From Fyshwick to Football's Biggest Stage: A Canberra Success Story
Stephanie Burnham's career trajectory reads like a Hollywood script. What began with writing stories at The Canberra Times office in Fyshwick has culminated in her preparing for the biggest event in American sports – the Super Bowl. As a media department staffer for the New England Patriots, Burnham finds herself at the heart of the global spectacle that is Super Bowl LX, a journey she describes as "surreal".
A Dream Forged in the Bush Capital
Burnham's path started at the University of Canberra, where she was among a small group of women pursuing a Sports Media degree. Her early internships with The Canberra Times and the Brumbies rugby team planted the seed for a career working within a sports organisation. "I felt like working with a team was for me," Burnham recalls. "I got this dream of working in the NFL."
That dream is now a reality. If the Patriots triumph on Monday, Burnham will receive a championship ring alongside players and coaches – a reward extended to all staff who contribute to the franchise's success. Her role during the game will be critical: reporting injuries from trainers to the media and coordinating post-game player interviews for the hundreds of journalists covering an event watched by nearly 200 million people worldwide.
The Grind Behind the Glory
Reaching this point required extraordinary persistence. After graduating, Burnham embarked on a bold strategy: sending 50 cold emails to media professionals across US sports organisations. This effort, while working at Hockey ACT and gaining NRL experience, yielded just seven replies. Yet, it was enough to plan a five-week US trip in 2016, shadowing three NFL teams and the Harlem Globetrotters.
"After that I knew this was what I wanted to do," she said. This initial foray was the first of several trips, each building her network with key figures from teams like the Los Angeles Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, and Stanford University. A breakthrough came with a pre-season training camp internship at the Indianapolis Colts in 2017.
Overcoming Hurdles and Seizing Opportunity
The journey wasn't without significant obstacles. Visa limitations and lacking a specific US media certification prompted a move to California in 2018. There, she studied at UCLA, worked with their college football team, and secured further internships with the Chargers and Los Angeles Rams.
A pivotal moment arrived in 2020 when Burnham won the Green Card Lottery, granting her permanent US work rights. Despite pandemic delays, this allowed her to accept a full-time position with the Patriots in 2021. In her current role, her duties range from hosting press conferences to chaperoning billionaire owner Robert Kraft, leading to encounters with celebrities like Jay Z, Ed Sheeran, and Jon Bon Jovi.
Inspiring the Next Generation
As she prepares for the Super Bowl's intense two-week media frenzy, Burnham remains grounded and grateful. She plans to thank the family, friends, and colleagues who supported her. Furthermore, she hopes her story empowers other women considering sports media.
"I just hope that females feel they can look into sports media and doing these roles, because there still aren't many of us," Burnham stated. "But if I can do it, I feel like anyone can. It's just determination, networking and chasing the dream."
She acknowledges the financial sacrifice, depleting savings for what her mother framed as a career investment. From a balcony in Canberra dreaming of the NFL to the sidelines at the Super Bowl, Stephanie Burnham's story is a powerful testament to where ambition and resilience can lead.
