Three School of Journalism and Media students covered the 2024 US Paralympic Team Trials – Track and Field in July for USA TODAY ahead of traveling to the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. Pictured from left are Catherine Ligon, Avery Bane, and Gabriel Jackson.
“Never in a million years.”
Those are the odds School of Journalism and Media major Catherine Ligon would have guessed if asked about her chances of being published in USA TODAY prior to this summer.
However, that all changed for the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, junior last month.
“It was really humbling.I got super excited when I got stuff published in The Daily Beacon,” Ligon said. “But to be on a national website is absolutely insane, especially knowing that people who don’t go to UT are probably reading it. That’s just really cool. I’ll never forget it and I hope it happens again.”
Her chances of it happening again have also risen. Ligon is one of twelve students and faculty members in the School of Journalism and Media traveling to Paris this summer to cover the Paralympics which takes place from August 28 to September 8.
The school has partnered with the USA TODAY Network to cover the Games. Students will work alongside more than 3,000 sports media professionals from around the world covering the international sporting event for the network. Students will generate stories, photos, and other content before and during the Games.
Prior to the Games, Ligon and two other Paris-bound students traveled to Florida recently for their first assignments with USA TODAY as they reported on the 2024 US Paralympic Team Trials-Track and Field.
“It was the perfect opportunity for students to gain experience prior to Paris covering track and field,” School of Journalism and Media Professor Erin Whiteside said. “But they also did a fantastic job establishing connections with athletes that will enhance our reporting in Paris. I am so proud of what the students accomplished, and I was so excited for them to earn these bylines and photo credits.”
Ligon was already excited about the opportunity to cover the Paralympic Games but working with the athletes at the team trials amplified it. She added it was amazing telling the athletes’ stories, and the storylines will only grow in Paris.
Ligon’s assignment at the trials was to follow American Paralympian Scout Bassett. While Bassett did not make the team this year, Ligon said it was fun interviewing Bassett and it gave her a deeper appreciation for these athletes.
She also used the time to gather background on other athletes in preparation for when they compete at the Paralympic Games later this year.
Another highlight of this experience for Ligon was working alongside other sports journalists and media relations specialists from organizations around the country.
As a production crew member for SEC Network/VFL Films, Ligon works primarily behind-the-scenes assisting with the live broadcasting and graphics generation for Tennessee football, baseball, softball, and other sports. She was excited to observe the NBC Sports production team in action, adding it was cool hearing them talk about graphic programs like XPression, which she uses as well with VFL.
Ligon said, even though her aspirations are more on the production side, writing and reporting are invaluable skills in the industry and she is appreciative of opportunities like this one that take her out of her comfort zone and expand her skillset.
“Getting this amazing hands-on experience is so meaningful and I’m thankful to be a part of it,” Ligon said. “I cannot wait to go. I can’t believe I have another month. I’m literally on the edge of my seat.”
Joining Ligon at the trials was journalism and media junior Avery Bane, who was tasked with photographing the trials.
She said covering the team trials was a rewarding experience, adding this was the first time she shot track and field. She had a lot of fun covering a new sport and drew a lot of inspiration from a good friend who shoots track a lot.
Bane aspires to cover a variety of different professional sports and would love to continue to cover sports on a large scale. Towards that end she has sought various photography opportunities to help push her outside of her comfort zone, including shooting for the UT and MLS soccer club, Inter Miami CF, this summer.
As she prepares to photograph the 2024 Paralympic Games, she said shooting the team trials helped make her feel more confident and excited about this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“I am most excited about being able to capture the emotion of the events,” Bane said. “To cover such a large international competition is a dream and the emotion that comes with the highs and lows of competition are what makes it so unique. I will be able to cover some of the greatest moments of these athletes’ careers, and I’m so honored by the opportunity.”
Journalism and media junior Gabriel Jackson was the third student journalist from UT who went on assignment at the team trials for USA TODAY. Jackson was tasked with writing about blind sprinter David Brown but also used the time at the event to gather information and make connections with athletes and staff.
Jackson had prior experience covering sports having worked for his local paper, the Dyersbyrg State Gazette, since he was in high school, and later for Tennessee Athletics. He is pursuing a career in sports media after he graduates and is grateful for experiences like this one to help him advance toward that goal.
While he has been published many times before, Jackson said seeing his name on USA TODAY’s website was an honor. He feels “pretty good” about going to Paris, adding after the trials he has a better understanding of at least Paralympic track and field. He also is looking forward to meeting individuals from other nations and learning more about their culture.
“I think we have a lot of talented people going on this trip with lots of different skill sets and it means a lot for the university to allow us the opportunity to display them,” Jackson said. “Every school says that they care about their students’ futures, but it’s one thing to talk the talk. UT walks the walk.”