Questions & Answers with Esther Madziya

If you’re a working media member that has lined Canada’s National Women’s
Team during the last 4 years, the title Esther Madziya.

But in the event you’re not and also you don’t, you need to.

A Hockey Canada communications supervisor, Madziya was a part of the workers with
the Olympic gold medal-winning staff at Beijing 2022, sandwiched round a
pair of IIHF Women’s World Championship gold medals, spending weeks and
months on finish in bubbles and quarantines in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, away
from household and associates, with that singular golden purpose in thoughts.

Outside of her Team Canada work, Madziya is an integral a part of the Hockey
Canada household, and was acknowledged for her contributions with the Hal Lewis
Award because the group’s workers individual of the 12 months for the 2018-19
season.

To have a good time National Women and Girls in Sports Day and Black History
Month, HockeyCanada.ca sat down with Madziya to speak about her journey and
how the trade has developed for minority ladies.

HC: How did you get your begin in sports activities media?

EM: I went to SAIT [the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology in
Calgary] and took the published journalism program. The program has developed
since then, but it surely was known as CTSR – Cinema, Stage, Television and Radio.
And then you may focus on no matter you wished to do.

I wasn’t certain what I wished to do at college. Way again when, I wished to get
into accounting, which isn’t my jam in any respect, however I all the time favored sports activities. And
I assumed, ‘You know what, maybe I want to get into sports.’ So I took the
broadcast program at SAIT, with the hope of entering into sports activities broadcasting
and someday possibly being on TSN.

I ended up getting a job in radio. I did a practicum in Lethbridge, which
is my hometown, on the radio station. The station additionally had the published
rights to Lethbridge Hurricanes video games, so I used to be masking the intermission
stories and updating scores and stats, and it simply developed from there.

HC: What was the panorama like in sports activities media for girls once you
got here out of college?

EM: At that the time, there weren’t quite a lot of ladies in sports activities. There was
additionally not quite a lot of variety, in broadcasting and in sports activities particularly.

Growing up, my dad and mom all the time mentioned, ‘No matter what occurs, you’re going
to should work tougher than the following individual. You’re going to should show
your self on a regular basis, as a result of you’re a lady and since you’re a
minority. Nothing’s going to return straightforward for you.’

So that was simply one thing that all the time caught with me. And I bear in mind some
of my colleagues at SAIT, as we acquired nearer to commencement, saying that it
could be simpler for me to get a job as a result of I used to be a lady and a minority,
which I didn’t essentially agree with. But if being a lady and being a
minority was going to get my foot within the door, then what, I’ll
settle for it. But on the identical time, if I can not do my job, it is not going to
hold the door open very lengthy.

It was simply the fact of, you are going to should work twice as exhausting as
the following individual if you wish to have any alternatives. That was simply
one thing that all the time caught with me.

HC: You’re developing on 9 years with Hockey Canada later this
week; what was the profession path to get right here?

EM: I labored on the radio station in Lethbridge for 4 years, working the
morning present and doing intermission stories with the Hurricanes. I moved
into tv at Global Lethbridge for a couple of years, and in 2002 was fortunate
sufficient to get a place as a sports activities reporter at Global Saskatoon. I
targeted on quite a lot of college sports activities, did males’s and girls’s hockey,
reporting on these. That was my beat. Canadian Junior Football, I lined
the Saskatoon Hilltops. I lined volleyball, curling – discovered lots about
curling – lined quite a lot of SJHL hockey, minor hockey, all that form of
stuff.

In 2010 there have been cutbacks, and the trade as an entire was altering, so I
determined to go residence to Lethbridge. I went again to the radio station, began
doing the morning present once more, which I by no means thought I’d do, and was concerned
with Hurricanes video games on each TV and radio.

A 12 months later, the Hurricanes’ communications supervisor took one other job in
the Western Hockey League, and the staff provided me the place. I used to be with
the staff for 4 years earlier than the Hockey Canada place got here open, and I
began in February 2015.

HC: You’ve had the chance to work with superb athletes, journey
to superb locations, have a front-row seat to Canadian hockey historical past.
What is that like?

EM: Honestly, it is exhausting to explain, as a result of until you are in it, you’ll be able to’t
even actually describe it. But by no means in my wildest goals would have imagined
that I’d have the alternatives which have come my approach. I by no means would have
imagined that I might have gone to among the locations that I’ve gone, had
the chance to work with among the athletes that I’ve labored with,
had the chance to cowl occasions, whether or not it’s from the occasion aspect or
being embedded with a staff.

I believe the opposite piece that makes it particular is what it means to my
household. My household is extremely pleased with simply seeing that this child who,
when she was youthful, most likely did not all the time have the best give attention to her
research, is doing what she’s doing now.

There are instances once I’ve hosted a press convention, and my household tells
their associates, ‘That’s our kid. That’s my sister. That’s my daughter.’
They’re so pleased with that, and which means the world to me, however I additionally know
that I’ve all the time tried to be actually respectful and attempt to work exhausting, and do
proper by the Madziya title. It means lots to them, simply as a lot because it means
to me.

HC: You’ve talked about your loved ones a couple of instances, and the affect
they’ve had on you. How necessary has that assist system been as
you’ve progressed via your profession?

EM: No matter what I wished to do with my life, they’ve all the time simply been in
my nook. And I believe for any child to have their dad and mom say, ‘We’re so
pleased with you, it doesn’t matter what you do. We see the work that you simply do,’ it is a
cool factor.

Our final title is Madziya. We’re the one Madziya household right here in Canada, and
they’re actually pleased with that. Their assist simply means lots, as a result of
they’ve all the time been there. My mother all the time says, ‘Look on the alternatives
that you’ve got been given, have a look at the roles that you’ve got had, and recognize
that. And regardless that there is likely to be some exhausting instances alongside the way in which, these
exhausting instances strengthen you and so they’re the rationale that you simply hold having the
alternatives that come your approach.’

HC: To be one of many faces of Team Canada with nationwide and
worldwide media… does that carry a bit extra weight, imply a
little extra, since you’re a minority lady?

EM: Absolutely, as a result of there nonetheless is a bit little bit of, ‘Do I actually belong
right here?’ In the again of my thoughts, there’s nonetheless that little little bit of… watch how
you stroll, watch the way you carry your self, watch the way you’re coping with
any person, watch the way you’re coping with different media, as a result of in the event you offend
any person, it’s fairly straightforward to say, ‘Well, it was her.’

In the again of my thoughts, I’m all the time nonetheless occupied with working twice as
exhausting. I simply do not wish to make any missteps, as a result of I really feel like any person
is simply ready for me to make a mistake to say, ‘See, that individual cannot do
it. She’s not certified. She was only a token rent.’

Those issues nonetheless play behind my thoughts. I do not suppose these issues
will ever not play behind my thoughts.

HC: Women’s hockey has grown by leaps and bounds lately,
and also you’ve been capable of see it up shut. What has that been wish to
watch the sport evolve?

EM: It’s fairly cool to see, as a result of there’s quite a lot of exhausting work that is gone
into rising the sport, and also you see how passionate the athletes are, however you
additionally see how passionate the workers is. So seeing the place it is at and seeing so
many individuals work so exhausting, that brings me quite a lot of pleasure, as a result of they’d
their goals after they have been a bit woman. And to see the place issues are at
and to see the issues that they have been capable of do and attain, however to
additionally get a entrance row seat to it, is fairly cool.

And I believe one of many neatest issues for me is that as a result of I’ve been right here
9 years and have labored up and down the National Women’s Program, and at
nationwide occasions just like the National Women’s Under-18 Championship, I’ve been
capable of see gamers from 16, 17, 18 years outdated via to the nationwide staff,
and see the distinction they’re making now. It’s fairly cool to see that
development – as hockey gamers and as ladies.

HC: Throughout your profession within the media trade, how have you ever seen
the doorways open for girls, and for minorities?

EM: It’s like night time and day. The trade has modified for the higher. There
are extra alternatives, extra doorways opening up at this time. I believe quite a lot of
organizations have checked out their product and requested, ‘Is our TV program,
is our news program, is our sports activities program indicative of what the remainder of
Canada appears like?’ Because it has to, in any other case you are not going to
join with folks and you are going to lose them.

There are so many various avenues at this time. There are podcasts and
influencers and so many different issues that persons are doing on their very own.
You’re seeing much more ladies in several roles. And we’re seeing lots
extra of that as a result of it is about hiring the most effective individual that’s on the market.

HC: What recommendation do you’ve got for girls, or minorities, that wish to
get into sports activities however possibly do not feel like they’ve a path?

EM: If that is what you wish to do, pursue it. Don’t let anyone cease you.
Somebody might say no, a door might shut, but it surely’s not no eternally, and there is
going to be one other alternative. Obviously if any person says no, it cuts
deep, but it surely simply means not proper now. Know that you simply belong there simply as
a lot as the following individual. At the tip of the day, all people places their pants
on the identical approach.

So, pursue what you wish to do. Don’t take no for a solution, do your
analysis, be assured and go in understanding that that you are able to do the
job. Treat folks with respect, and you may hopefully get that respect again.
Nobody ought to ever let you know that you do not belong.