Inspirational
Based: Johannesburg
Cindy Poluta, sports anchor par excellence, brilliant and loving mom, wife, role model and inspiration to so many in SA and globally shares her wonderful journey with us. Is it not amazing how some people can leave a sparkle wherever they go, or whatever they touch – this is Cindy. She is proof yet again that when you passionately love what you do – it exudes out into all spheres of life. Thank you Cindy for your legacy of goodness for now and for those coming after you, you have brilliantly paved the way for women in sport anchoring. You posted this on your Instagram recently – “God does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called”. Spot on!
Asked to share a challenge to our youth she says – “Not so much a challenge. Just some advice: work hard. Set yourself goals, and then work towards them. When I was in my 20’s all my friends were going out all weekend and I would be working early mornings in radio, or long hours in TV. Don’t get me wrong I definitely partied but at the same time I just kept thinking “short term sacrifice for a long term goal” – and it paid off. Hard work never killed anyone just always remember “short term sacrifice for a long term goal”.
Cindy is a mother to two beautiful girls, which takes up much of her time, and she is the morning sports anchor for both Talk Radio 702 and 94.7 Highveld Stereo.
Cindy, who admires working mom and international tennis star Kim Clijsters, says balancing work life and motherhood is a challenge. “Both are full time.”
Cindy recalls how, over a decade ago, while manning the phones at the Talk Radio 702 traffic desk, then Talk Radio 702 sports editor Dave Jack planted the idea of her becoming a sports presenter. In 2003, she convinced 94.7 Highveld Stereo station manager Ravi Naidoo to let her launch weekend sports news on the station, and it all unfolded from there.
Cindy also looks back with pride at her five years with pay channel SuperSport where she worked as a live sports presenter. “I had so much fun there and it was such an honour.”
She lists Penny Heyns’ and Bridgitte Hartley’s Olympic achievements, as well as Natalie du Toit’s Paralympic honours as major women’s sports highlights.
Check out the full interview with Cindy below and find out how she has managed to carve a niche for herself in the male-dominated field of sports media.
Cindy, you are a familiar face and voice in sports broadcasting, when did this journey begin?
To be honest, I’m not really sure how it all began. I guess having two older brothers who are sports fanatics paved the way for me. I was very sporty at school, I did netball, hockey, softball, athletics and even cricket scoring. I have just always had a passion for sport. Leaving school I had no idea I wanted to do anything “sport related” – in fact I had no clue what to do at all. So sports presenting was a happy accident.
