(L-R) Melodie Robinson; Julie Sobieski; Rabia Qadir
The beginning of November marked the end of the fifth Global Sports Mentoring Program, a four-week collaboration between espnW and the U.S. Department of State.
ESPN hosted two emerging leaders – field hockey star and journalist Rabia Qadir from Pakistan, who teamed with Vice President, Communications Diane Lamb; and rugby star and journalist Melodie Robinson from New Zealand, who worked with Vice President, League Sports Programming, Julie Sobieski. (Note: The Walt Disney Company, which owns ESPN, also hosted an emerging leader of its own.)
Click through this photo gallery for more on Rabia, Melodie and their mentors.
Rabia Qadir (Pakistan)
On her ESPN experience: “It was a very good and positive experience for me. It was an honor to have help and advice from the many executives here.”
Her favorite moment at ESPN: “Seeing snow for the first time in my life.”
What she’ll be taking back with her: Qadir said that among the many lessons learned during her time at ESPN, one of the skills she’ll take back with her is how to organize and keep a schedule. “In Pakistan, we just decide [on our daily schedules] on the spot, at the last minute.”
Rabia Quadir (L), with mentor Diane Lamb
Rabia, on her action plan: “I want to create a sports education school with a sports media facility for girls and women in Pakistan. My first step is to give them hope and empower them through sports and media. If women want to speak or have an opinion, I will give them a platform.”
Lamb: “I was honored to participate in the GSMP, mentoring someone who is working to empower girls through sports and education in male-dominated Pakistan. Rabia’s dedication and determination, despite many obstacles, are inspiring. And, every ESPN colleague I contacted to meet with Rabia jumped at the chance and immediately asked how they could help. It was a team effort.”
Melodie Robinson (New Zealand)
On her ESPN experience: “Coming to ESPN, I had an idea of what I wanted to get out of my time here, which was to get as much of the business knowledge as I could. Because I’ve done the production side, I wanted to find out the other side of things – things that I can’t find out about my own company, because it’s not set up like that.
What she’ll be taking back with her: “[The GSMP] has a lot of intense leadership modules. We don’t do a lot of leadership courses in New Zealand. How you hold yourself, how you project yourself – I’m a presenter on television, so it’s easy to do that in front of cameras, but it’s not easy to do that in front of a room full of people.”
Her favorite moment at ESPN: “I always had a dream that I wanted to go to big, major sports events around the world with my husband and kids, and of course an NBA game was on the list, but I’ve done that without them now! (Melodie attended a Boston Celtics game at The Garden.)
Melodie Robinson (R), with her mentor Julie Sobieski
About her action plan: “New Zealand doesn’t have any kind of network or association for women in sport and media like [the U.S. does] with WICT [Women In Cable Telecommunications] and WISE [Women In Sports and Events]. I believe that we need one of those, and that’s what I want to be the founder of.”
Sobieski on Robinson: “It was an honor and a privilege to be a part of this amazing program. Melodie is an exceptional woman, with a great spirit – and she will no doubt deliver on her action plan. The GSMP experience is immeasurable to the mentees, and a big “thank you” to all here at ESPN who embraced these wonderful women and played a part in their journey.”
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