Kristyn Comino
27 January 2015: If her life were a football game, University of Canberra journalism graduate Lucy Zelic would be scoring her fair share of goals. As a sports presenter on TV with the SBS network – mainly reporting on football – the 27-year-old said she is "living the dream" and that the University of Canberra helped her get there.
Having had the "honour" of hosting SBS's FIFA World Cup coverage, being a sideline reporter for the Hyundai A-League, regular host of their Extra Time program and often presenting the sports news in their nightly bulletins, Ms Zelic has cemented herself as a top sporting personality at SBS.
"I don't think I could have fashioned a better job for myself than what I'm doing. Every day is still exciting and I don't think I'll ever be able to adjust to the fact that I've turned what I thought was a pipe dream into a career. It really is something I pinch myself over," Ms Zelic says, who has been in the role for more than a year.
"I don't think I could have fashioned a better job for myself than what I'm doing. Every day is still exciting and I don't think I'll ever be able to adjust to the fact that I've turned what I thought was a pipe dream into a career. It really is something I pinch myself over," Ms Zelic says, who has been in the role for more than a year.
In particular, she says hosting the coverage of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil was a dream come true.
"There's nothing bigger than a world cup event. To be involved in something of that scale – covering 64 matches in 32 days – was gruelling but invigorating. I will remember that for the rest of my life."
Ms Zelic kicked off her career while studying at the University of Canberra, working at ACT community radio station 2XX FM hosting its football coverage and later being asked to guest present for Canberra's Mix 106.3. Having then missed out on some opportunities along the way, Ms Zelic says she questioned if she wanted to keep going with journalism and moved into a human resources role in the Attorney General's Department before eventually being head-hunted by SBS.
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The Canberra local is also the sister of Australian football greats Ned and Ivan Zelic, almost 15 and eight years her senior, but emphasises she hasn't had any free-kicks off the back of her family's success.
"Nothing good comes without hard work. It's been a long road for me to get to where I am today and I have faced many rejections and setbacks along the way, but I'm in the position I'm in now because I've proven I can do it, not because anyone has given it to me on a silver platter."
Having graduated from the University with a Bachelor of Journalism majoring in sports business in 2010, she says her degree has "definitely helped" her get into the industry.
"It's a great thing for me to say I have a journalism degree, it shows I've earned my stripes and have the tools to do the job. If it wasn't for the degree I don't think I'd be here to be here to be honest," she said.
"It's a great thing for me to say I have a journalism degree, it shows I've earned my stripes and have the tools to do the job. If it wasn't for the degree I don't think I'd be here to be here to be honest," she said.
"It all started for me at the University. My passions changed throughout the course of the degree as they let us try a bit of everything, print, radio and TV. I thought I wanted to be a writer but when I did radio that became my passion, and led to the fantastic role I have in TV today."
Her advice for journalism students and graduates is that working hard is the key to success.
"It's not going to come easy, you'll need to start at the bottom and work your way up, but get out there, promote yourself and work hard and you will reach your goals. It's been a roller coaster ride for me, but thankfully mostly up!"
Recently nominated for Cosmopolitan's 'Fun, Fearless, Female' award and a previous finalist for Miss Universe Australia, Ms Zelic adds that being a woman in male-dominated industry isn't without its challenges.
"You need to be individually capable and confident to be able to carry yourself in a male-dominated industry. It can be difficult as there are a lot of embedded social and cultural views about women in sport – you find you make the same mistakes but are judged more harshly and there's always going to be people who doubt you – but it's just about being aware and equipped to overcome this."
