The Freedom Center is excited to welcome Sarah Spain as a Journalist in Residence during fall 2023.
Spain is an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning sports journalist who has excelled in a variety of roles in her decade-plus at ESPN, from radio to podcasting and television to writing. Spain is on the Gatorade Women’s Advisory Board and is a co-owner of the Chicago Red Stars of the National Women’s Soccer League. Before her career in journalism, Spain received All-Conference, All-Area, and All-State accolades in high school for basketball, field hockey, and track and went on to be a heptathlete and co-captain of the Track and Field team at Cornell University. Named to Crain’s Chicago Business “40 Under 40” list in 2017, she’s the co-founder of “Hear The Cheers,” which provides hearing aids and equipment to kids so they can continue participating in sports and activities. She’s also on the board of Embarc, a program that provides community-driven, experienced-based learning opportunities to low-income Chicago high school students.
Sarah was on a panel of “literal superheroes” for the Freedom Center’s Women’s Equity in Sports Public Discussion Forum in April 2023 at the Fox Tucson Theatre with Adia Barnes, Arizona Women’s Basketball Coach; Kathryn Bertine, creator of Le Tour Entier, which resulted in the creation of a women’s race at the Tour de France; AJ Mleczko, ESPN National Hockey League analyst, and two-time Olympic hockey medalist; Kathrine Switzer, the first woman to officially register for and run the Boston Marathon; and moderator Damien Alameda, KOLD News 13 Sports Director.
