ALUMNI PROFILE
THE RECIPE FOR SUCCESS: LYDIA MURPHY-STEPHANS By: Kelly Pugliano
What happens when a young girl at
the age of 12, watches on TV two top female speed skaters compete in the 1972 Olympic Winter Games in Sap- poro, Japan? She is inspired to try it herself. She steps on the ice at her local club, Northbrook Skating Club in Illinois and cannot believe those who sped around the track on TV are also members of this same club. She would skate on the same ice as Olympians and would soon call those who inspired her peers. Lydia Murphy-Stephans fell in love
with this sport and progressed quick- ly. Within three short years, she won the 1976 National Short Track Cham- pionship as a Junior and went on to claim her spot on eight World Teams in both short and long track from 1976-1985. Preferring the indoor environ-
ment of short track over the colder elements of the outdoor oval, Lydia found the sport thrilling and fun. At the time, long track was the only recognized discipline in Olympic speed skating, so she applied her skills & agility to the oval and it paid off, earning her the chance to repre- sent the USA in the 1000m distance at the 1984 Olympic Winter Games in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia where she placed 13th. Remaining active in the sport,
Lydia became a National Short Track coach for the 1985-86 season and soon found herself accepting a po- sition with ABC Sports as an on-air analyst, also working in production and programming. As she excelled in skating, Lydia led a similar path in broadcasting and in 1993 was named the first female vice president in the history of ABC Sports. Responsible for programming of sports such as golf, tennis, and many others, she
26 RACING BLADE Summer 2012
www.usspeedskating.org
who made history earning a perfect 10 in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, reunited with her family and the gymnastic school where she trained in Bucharest. “When driving the route to the school, the streets were lined six people deep. It’s a sight I’ll never forget,” she shared. Yet one story remains close was
was also a major contributor for the popular Wide World of Sports series, which was known for sharing the stories of athletes to viewers around the world. “Sports provided the foun- dation of where I am today in my ca- reer,” Lydia shared. ABC Sports was just the beginning of her impressive resume; having also worked with prestigious networks such as MSG, FSNY, Oxygen Media and most re- cently, she joined the team as Ex- ecutive VP & General Manager of the new PAC-12 Networks, set to launch in August 2012. When asked what she is excited to
share on the new network, Murphy- Stephans stated “I grew up enjoying the human interest stories. I hope to somehow showcase that side of sports on PAC-12 as well.” With over 26 years in broadcast-
ing, many stories come to mind, such as the trip escorting her friend and Olympian Nadia Comaneci back to Romania. Lydia and camera crew documented the trip as the gymnast,
that of Dan Jansen. “I’ve known DJ and his entire family for a long time, including his sister Jane.” Lydia re- called. When the Up Close and Per- sonal stories were being recorded during the 1988 Winter Olympic Games, the only thing Dan repeated as what was missing was the fact his sister Jane couldn’t be there, due to being so gravely ill. Lydia flew to the hospital to be with Jane, her husband and their children. With the sadness of Jane’s passing, also came the joy of the story coming full circle. She was rink side when her friend DJ, who six years later, broke the world record and won the gold medal, which he dedicated to his late sister, Jane. When not creating Emmy Award winning programming (she has 19 and counting!), hiking the trails or playing tennis, you can find Lydia in one of her most favorite places- the kitchen. “I love to cook! I scour the in- ternet for new recipes all the time.” Not afraid to experiment, she enjoys making Mexican & Italian and creat- ing organic dishes for her family. What advice would she give to an athlete to help prepare them for life aer competition? “Sport is a great training ground
for life. Do your best; learn from both winning and losing. At this elite level, remember nothing is forever; enjoy your time and be sure to always think about what else.” n
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