake her as a TV personality whose only responsibilities are to parrot statistics and scores, recap highlights and congratulate winners. A scoreboard and camera replays do that for her. Michele does what she does for the love of telling stories, lending emotion to storytelling in sports that can sometimes go underappreciated. It's both the most challenging and most rewarding aspect of the job. "I'm naturally curious, like most reporters are, and I love stumbling upon something a player or coach might have said that fell under the radar, asking them about it and learning that there's this whole other story that was waiting to be told. Strangely enough, I've had a really rewarding year from a journalistic point of view. I'm proud I've been able to reach others and they've been able to speak to our audience in interesting and powerful ways." A sports journalist like Michele is on a mission to communicate the underlying themes of the sports world as a whole that unite all sports fans regardless of which teams they cheer for and what colors they wear on the stands. Stories that inspire and motivate, provide new angles to familiar subjects, and yes, even explosive headlines are all part and parcel of why Michele does what she does and loves every minute of it.

She recounts two experiences on the job that have been particularly memorable. One is from her time as a newbie in the industry, and another is from more recent weeks with her as a seasoned journalist making her way through the new normal. Thinking back to her earlier years in the field, Michele talks about how she was tasked with covering the controversial Aaron Hernandez case. The NFL player was imprisoned for murder, and Michele was right there, by his home, when he was arrested by authorities. "I had just been transferred to the Boston bureau in 2013... I drove to his house at 9a.m., and within minutes he was being arrested for first-degree murder," she recounts. It was her first day on the job, no less, and no other experience in the years that followed has come close to this one! Naturally, not all of Michele's experiences have been as unsettling, and pleasant experiences have left just as big of a mark on her, too. Just recently, she had her first successful "socially distanced" assignment and it turned out better than expected. "I pitched a cartoon about Tom Brady and some of his misadventures in Tampa Bay as he was acclimating to a new team... The idea was accepted and turned into an animated short. It was my first truly socially distanced idea and execution. I am really enthused about doing more projects that stretch us creatively but it's clear things won't be going back to how they were before, for a long time," Michele shares.

Michele has been with ESPN for nine years, with her contract extended for much longer just recently. It's a success not only for Michele, but for other women wishing to go down the same path. It wasn't so long ago that the world deemed sports to be male territory; sure, women could be involved by being athletes themselves, cheering on the sidelines, and yes, learning how to score and appreciate game highlights, but it was once unheard of for a woman to take the lead in this way. It's not that Michele was the first to take on this role; other women in America worked hard to allow women like her to reach the heights she has, and she certainly hopes to be able to do the same for women in sports in generations to come. It wasn't a conflict-free path, that's for sure, but Michele has developed the guts and grit necessary to make it here, and anywhere in life, really. "I'm fortunate to have had many women in front of me in the United States in sports broadcasting who have helped pave the way for me in locker rooms and in press boxes. Nevertheless, of course, there have been occasional times through the years that people have made insensitive comments about my background or my appearance. I used to brush it off early in my career, but today, I have no problem handling bullies. (I should say that I am not referring to any athletes, who have been generally kind, respectful and professional!)," Michele states.

Something worth noting is also Michele's cultural heritage; her mother was a Filipino immigrant and she was raised in a Filipino household complete with family members from different clans and generations. Titos and Titas were big parts of her life, just as it would be in any Filipino family. Why is this important? Because in a time when race, family background, and cultural heritage have become such divisive features in society, Michele proves that none of those things should ever be limits to what you want to achieve and the kinds of opportunities you know you deserve.

To all Filipino sports fans out there, Michele has a story for you, too. Among all the athletes she's interviewed throughout her career, NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks is apparently particularly fond of the Philippines. He's visited the country before and has his mind set on coming back. "We were talking a little bit after the interview and he told me he LOVED the Philippines. Usually guys are in a rush after interviews on media day because they have so much else to get to, but he really wanted to chat about what his experience was like there, how hospitable and warm Filipinos are and how he was making plans to go back," Michele recounts.

Despite Michele's dedication to her work, she's not all about sports. She's a well-balanced person who has other things going on for herself including classes at Chicago's Second City (an improv group that gives her all the comedic inspiration she needs) as well as active participation in the Asian American Journalists Association, Alliance Francaise, and the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. She also does volunteer work for the Special Olympics and Unified Sport which she has received awards for. Continuing to gaze forward to the future and what lies ahead, Michele holds the same philosophy towards life: be on the lookout for opportunities and always say yes when they come your way.

And one more thing: never forget to cheer for the underdog even though that means having to cheer for yourself. Like how fans cheer on their teams and favorite players during the heat of the game, it's this unshakable belief that you can make it and win it all that'll keep pushing you up and forward, bringing you to where you're meant to be.