Meet Lindsay, a local mom, who in addition to chasing after two very little ones, is a SportsCenter reporter and anchor for ESPN. Lindsay is the real deal; she’s incredibly smart and accomplished, but is as genuine and grounded as they come. She not only shared with us some details of her path to where she is today, but also her favorite local restaurants, ideal 24 hours, and her proudest mommy moments!
How old are your kids and how long have you lived in Westport? My son Del is almost 3, and Sybil (Sibby), my baby girl is just 3-months! We’ve lived in Westport for 6 years.
How did you end up where you are now in terms of your job, or whatever passion project it is you might be doing? I knew in college that I wanted to be a broadcast journalist. I originally started on a path for news. I graduated from James Madison University in Virginia after majoring in broadcasting. My 1st job was an entry level job at CNN in Atlanta. My first on air job was in Jacksonville, Florida. I got a job in sports broadcasting because I was helping out at a Nascar race and met some folks from the sports department at a station in Miami. They asked me if I would be interested in a sportscaster job for a news magazine show covering the Dolphins players off the field. I was there for two years and then I went back to DC, and from there went to ESPN. It was a windy path that has truly been an amazing journey. I’m really excited to see what the future holds. There are a lot of creative projects in the entertainment and lifestyle space I’m looking forward to diving into besides carrying on with my work in sports broadcasting. I’m also hoping to finally collaborate with my husband on a passion project. As for our kiddos, I want them to know they can do anything they set their minds to; they can be anything they want to be, and the things I’ll try to drive home are to always have a healthy curiosity, to ENJOY THE JOURNEY and to – just like the song – be Humble and Kind.
What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you? The first broadcasting job I can really remember wanting to have when I was a kid was to be an MTV veejay. I was obsessed with MTV. We didn’t have cable, but my grandparents did, and I would watch music videos for hours at their house. Music has always moved me. It keeps me sane on my hour-long commutes to Bristol, CT for work. Clearly, I never became colleagues with Martha Quinn BUT, I haven’t ruled out a little music television hosting somewhere down the road!
If you had 24 hours to do whatever you wanted – what would you do? I would love to check myself into a really awesome hotel and sleep. That said, as much as I would like to sleep all day, I also like adventure so I would want to include something fun like a great workout or perhaps just binge watch episodes of Nashville. I would also like to get a beach somehow involved in this day, followed by some live music; preferably country.
What has been the most difficult age with your children to date? What helped you overcome the challenges at that time? The most difficult but exciting time with my children has to be right now. Del is typically so well behaved but after being very loving when Sibby came home, upon realizing she was going to be around forever, things got challenging. He wanted all of my attention and it broke my heart that I couldn’t always give it to him. I found out early on that taking Del on special outings, just us, even if it’s just driving by the Westport fire station (which we do several times a week) or going for ice cream or to Stepping Stones, that time is so valuable and special. Although I feel like I need 7 hands to wrangle the kids and all their stuff at times, I am more and more excited to watch them grow and start to play together.
What is your favorite family activity to do in Westport or the surrounding towns? If we’re talking a meal out with the family, we love going to Tavern on Main in Westport. The family that owns it is amazing and so it’s always a warm experience (and their chicken sandwich is what I ate while we were counting minutes between contractions while I was in labor with my first). We also love our traditions around holiday time. We go to Maple Row in Easton with a big group of friends and tailgate before cutting down our tree. This year was extra special because we brought Sibby with us (she was 4 weeks so it was her first adventure out of the house). We also love going for walks together, going to the beach of course, and are not afraid to jump on the train and head to NYC. We actually just went to the train show and loved it!
What was your most memorable family vacation and why? We just went to Virginia & DC for the Inauguration because my husband was covering it. It was our first trip as a family of 4. I took the train down to DC with both kids myself and it was a big adjustment; there is just such an insane amount of stuff you have to now travel with when you have 2 kids! It was an adventure for sure. I prayed a lot of the way. The only issues were my son getting his head stuck under the table while I was nursing my daughter. (I had to maneuver swiftly to free him), and we suffered one casualty. Lightning McQueen (my son’s beloved “cars” matchbox sized car) chose to remain on the train at Union Station. That was my fault. Thank goodness for Toys R Us.
What is the best white lie you have told your kids? This is awful BUT… it would have to be telling my son I’m giving him “5 more minutes” on the timer for him to play when I’m actually just giving him an extra minute and 30 seconds OR telling him it’s 9:15 (that’s his bedtime that he now recognizes) when it’s really 8 something and we just need him to go to bed early:)
What is your proudest mommy moment? I would have to say that my proudest mommy moment was just the other day. My son was reading a book with his grandma (which she had only read him one other time) and he remembered the word “sarcophagus” which is what they call an ancient mummy coffin. It was so cool to see him learning and to watch him light up when my mom applauded him for it. I also feel such a sense of pride when I get to pick Del up at his school and he runs to me- it is the best feeling on the planet. I also feel very proud that I survived that train ride with both kids to DC by myself!
What’s your can’t live without beauty product? Brow Zing from Benefit. It is hands down the best product. I also love Chap Stick. The best thing about being a mom is using Aquaphor. I always have it with me; the stuff is magic.
What’s your favorite restaurant in town for a family dinner? A night out with friends? Tavern on Main is always a favorite and we love to take the kids. If we are going out for a date night we love Bonda on the Southport border; the food is great and it is an intimate atmosphere. We also enjoy going to Tarrantinos. If it’s a night out with girlfriends, Vespa or The Pearl are two of my favorites.
What do you most value in your friends? Unconditional love- and I value anyone who says straight to your face “you’re crazy.” I appreciate great advice as well. About a year ago, I was on a girls beach trip and I had to go to the ER with a severe migraine. Two of my girlfriends came with me and stayed with me all night long. They searched through my wallet for my insurance card and on top of it, were there when the doctor confirmed that yes, my headache was likely a result of the fact that I was actually 5 weeks pregnant. They were the ones who face-timed my husband at home to confirm the good news:) Friends that see you at your worst, but always figure out a way to take care of you are true friends. I also just recently saw my friends from high school when I went to Virginia. It was like no time had passed and that is the best feeling.
What is one piece of advice you would pass along to other moms? Can I offer two? First, don’t beat yourself up about things and second, trust your instincts. Not beating yourself up goes both ways for me. Sometimes, I have to tell myself it’s ok to peel myself away from these two little loves because it’s more important to have some meaningful one on one time with my husband or because I need to do something required for my job. But the latter doesn’t always make it easier. There are also times I still get choked up when I’m pulling out of the driveway and I can see my son mouthing the words “bye mommy” behind the glass. Sometimes not beating myself up means sticking around 10 minutes longer in the house to play with firetrucks and hug my son instead of getting to work before the meeting starts. As for trusting your instincts, there have been quite a few times I have thought something that may have seemed out there and then it turned out I was right. If you are already a mom, then you know already but moms just have that instinct… you know your babies better than anyone else on the planet.