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Tamara Creamer has always seen beauty in sport with its daring plays and its intricate web of strategy.
Key points:
- Twenty women are training to be the next generation of sports commentators and mobile journalists
- The group have been putting their new-found skills to the test during the FIFA Women World's Cup
- The program is run by the ABC in collaboration with FIFA WWC, Oceania Football Confederation and the Office for Sport
The Kalkadoon Waanyi woman is combining her passion for sport to become one of 20 trainee commentators ABC Sport veterans are mentoring during the FIFA Women's World Cup.
"I've always been pretty critical of gameplay and strategy in the way that I play, coach, and learnt the game. Understanding the 'why' in why we do things in sport," Ms Creamer said.
"Everything's based around a process and strategy, and I've always been fascinated with trying to unpack that."
As part of the program, First Nations and Indo-Pacific women are receiving training from journalists at Brisbane Stadium.
Half of the women are learning the art of sports commentary, while the other half are honing their expertise behind the camera as mobile journalists.
Every day gets better
Ruby Ketchell, who is one of the trainee journalists, has been learning how to operate mobile camera equipment and nail an interview.
The 19-year-old has previously honed her broadcast skills at Cairns' only Indigenous radio station, Bumma Bippera Media.
The First Nations woman said the program was an unforgettable experience.
"Every single day I've woken up it's been better than the day before, which is insane," Ms Ketchell said.
"It has been a once-in-a-life-time experience, and I feel we can all take everything we've learnt back with us."
Aranda woman Jacqualine Elwell said it was inspiring to see First Nations women breaking into a historically male-dominated industry.
Ms Elwell said the program had been an opportunity for First Nations women to show what they were made of.
"It's our superpower as coloured women, we're aware of those challenges that are placed around us and we do a lot to break those barriers down," Ms Elwell said.
"Traditionally sports was a man's world and those commentary positions were the icing on the cake — it wasn't the norm that women would sit in those spaces.
"These kinds of programs put women in that space … to meet expectations and exceed them."
ABC international development lead Jo Elsom said the group was a promising cohort of up-and-coming journalistic talent.
"This impressive group of female sports journalists, who are committed and passionate in their training programs, are leading the charge towards a more inclusive and diverse sports media industry," she said.
The program is being run in collaboration with FIFA WWC, Oceania Football Confederation, and the Office for Sport.