Sports commentator making her dreams come true

Taylor Curtis says she still remembers writing down that she wanted to be a sports commentator when her class was asked what they wanted to be when they grew up.

Recently, she started a new job at the helm of the primetime Crowd Goes Wild sports variety news show.

She knew that was the path she wanted to take after seeing Melodie Robinson on TV growing up, saying she instantly got to work learning everything about her.

"I wanted to do everything she had done to get where she had been, knowing I wanted to be a sports commentator one day."

While studying media communications and psychology at the University of Canterbury, she reached out to Melodie to see if she'd be interested in covering her South Island Sevens competition.

"I got Mel's email and reached out to her. . . she responded pretty quickly that she's going down to present the sevens and 'let's catch up'."

Following that meeting, Taylor was flung headfirst into rugby commentary as Scotty' Sumo' Stevenson's mentee for six months.

"They liked me and asked if I would be keen to do a live cross at a Crusaders against Blues game, and I'd never done anything like that in my life.

"I was coming in for a news update on what players were in and what players were out.

"I didn't really know how they were going to structure it and I probably had two of the hardest names to say.

"My knees, I felt like they were buckling."

After what she called a 'terrible' first cross, she was surprised to get a second chance, but from there it had been a whirlwind of colour commentary and analysis that culminated with the Crowd Goes Wild reaching out to offer her a job.

"They're like the cool kids at school. When they asked if I wanted to join, I didn't even have to think twice.

"If you tell someone you're working for Crowd Goes Wild, the athlete instantly relaxes."

While it had been an "obstacle" to learn the ropes of all the different sports, she says she's always eager to get better at what she does.

One of the highlights in her first month on the job was interviewing UFC fighter Dan 'the hangman' Hooker over a game of hangman.

"I suggested to play hangman with the hangman, throwing that out being the new kid and thinking 'no ones going to like my idea,' but they loved it."

Being a part of the Crowd Goes Wild team had been like joining a family, she says.
With most of the staff having a sporting background, working in a team comes naturally.

"Everyone's there to work together, not against each other. It doesn't feel like work at all.

"Anything's possible; that's the thing I love."