Laura Robinson
| Laura Robinson | |
|---|---|
| Residence | Owen Sound, Ontario |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Alma mater | University of Western Ontario |
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Known for | sports discrimination & abuse reports |
Laura Robinson is a Canadian sports journalist and author who received national attention for reports on abuse or discrimination against aboriginals, blacks or women athletes or students.
Robinson grew up in Mississauga, Ontario in the 1970s.
Robinson was a three-time Ontario cycling champion, and a rowing champion for Ontario and Canada in 1979. When she began competitive cycling, she experienced gender discrimination which may have inspired her future focus on such issues in sports for her journalism and author career. Prizes then for men's races were cash or new bikes while female riders earned bubble bath or chocolates. When she was 16 years old, she also had to leap out of a car to avoid advances from a 30 year-old coach.
In 1987, a serious bicycle accident in Vancouver was a motivational and financial factor in moving into a journalism career.
In 1990, her first paid article was opinion-editorial published by The Globe and Mail on the need for women athletes to overcome 'pink-ribbon syndromes.' She was a sports columnist for a couple of years for Toronto's Now Magazine and participated with Canadian Broadcast Corporation Fifth Estate for a sports documentary.
Her 1992 article, "Sexual Abuse: Sport’s Dirty Little Secret" was published by the Toronto Star newspaper. In July 1992, a senior editor of the Toronto Star messaged the freelance reporter that obsessiveness in her conversation with him could be admirable, but also possibly irritable. The message was later discussed by Robinson in the 2015 Furlong defamation court case.
In 1994, Robinson twice interviewed Ken Shields, the Order of Canada recipient and former head coach of Canada's national basketball team. The Globe and Mail published her report about possible racial discrimination against black people due to their lack of participation as players on the national team. Shields later cited the interview when testifying in court in 2015 during her lawsuit versus John Furlong.
In 2011, she won silver medal Book of the Year Award from the American Library Association for her children’s book Cyclist BikeList: The Book For Every Rider.
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