I think the greatest all-around athlete ever was Jim Brown. He played lacrosse, basketball and ran track at Syracuse. He played professional football for the Browns.

I was fortunate to be part of a very successful show on CBS in 1986. I switched to NBC for eight years and through these experiences have gotten terrific insight into television; it's a fascinating medium.

The wonderful thing about television is the immediate impact of pictures of current events.

One of my first jobs was at the Boston Globe. I worked in the sports department six months a year. When I was ready to graduate, the sports editor gave me a job as a schoolboy sports writer.

Though teenagers are generally very interested in sports, they must realise that education is the most important thing in their lives. They must find the right balance.

When you want a raise, you're not only going in saying: 'I want more money.' You're going in and saying: 'Here's what I want out of my career. Here's what I accomplished. Here's what I said I was going to do. Here's what I've done. Not only do I deserve more money, but I want to get to here on my career.'

I was my father's son and my mother's daughter. There was never any time when I felt I wasn't equally capable - whether it was being the only girl in the county who could hit a jump shot in basketball or playing first base in the baseball with the boys. I was always encouraged to do whatever I wanted to do.

All my life I believed I became an athlete through my own determination, but it's impossible to think that being descended from slaves hasn't left an imprint through the generations. Difficult as it was to hear, slavery has benefited descendants like me - I believe there is a superior athletic gene in us.