Liz Byrnes
I’m a journalist and copywriter with more than 20 years’ experience across local, national and international organisations.
It all started as a little ‘un when I would tear about after a football, ride my bike up and down the steepest of Sheffield hills and dive into whatever water was there.
I stood on the terraces at Bramall Lane, my heart heaving, before leaving Sheffield to head for London.
I dabbled in press office and marketing roles and then travelled the world solo from Zimbabwe to Australia to Jordan.
On my return I finally saw what had been staring me in the face for so long and I retrained as a journalist, contributing to the Sheffield Telegraph where I was fortunate enough to have a great mentor, Alan Powell.
From there it was on to PA and Teletext Sport as I began a 12-year spell with the agency during which I covered football, athletics and swimming as well as working as a sub-editor.
I turned freelance in 2014 and since then I have travelled far and wide to places I would never have expected and made some lifelong friendships along the way.
So too have I been privileged enough to witness sporting history in the form of Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt – to name just two – while forging relationships with athletes and coaches.
Such is the level of my experience and expertise that I was asked to judge the 2019 Sports Journalism Awards and I have also been approached for proofreading by those at the top of their profession.