I think it's important for
young girl, sitting at home to see a face that resembles them
or see someone that embodies, maybe what they hope, they
could be one day for some reason. The doors have opened
to me. For some reason,
I get to sit in the homes of millions of people on Sundays
before they watch the Sunday Night Football game,
and I think that, that is a very important place to be.
My name is Maria Taylor. I work at NBC Arts, as an anchor and
broadcaster
growing up. I played basketball and volleyball in high school
and I played both Sports in college at the University of
Georgia.
It was really hard in the beginning to see myself in
sports media. So, you know, I'm an African-American female. I'm
a former athlete, you know, I'm different from everyone else
I've ever seen doing
this job. And one of the hurdles was just envisioning
that I could have this role or that I could aspire to it and
I think being a female athlete has
taught me that my confidence should come from within
that. I can change my circumstances that I am in
control of anything that happens on the field or
the court. And so in turn its translated I think into my
career. I think if I hit a roadblock or, you know, there's
a hurdle in front of me.
I believe that if I just put in a little bit more hard work and
effort that, I'll be able to overcome it. And here we are
sitting here at NBC. All of those things have manifested.
Whenever there is a first happening,
like a Sarah Thomas, the NFL, I always think to myself, like
she may be the first,
but there were a lot of denials along the way
and we have to celebrate this one.
Like, for me, it's validating. I feel like I've had a win or
I feel like I've just been the first one and I think a lot of
women out there feel the same way, like, that's one for
the team.
And so it's cool to be on
the side of the mic and being able to share it with the world
and making sure that these women Who have stood on
the shoulders of others and have waited their turn. I'm one of
those people, you know, I've I stand on
the shoulders of many other women who wanted to be in
the sea and couldn't and I'm just the story of a lot of denials
turned into one opportunity.
And so it's cool to be able to just be a part in and see be
a part of the generation that gets to see, you know,
the fruits of all those laborers.
So, the first time that I was ever able to work the Olympics,
which I never thought I was going to be able to do was this
past summer in Tokyo, and I was just in awe of the fact that
this is like the biggest moment in sports. It's a global event.
And you
look at Team USA and the biggest stars are women
and I've just never been able to experience that
where the gymnastics team is the driver.
And everyone wants to know what's going on with Simone
biles or Sunni Lee. You know, where the Women's Basketball
team is the team that setting a Record and everyone wants to
watch Diana, Taurasi and Sue bird playing together.
It was something that like felt so good to my soul,
as someone who had played Sports, and all you ever want, is that
women and female athletes be validated in a way that like,
what they work for, and what they are working on is just as
important as any man, who's in sports.
I think the best thing about where I am now is that I know
I've never compromised myself to get here. I have always
uplifted others as specifically women.
I have made sure that
you know, one of the things that is my Guiding Light is
the responsibility of being a role model
this path. In a lot of ways it was given to me
but in a lot of ways I've earned it and I stand in that
I stand in that and I say I'm proud, I stand strong in it,
and I know that you know, it wasn't given
It was earned and I believe that and I hope that every
woman out there who has success in some way shape or form like
you earned that and don't let anyone tell you different.