The Athlete Whisperer

Andrea Kirby was not a former athlete and had no ties to television. Still in 1971 this single mom talked her way onto a small television station as a sportscaster. A rare female in the all-male culture of her beloved sports she was harassed and discriminated against but she wasn't deterred.<br /> <br />Kirby excelled at her first break and then moved to a bigger market in sports-rich Baltimore. Male colleagues said she didn't belong but fans loved her teams respected her and networks noticed her. In 1977 ABC Sports hired Andrea Kirby as its first full-time female announcer. Hosting the College Football Scoreboard and traveling the world for Wide World of Sports was her hard-fought dream come true. <br /> <br />Heartbreakingly the dream ended. Kirby's survival became another great adventure. Then a chance interview with a famous basketball player changed everything inspiring an idea so original that it appeared as a question in the board game Trivial Pursuit. <br /> <br />A rare entertaining and uplifting story The Athlete Whisperer will inspire any reader with an improbable dream.