When gsport’s April Woman in Media’s facebook status on Friday read that she “isn’t going to bother with watching F1 this weekend …”, you KNOW it’s a lie, and your knowledge is confirmed a few minutes after the Malaysian motor-escapade finishes, when she can’t resist a little dig, “Finally my prediction paid off; Seb Vettel P1!”.
April’s media personality is a 23 year-old radio sports presenter and F1 aficionado of the most dedicated vein, to the extent that her insights have installed herself as SA’s only female F1 columnist. And, true to form for any F1-enamoured junkie, she readily admits to crying the first time she saw a F1 car, calling it an ‘overwhelming moment’.
She’s an all-round sports junkie all right, and as an eight year-old at the dawning of the new South Africa, warmly remembers “South Africa winning the Rugby World Cup in 1995. I don’t remember the details of the match, but I do remember being very happy and excited at the time!”
But it’s not all smokin’ tyres and blunt ambition – she’s a young go-getter sure – but an insightful and favourite quotation, attributed to South African songstress, Nianell, “If you know what’s inside of you, why not believe in what you can do, if you see it, you can be it,” alludes to a woman realising that ‘what is’ can and should be shaped, a thinking-kind-of-F1-loving-sports-personality?
Does that accurately describe her? Not even close!
From the lady who’s message to South Africa is: ‘Be yourself, and be passionate,’ let’s hear it in her own words; please welcome April’s Woman in Media, Port Elizabeth radio personality and NMMU student, Natalie Le Clue!
Hi Natalie, good to talk to you! Where were you born, and where do you live now?
Hi good to chat to you too. I was born in Port Elizabeth and still reside here for the time being.
Natalie, what makes you a proud South African?
For me there is no greater country on this planet. I love South Africa; more than that I love the South African people. How lucky are we to count ourselves as South African alongside people like Nelson Mandela and Natalie du Toit. South Africans have a way exuding warmth and a kind of pride that I can’t help but be inspired by. I would not trade being South African for anything in this world. It makes me especially proud to see how South Africa has risen to the top of the sporting world on more than one occasion.
Do you have a nickname that your friends call you?
Everybody who gets to know me usually all end up calling me Nats.
What makes you passionate about sport?
This is a difficult question; how can you really put passion into words? For as long as I can remember I have loved sport. There is something inherently joyous about being a sports fan; that feeling of complete euphoria that cannot be replicated anywhere else. Sport is my life. I sleep, eat and breath it ask anyone who knows me!
I don’t know if I can give an exact reason for what makes me passionate about sport. I can however give the best example of it. I am a huge Kimi Raikkonen fan. I have followed his entire career, seen every race he’s won, every fastest lap he’s set and every disappointment he’s had to endure. The culmination of the 2007 season was the year that every Kimi Raikkonen fan had dreamed about.
The 21st of October 2007 is a day I will never forget for as long as I live. Through incredible circumstances, I’d like to believe it was destiny; Kimi won the world championship having had the worst odds you could imagine. It was so surreal. I remember sitting on the couch physically unable to watch the final lap of race. I did manage to watch him cross the line though!
I always thought that I would jump up and down and scream and cheer when he finally became champion, but the complete opposite happened. I cried! I mean really cried. I guess I started crying at the sense of relief that it had finally happened after seven years of living every moment, intensely. But that to me was real, pure and uninhibited passion and sport at its most glorious best.
These are the kind of moments why we love sport. To achieve something of that magnitude after so much struggle and having to face so much criticism, is something that transcends the boundaries of sport, and teaches us a lesson in life. This one in particular taught me the true meaning of passion and also that faith, loyalty and persistence always pays off in the end.
I will always hope that my passion for sport continues shines through in my work.
How did you become a journalist?
I never imagined I would end up on the path that I am today. I was studying Law when I realized that my heart lay somewhere else. I started by sending out e-mails and soon went for a voice test at a certain radio station. It didn’t work out but I met someone who, to this day, I consider a very good friend.
After that I contacted the editor of the PE Express and hoped that I would hear back. They showed some interest and I was soon asked to provide a weekly column on F1. I was over the moon!
The radio side of things came a little later. I realized that I wanted to share my passion for sport with as many people as possible and through radio I realized I could reach a lot of people. I went in for a meeting on a Monday afternoon and was told I would be on-air that Friday! I was incredibly excited and nervous all at the same time.
You’re a sports news and F1 feature presenter for Bay FM, and you also write sports opinion columns – Do you prefer the radio medium, or the written word?
I wouldn’t say that I prefer one over the other. Writing is where I started, and it will always be very special to me; therefore I hope to continue with it as long as I possibly can. When you write you have time to craft the story and the message, and really make it into something that connects with those reading it.
I love radio – it’s fast paced and requires you to think on your feet, which I really enjoy. I can literally spend the whole day talking about sport, and usually do; and then comes the need to share with everyone, and radio is one of the perfect ways to do that.
Do you have aspirations to do television work?
I do. I hope that it will be the next step in my career. I would love to be able expand to television and learn a new medium. I like to enhance myself as much as possible, as often as I can. Television work is definitely on my list of goals, and I am actually currently on the lookout for some TV work. There is one show that I would really like to be on, hopefully in the not too-distant future.
What other projects do you have on the go?
I have a pretty big project in the pipeline. I can tell you that it is a book and that it is something that is very important for me to complete. I have not set myself a definite deadline because I want to have as much time as this book requires. The subject of the book is very close to my heart, and it’s a story that I really feel has to be told.
We are also in the process of developing an hour-long sports feature for Bay FM, of which I will be the co-presenter. My motorsport feature, with the main focus on F1, will remain while the sports feature will focus on any and all sports locally, nationally and internationally.
What has been your biggest career highlight?
It would have to be seeing my first column published. What a rush! There is something almost dreamlike about seeing your own words in print for the first time. Another highlight for me, and this would be an ongoing one, is being in the privileged position to be able to, firstly, bear witness to the all the momentous moments in sporting history, and then having the honour of sharing that with others.
Also my first on air experience was quite memorable – I don’t think I’ve ever been that nervous in my life! I happened to be previewing the upcoming French Grand Prix, and was using my newspaper column as a guide; I had included the French translation of the track’s name and before I knew it I had to whip out my French accent on my first live radio broadcast! Thankfully I pulled it off.
What is your advice to women who would like to become sports journalists?
The most important thing, I think, is to be passionate. If you are passionate about something, there is nothing you that can stand in your way, or stop you from achieving your goals. The technical stuff you can learn, but loving what you do is the biggest and best weapon you can have in your arsenal.
There is a quote I like, which says: “Being a sports journalist is the most fun you can have while still getting paid.” It’s very true, you get to meet incredible people and spend all your time doing something that you love.
However, it is not always just fun and games – it can be hard work, and time consuming as well. Also, don’t be averse to starting at the bottom, as long as you have your foot in the door you are on the right track. I also think it can only do you good, if you know every aspect of whatever sport you want to report on.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced being a woman in your job, and how did you handle it?
The perception is that Formula 1 is a male-dominated sport, watched only by men – This perception is wrong! There are many women who work in F1, and plenty of female spectators that I have personally heard from.
Occasionally you do get the ‘You don’t know anything about F1 – you’re a woman’ attitude; but they come around pretty quickly when they realize that I do know what I’m talking about, when it comes to F1, or any sport for that matter.
For me, the best way to handle these situations is to just believe in your abilities, and to remember that you got to where you are by working just as hard as anybody else.
What sports do you, or have you, participated in?
Is recreational cricket a sport? I know that it can definitely get very competitive when we play! Lol!
I very recently started cycling. It is a work in progress, but one that I am very excited to continue with the goal of completing the Argus Cycle Tour in the future.
What are your favourite spectator sports?
This answer may require a lot of space! I honestly cannot think of a sport that I don’t like watching. Rugby, cricket, soccer, tennis, Formula 1, MotoGp, Superbikes, cycling, golf, swimming, athletics, IRL (Indy Racing League), rallying and many others all have my attention on a daily basis. Whatever I can’t watch, I make sure to read about at the very least.
Who are your favourite sports stars?
I would have to start with Kimi Raikkonen; I can’t help but admire his incredible way of not letting things get to him. His manager once said that Kimi takes about fifteen minutes to get over a disappointment and then starts looking ahead immediately afterwards. Incredible!
I love watching Roger Federer weave his magic, and I also admire the persistence and determination of Elena Dementieva on the woman’s tour. Makhaya Ntini and Jacques Kallis – what legends! Danica Patrick, Sebastian Vettel, Natalie du Toit, Casey Stoner, Rusty Theron, Pierre Spies, and the list goes on and on…
Who would you like to acknowledge for having had faith in you, and having supported your career choices?
Foremost I would like to thank my parents for always believing in me. My mother is the most positive person I know, and she has been behind me my entire life.
My dad has always believed in my abilities, and more importantly, my passion. There is someone else who I would also like to acknowledge; Neil Bisseker. Of all the people who know me, with the exception of my parents, I believe that Neil really knows how passionate I am about F1 and sport. He has been a wonderful friend to me, and has supported me in every step of my career, and for that I am unendingly grateful.
What does 2010 mean for sports journalist Natalie Le Clue?
Soccer World Cup year! I cannot wait to see the biggest tournament in the world on South African soil; it is going to be something special! I think the rest of the world is really going to see, even more, what an awesome place South Africa really is through the world cup.
I will be cheering for Bafana Bafana, and I will be rallying as many people as I can to get behind our boys. For me, personally, I hope it brings new opportunities in terms of my career that see me advance into the direction that I have planned; who knows maybe that goal of getting some TV work will be realized this year.
gsport strives to celebrate femininity. How would you define femininity, and what role does it play in your life?
Femininity, to me, is about believing in yourself, celebrating who you are and what it means to be a woman. Personally, it goes a lot deeper than what you wear or don’t wear for that matter. Femininity is something that is supposed to come from a place inside you, that is grounded and confident and proud.
Men and women will still do a double-take when I say I love Formula 1 racing. To me this isn’t something that bothers me. Yes, they are thinking about my field of choice as unusual because I am a woman, but as soon as they get to know me, that ‘stereotype’ is no longer an issue.
I have always loved sport and I always will. To be perfectly honest, I have never really thought of myself as a woman in a male-dominated field; I have always believed that I am where I belong as a sport’s lover and as a woman.
Who are your role models?
Without a doubt Natalie du Toit. I respect her as a person and her achievements tremendously. To me she epitomizes character and perseverance, and I find her incredibly inspiring in reaching for my own goals. She has not only made me proud to be a South African, but made me believe that no matter the road you are on, nothing can stop you from achieving your dreams. And I quite like her name too 😀
Céline Dion is someone else who I admire – of course for her incredible voice, but more so for the kind of person that she is; gracious, considerate and kind. Something else that I admire about her is her sincerity; it’s a nice lesson to try and apply to yourself.
What inspires you?
A lot of things! I love music and often a song with a positive message can be very inspirational. Achievement inspires me too. Seeing amazing records being set or broken, or reading an inspirational story of success that shows the incredible strength of the human spirit … Nothing can be more inspiring than that.
This may sound a little funny. But something that really inspires me is relating, for example, a story of an historical moment in sport to someone who is not a sports fan per se. One example I can think of is that, for some reason, a lot of my friends are not into cricket, so I have given the ‘Smith-walked-out-to-bat-with-a-broken-hand’ speech about a dozen times!
I get inspired when they realize what amazing things happen in the world of sport. Something changes, and they become conscious of the incredible world of sport that they had previously dismissed, and they want to know more and more. I find that both exhilarating and inspiring.
What is your greatest ambition?
I would love to be able to say what my greatest ambition is, but the truth is in five years time it will likely have changed from what it is now.
So for right now my greatest ambition is to keep doing what I love, successfully. I’d also like very much to finish that book project I referred to earlier. Other than these things I would really love to get into some television work, hopefully in the field of Formula 1.
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