Looking back with Norman: sports reporting around the world

Passion for Sport said farewell recently to our Africa Development Manager and veteran broadcaster Norman Brierley, who first worked in sports broadcasting with Feba in the 1990s before being seconded to 2K Plus for the All Africa Games in Abuja in 2003 and then travelling for Passion for Sport to regular events around the world.

Content manager Adrian Barnard recorded an interview with Norman, looking back over memorable trips to major sporting events – four Olympic Games, four Commonwealth Games, World Athletics Championships, All Africa Games, IFF Grand Prix events and Rugby 7s.

One of the challenges Norman recalls was the business of getting interviews with major athletes at events where – because Passion for Sport was often not granted official accreditation – you had to be quite creative …

“I didn’t look forward to standing outside an athletes village – where we weren’t allowed in – and waiting until they went in or came out. In Beijing we saw Usain Bolt coming along so we were able to get an interview with him. In Maputo in Mozambique I was able to use Portuguese so you could get around more and chat to people. Moscow was tough because you didn’t know the language.”

One of his most memorable interviews was with Jamaican springer Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce: “It’s difficult to catch hold of these huge great athletes, but I think it was during a Diamond League event in Birmingham here in the UK that I managed to have 15 minutes with her talking about all sorts of things, including her faith. If you look at her in any event she is always smiling, effervescent, and joyful and clearly has a relationship with Jesus.

“She did well from 2008 onwards then she had an injury and missed one of the Olympics. She was able to cling on to God when she was down. She came back and in 2019 was on fire and coming back to the top in her sprinting.”

In the interview Norman also talks about an encounter with Olympic gold medallist and former world 400m record holder Michael Johnson, what he has learned from 20 years talking to top class sportsmen and women, and how his faith has been impacted working with Passion for Sport.

Click below to listen to the full interview