People grow through challenges, speaker says
Former ESPN sportscaster to talk about 'comfort zones'
While growing up, the last thing Sharlene Hawkes ever expected was that she would be in the public eye.
But in order to accomplish that she learned long ago about the need to step outside one's "comfort zone."
"Lots of people see me as a former Miss America and sports broadcaster and they automatically assume I wanted to do that when I grew up," Hawkes said during a phone interview from her home in Salt Lake City.
"But it's exactly the opposite. I'm doing things I never wanted to do. I wanted to be an architect or a veterinarian," she said.
Hawkes career took a path she never expected when she was a child thanks to her willingness to step out of her comfort zone.
That will be the focus of her presentation Tuesday when she comes to Tabor College to talk about "Getting Comfortable — Outside Your Comfort Zone." The presentation is part of Prairie View's Food for Thought series.
Her presentation will address business challenges from a fresh perspective.
Hawkes is well qualified to talk about the success one can have from taking risks. Born in Paraguay, the fifth of seven children, Hawkes spent 12 years in South America including most of her high school years in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In 1984, she was crowned Miss America, making her the only foreign-born woman ever to hold the crown.
After graduating from Brigham Young University, she became one of the first women to work on-air for ESPN and covered events such as World Cup Soccer, World Cup Skiing, the Kentucky Derby, America's Cup, World Alpine Championships, the French Open, and college football. While there she received an Emmy nomination and the Women's Sports Journalism Award.
"You have to understand your talents," Hawkes said. "When I was 14 and in the ninth grade, I had a teacher who said I should run for office. I laughed at her. But I remember talking to myself, 'Do I want to be a coward or courageous'? I began saying 'yes, I want to be courageous'."
After being named Miss America, Hawkes found fulfilling that role took a lot of courage.
"Once you become Miss America, then you're the focal point of jokes," she said. "I was just a 20-year-old college sophomore and was thrown into it. I learned a lot about how to deal with criticism: Don't take things personally and poke fun at yourself.
"You learn from different things," she said.
Moving on to become one of the first female sportscasters for ESPN, Hawkes said she didn't realize how unusual it was for a woman to have that job.
"I look back now and realize how unusual it was that I did what I did," she said. "I always loved sports. I was fascinated with the personal stories of athletes. I wondered what sets them apart, what makes them champions?"
Hawkes had plenty of opportunity to venture outside her comfort zone while covering football and other male-dominated sports.
"I am well aware that 100 percent of those guys would rather not see me down there on the sidelines. They'd rather see the guys doing color commentary even though most of them didn't play football," Hawkes said.
"Seventy-five percent of the guys were good, but the old guard — the older coaches had problems with it — they just didn't see it coming," she added.
"You know they're saying 'Get that blond off the sidelines'," she said with a laugh.
However, Hawkes found her niche reporting on the personal lives of athletes.
"I'd go in a day early and do some interviews with the athletes," Hawkes said. That knowledge helped her in telling the audience what made the champions champions.
"One time I did an interview with Elvis Gerbach on how he picked himself up and carried on after being sacked," she recalled. "Then during that game he was sacked eight times. So, I was able to comment on what he did. I found a niche for myself.
Today, Hawkes continues to work as a freelancer for ESPN but her focus now is that of public speaker, a flexible career option for the mother of four.
Hawkes has just published a book, "Kissing a Frog: Four Steps to Finding Comfort Outside Your Comfort Zone."
For those wishing to attend Hawkes presentation at Tabor, the registration fee is $12.50 per person. Reservations are due by noon Friday. Dinner begins at 6:30 p.m., followed by the presentation from 7 to 8 p.m. The event will take place in the Wohlgemuth Music Education Center.
For more information or to register, contact Prairie View at 800-362-0180 or visit the website at www.prairieview.org
