Athletes and coaches must be viewed as humans first who are doing extraordinary athletic things.
This is the belief of CBC Sports senior reporter Devin Heroux when speaking with them at an Olympics, Paralympics or elsewhere, and when sharing his thoughts on social media.
“I’ll never know what it’s like to swim as fast as Summer McIntosh or sprint as quickly as Andre De Grasse, but I do know what it means to win, and I do know loss. And they do as well,” Heroux said this week, after recently returning from Paris after covering his fourth consecutive Olympics and Paralympics.
“When we realize and appreciate the humanity that lives within athletes, I think we can speak differently to them and ask more thoughtful questions. In turn, we get more beautiful, vulnerable, revealing moments that allow the audience to appreciate them in a very human way.”
Heroux and 58 others will be presented with King Charles III Coronation Medals on Friday at the Citadelle of Québec for making a significant contribution to Canada, a province, territory, region or community or who have achieved abroad that brings honour to the country.
The Saskatoon native is being recognized by the office of King Charles III under the category of diversity and inclusion for providing “top-quality, enthusiastic and empathetic professional sports coverage as a senior multi-platform reporter.”
Making the presentation Friday will be the Governor General of Canada, the Right Honourable Mary Simon. The Governor General is one of several nominators, with the medal being awarded to 30,000 individuals in total.
Honoured and humbled by this recognition, the 37-year-old Heroux pointed out it’s a “celebration of those whom I’ve worked beside and all of the athletes who have shared their victory and defeat with me.
“I’m also so grateful that Governor General Mary Simon is recognizing the importance of diversity and inclusion in sports journalism. For a long time, words like inclusion, empathy and compassion were seen to be off-limits in sports journalism. And I think the athletes and audience were done a disservice because of that.”
‘Fear and doubt’ entering workforce
Periodically, Heroux will remind his 89,000 followers on X/Twitter along with others he is one of few openly gay national sports reporters. He did so in June before hosting a Pride panel conversation on sport and sexuality.
But he hasn’t always felt this level of comfort. Heroux recalled “fear and doubt” when he broke into the business as a sports information assistant at the University of Saskatchewan.
“I was confronting my sexuality and what it might be like to be a sports reporter as a gay man in Saskatchewan,” remembered Heroux, who covered the Huskies football, hockey basketball teams. “In December 2007, I penned a coming-out article as sports editor of The Sheaf, the student newspaper. Upon reflection, I probably wasn’t ready to be so open and revealing about my personal life.
“But I felt like it mattered because I was worried about my future as a gay sports journalist. I believed that if I could show others in my position that if they could be all of themselves in the sports landscape and maybe have success, they would be a little more brave and have a little more belief in themselves.”
Years later, being himself is the reason Heroux’s coverage and interviews resonate with Canadians, according to CBC Sports executive director Chris Wilson.
WATCH | Heroux talks to McIntosh after her 3rd Olympic win in Paris:
17-year-old Canadian swimmer Summer McIntosh talks to CBC Sports’ Devin Heroux after winning gold in the 200m individual medley, her third gold medal at Paris 2024.
“He’s enthusiastic and curious and empathetic in real life and when the camera turns on or when he writes a story, that’s still exactly who he is. It’s refreshing,” Wilson said.
“I think our whole team at CBC Sports is very proud to see Devin recognized by the Governor General. I know I am.”
Heroux worked out of CBC Saskatchewan for two years starting in 2010 and the Calgary newsroom from 2012 to 2015. He moved to Toronto in 2016, joining CBC News and The National, and CBC Sports a year later.
“I’ve been so fortunate to travel to all parts of Canada and the world in pursuit of sharing athlete stories,” Heroux said. “The audience feedback, comments, letters and interest in our athletes fuels my desire to do this at the highest level day in, day out.”