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Pro skater glides in

Source: Centennial College Courier
Date: April 23, 2009
Author: Courier Staff
From skating to commentating, Kurt Browning loves what he does.

Browning, a four-time world champion figure skater, recently visited the sports journalism students to talk about his transition from the ice to the broadcast booth.

"Anybody who loves what they're doing is going to do a better job at it," Browning said. "I think that anybody who has a curiosity and passion for what they do, that's important (and it should be pursued)."

The former competitive figure skater was the first person to successfully land a quadruple jump in competition, which he accomplished at the 1988 world championships in Budapest, Hungary.

Throughout his career, Browning says he's had positive experiences with the media.

"I was fortunate to have a group of reporters (follow my career) that seemed truly interested in what I was doing," Browning said. "They motivated me with their good words as well as their negativity, something that I respected."

Browning, who continues to remain a part of figure skating by commentating as well as doing choreography for some of the world's top skaters, says successful journalists need to build a rapport with the people they interview.

"If you're a journalist and you don't build a relationship of trust and integrity with your athletes, you're not going to get the best of them and they aren't going to give their best (back to you)."

He also believes in the importance of good storytelling.

"It's important to hear that there are people behind the stories," Browning said. "There's more to them than just what happened on that day."

Browning has been commentating alongside Scott Russell, who is a veteran of Canadian amateur sport storytelling. The pair recently came back from the world figure skating championships in Los Angeles, where they called the events for CBC-TV.

Browning says he enjoyed his time at Centennial because it enabled him to see Russell in a different role as a teacher.

"One of the things I liked the most about (visiting the program) was getting to see my friend Scott in a different role," Browning said. "It was nice to crack open the door on what makes him tick a little bit."