‘?You need the help of others to make your hopes; make your dreams come true.’
Robin Roberts certainly deserved to make it to the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame. She’s gone from being a legendary presence at ESPN to Good Morning America, and even getting the job done while battling cancer in 2007 and bone marrow disease (MDS) in 2012.
But in case her resume didn’t convince everyone in attendance at the induction ceremony on Tuesday night, her speech certainly removed all doubt that she belonged in the Hall of Fame. She began with the requisite thanks, but then shared a more personal, more important message with everyone watching:
“All of us, it doesn’t matter [if you’re a] man, woman, black, white, gay, straight, we just want the same opportunities. You can wish hope and pray all you want — I’m a very spiritual person — but you know that you need the help of others to make your hopes; make your dreams come true.”
Watch the entire moving and gracious speech below:
The 56-year-old focuses more on general interest reporting as a GMA host than she does sports specifically, but at ESPN and through her work at sister network ABC, she was a pioneer for women in broadcasting. With a background as a collegiate basketball player, she was able to report on a variety of sports and issues so professionally at ESPN that any claims of tokenism were quickly shot down just by pointing to her performance and work on-camera.
Still, in a career full of highlights, this speech stands out as an especially bright moment among her peers:
A trailblazer indeed. Congrats @RobinRoberts. She brings integrity, perspective & appreciation to her life & work https://t.co/CUrofvVELd— Josh Krulewitz (@Josh Krulewitz) 1481727215.0
Below, see her heartwarming return to Good Morning America after a lengthy and scary medical leave:
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