Hardwood to Hardware

I am so excited to share with you all that I won my first Emmy last weekend!!

I never expected that it would be for helping out another reporter, but I'm proud I got to be part of telling a very special story about a little boy who lost his battle with brain cancer.

See the story here:  http://tinyurl.com/mar3zwa

My contribution to the project involved shooting video at a SLU basketball game. At the time I actually had a pretty bad attitude about it.

It was a chilly Saturday night last November. Fellow reporter Mike Colombo asked the week before if I would shoot some of the game and the halftime ceremony featuring Joshua Brown's family. I said maybe-- but only if no one else could do it. Working the camera has never been my favorite part of the job, and shooting sports is a whole different animal...one that is WAY out of my comfort zone. I didn't want to do it and deep down, I doubted my ability to get the shots he needed.

But I also knew how important this story was to Mike. And Joshua had unknowingly made an impact on me that year as well. I hoped and prayed for a full recovery for Josh as he fought his illness and like so many others, felt deeply saddened by his death. So when that Saturday rolled around, and Mike asked/begged every last 'real' photographer to help but none could make it, I said yes.

I remember the nervousness building in my chest as we walked in the press entrance at Chaifetz Arena. The team was about to start warming up so we made our way to the court. Joshua had grown close with several of the SLU players the season before, so I wanted to get some up close shots. I awkwardly settled on the floor under the basket and started recording. It was my first time shooting sports since....college? maybe high school? Naturally, the camera was rolling for about 45 seconds when I got smoked in the face with a basketball. Boy, did that add to my cheerful disposition. Now I was on the verge of tears, questioning myself even more, and really feeling the pressure.

Well, guess what? It all turned out okay. I got what we needed and even a few pretty decent shots. In all it's a small part of Mike's story and it was gracious of him to include me on the list of contributors. But I really believe there's a lesson here. There are opportunities and gifts where we least expect them. It's a reminder for me of all of those quotes about going out on the limb because that's where the fruit is. Except in this case the limb came in the form of a college basketball court and the fruit, a lovely gold statuette.

It isn't how I imagined winning my first Emmy, but now I can say I wouldn't have it any other way. My new hardware will always represent the value of teamwork, of Joshua's impact on the world in his nine short years, and the power of choosing to believe in myself instead of doubt. Why did I waste my energy that night feeling insecure instead of trusting myself to rise to the occasion? I stuck it out and fell back on the 'fake it til you make it' mantra, but even that is playing small. Next time, I'm all in. And I'll be sure to tell you all about it.

Thanks for reading,
em