Gone are the days when ignorant and false beliefs such as the exclusion of women from sports dominated society. Today, a lot of women have become notable personalities through their performances on the pitch as sportswomen and off it as sports journalists. Some have been able to successfully do both, like Alanna Rizzo, who was an accomplished athlete before she traded her cleats for a microphone and has also become a star therein.
Alanna Rizzo has worked for top sports media outlets like the MLB Network and SportsNet LA where she covers the Los Angeles Dodgers. She has received a number of awards and recognition for her work and has cemented herself as a star sports journalist. Read all about her career, her sporting background and all other interesting things you should know about her below.
Early Life and Career
She was born on the 8th of August, 1974 in Colorado, a fact that makes her an American despite her Italian origins. She grew up in her birth state and attended Sierra High School in Colorado Springs where she made her name as an athlete. At Sierra High School, Alanna Rizzo competed as a track and cross country athlete, winning various accolades enough to be inducted into the athletic hall of fame.
Following her graduation from high school in 1993, Alanna Rizzo headed over to the University of Colorado at Boulder where she studied and earned her degree in International Business. However, she lost interest in pursuing a business career and instead took interest in becoming a sportscaster, returning back to school for a Masters degree in Broadcast Journalism and subsequently graduated in 2003.
Armed with the knowledge and qualification required to practice Journalism, Alanna Rizzo began her career as a journalist for local CBS affiliates in Wichita Falls and Madison in Texas and Wisconsin, respectively, working as a sports anchor. After a couple of years, she got a role at Root Sports Rocky Mountain as a reporter where she worked as a reporter. After she left Root Sports, she joined the MLB Network in 2012 and spent a year with the media outlet, working on shows like Quick Pitch and International Talk.
Alanna left MLB Network in 2013 and joined SportsNet LA as a sideline reporter, with a primary focus on the Los Angeles Dodgers, a role she continues to hold to date. Since she became a sports anchor, she has received a couple of accolades particularly regional Emmy awards, which she has won thrice.
The Sports Reporter’s Family
Alanna Rizzo has been able to build a successful life off the back of her very supportive family, starting with her parents, one of whom we know to be Maria Medina. We do not have details about her father but a scroll through her social media platform shows she maintains a lovely and beautiful relationship with her father. Aside from her parents, she has two brothers.
Is She Married?
Alanna Rizzo is a married woman, and she has been married to Justin Kole for a couple of years. The two of them got married sometime in 2013 after being in a relationship for a number of years, with certain reports suggesting they have been together since 2006. Justin Kole is believed to be a hotel executive. Alanna is not known to share details of her personal life but we know the couple is yet to have any children as at the time we last edited this article.
Quick Facts
- Although she shares a last name with the Chicago Cubs’ Anthony Rizzo, they are not relatives. They do however share the same birthday.
- Alanna Rizzo might no longer be an athlete but she still maintains a healthy and fit physique with a body height of 5 feet 7 inches and a weight of 54kg. Her beautiful physical profile is further complemented with features such as her dark brown hair and dark brown eyes.
- As for her net worth, Alanna Rizzo is estimated to be worth $1 million and she is believed to be earning about $90 thousand per year.
- Alanna Rizzo has quite a presence on social media across all three major platforms – Facebook, Twitter and Instagram where she has a substantial following with over 100 thousand followers across all platforms. For Twitter and Instagram, her handle is @alannarizzo while she is Alanna Rizzo on Facebook.