Visser, Lesley

Lesley Visser is a U.S. sports journalist who has spent more than 30 years shattering barriers and establishing a name as one of the best in the business. She entered sports journalism at a time when media credentials made clear women were not welcome in the press box. She endured demeaning language, graphic gestures, and patronizing labels, but her persistence and professionalism eventually won over most of her critics and earned her an enviable list of firsts in an industry that remains male-dominated even in the 21st century.

Born in Quincy, Massachusetts, in 1953, Visser displayed an early interest in sports. Her parents, a schoolteacher and an engineer, encouraged her interest, and by the time she was 12, she was already dreaming of becoming a sportscaster. ...