"Young Women, Big Dreams"
Ambition and drive for success is something I believe to be two very important features in individuals. I find it even more important for young women to have this drive for success. I am continuously pushing myself to be a better individual and I admire women, especially young women in today's society, who not only empower themselves, but one another. Over the next few weeks, I will be doing a special feature in the Twenty Something Diaries Series blog posts. These features will be of young, ambitious and inspiring women that I've grown up with, worked with and that are becoming amazing women in today's society.
The first of these series will feature a young woman who has brains, beauty and determination for greatness. Read my interview with Christina Succi.
Christina, please share a little bit
about yourself.
Where does one even begin! I can only tell you who I
am right now, because my growth game is extremely strong. I find that with
every passing day, I become a better version of myself. Whether that’s through
lessons learned, through my mistakes, or the mastery of different hurdles that
life may send my way. But for now, I’m a journalist, and on-air reporter/host.
I have an insatiable appetite for breaking news and I specialize in sports
reporting. Ask me to name every player on the Dallas Mavericks and I can do
that for you. I eat, breathe, live sports. I am an avid footy fan, there is nothing
I enjoy more than some afternoon Arsenal soccer when I’m waiting for the next
World Cup to come around. Otherwise you
can find me cheering for the Habs, the Red Sox, the Seahawks and the Raptors
(the only Toronto team I truly support- don’t ask me about the Leafs) When I’m
not watching sports I’m spending time with my phenomenal canine companion
Chelsea… I could talk about myself forever so you’ll have to stop me…
What is your current
career path/area of study?
As I said I’m a journalist and on-air talent for Channel 10 Rogers TV,
as well as story editor at Sportscentre TSN (Canada’s leading sports network!)
I have an insatiable appetite for breaking news and I specialize in sports
reporting. I love being in front of the camera. To me, it is as natural as
breathing. I am never nervous before I step onto a set. I thrive on asking hard-hitting and
potentially dangerous questions to my guests. I usually don’t use prompter when
anchoring or hosting shows because I would rather rely on my own knowledge, instead
of a little computer controlled by someone else! When I’m not in front of the camera, I’m
behind it writing and producing sports highlights and breaking sports stories
at Sportscentre TSN. There is no better place for anyone who desires to be in
the sports industry- to get their start, than at TSN. I am incredibly blessed,
that I was the successful candidate from a group of interns in Fall of 2014,
and TSN is a gargantuan company so you can easily get lost or go unnoticed but
I can confidently say I’ve avoided that completely and have thrived in the
atmosphere, and currently exist as one of the more senior editors. I work with
some of the most talented and intelligent people in North America. I am in
excellent company.
What’s on your plate
currently?
If you ask any of my friends or family, the first thing they’ll tell you
about my lifestyle is that it is unbelievably fast-paced and busy- and well,
essentially tell you that I am crazy. I may be that, but I am motivated. I am
constantly on the go and there is NEVER a dull moment. My life is constantly
inconsistent and controlled by the flux of news and I wouldn’t have it any
other way. I work hours people could never imagine, but that is what drives my
fiery passion the whole way through. The journalism and television industry is
a dog-eat-dog world, and in it, you have to be a shark to get to the places you
want to be. Luckily I’ve been able to achieve the goals I’ve set for myself
while making only friends along the way. I have also been extremely fortunate
to have an undying support system in my life: my family, my boyfriend and my
friends. They’re all aware of my vision, although they don’t always understand
it, they support me and push me to achieve greatness.
What motivates
you?/What drives you to succeed?
Coming from a family of doctors, engineers and business moguls, I have
big shoes to fill. But I am my own best
competition. When I look in the mirror every morning, baggy eyes and all some
days, I ask myself if I’ve changed, if I’ve grown. If the answer is no, one of
my goals that day, that week, that month, is to achieve something new. If I
don’t feel myself growing or changing or learning new things, then I feel stuck
and useless. I always need that feeling that I’m bettering myself. And that is
what drives me the most. I compete against myself. Not anyone else. I don’t
think about anyone else in the industry, or in life. They should worry about
themselves, because I only worry about myself. My eye is always on the prize.
Everything else rolls off me. If you don’t have a thick skin, and vicious
tenacity for what you want, you will not survive this industry, let alone
succeed. And I find that goes for most facets in life in general.
Future plans for
yourself?
Although I love anchoring and reporting on Channel 10 and couldn’t dream
of leaving the Sportscentre family- I am ready for a bigger market, with a
larger audience. My first set goal is to achieve that and step into a larger
pond, before I take on the big lake- the lake being a seat as an anchor at the
Sportscentre desk. I am extremely young though and have much to learn first.
Before I take on any huge roles, I want to ensure I am well-prepared to do so.
I’m not one to bite off more than I can chew. Preparation is key. However,
timing and luck will sometimes throw a wrench into plans, so really the key is
to remain open-minded. No matter what, I have a calming and confident aura that
everything works out the way it’s meant to, and the way it’s meant to- is the
best for you. Many people don’t know
that I have an Ivey league education with two post-grad degrees, or that I
originally graduated from Queen’s University as a high-school teacher. But life
had different plans for me. A twist of fate and an encounter with my mentor Michael
Landsberg showed me that belonged in the journalism and the television
industry. I found that again and again in my life, I’ve worried about things
beyond my control or about achieving a certain set plan that my mind has
engraved in my mental psyche- however, you can only plan so much, it doesn’t
always work that way, however the end result if the end result is not exactly
what you wanted, it’s even better.
Thank you Christina for taking the time to share your story with us. I think it's absolutely amazing when women empower other women. We should all strive to be the best versions of ourselves and empower others to do the same.
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Xo
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