Lisa Bowes is one of Canada’s well-known faces in sports journalism.
Still, today she puts her passion for sports into her children’s book series, Lucy Tries Sports and her advocacy for children’s physical and reading literacy.
Sports have always been an important part of Bowes’ identity, from playing neighbourhood street hockey in her hometown of Guelph, Ont., to pursuing her career in sports media.
A lifelong connection to sport
“Who I was as a young girl was really tied to sport and the success that I had in sport. Playing alongside the boys and gaining strength and perseverance and all those things,” said Bowes.
Her love of sports carried into her schooling, with studies in physical education, teaching and coaching at Western University.
Bowes also played for the Mustangs women’s varsity soccer team, which was inducted into the Western Sports Hall of Fame in 2025.
From athlete to broadcaster
Her career path shifted while at Western when she discovered her love for broadcasting through the student radio.
This newfound passion led her to pursue broadcasting, radio and television arts at Conestoga College.
A trailblazer for women in sports media, Bowes soon became an editorial assistant in the early days of TSN in Toronto.
But this start to her career did not come without its challenges.
Breaking barriers in sports media
“I was the first female in that role. So I learned a lot about surviving in that newsroom,” said Bowes. “I learned very quickly the best way to conduct myself in those environments so that I was accepted.”
Today, women are frequently seen in sports spaces, but when Bowes started her career, it was unheard of for women to be there.
Men were not used to seeing women in sports, and it was challenging for Bowes as they frequently questioned what she was doing in those environments.
This job set the framework for the rest of her career, leading to her positions at Sportsnet, CBC, The Score, and later CTV, alongside her return to TSN in both Winnipeg and Calgary.
During her time at CTV, she worked alongside Jeff Little, currently the director of news and public affairs at CTV Calgary.
Throughout her career, Bowes was a well-rounded sports journalist with experience in live hosting, anchoring, reporting, play-by-play and producing. In addition to all that, she had other programs such as A Night at the Game and Kid Casters.
“She doesn’t do anything with her heart half in it. She’s full on,” said Little. “I know it has everything to do with her passion and her excitement, for life, and for people, and for telling stories. And I think she genuinely gets a lot out of it. She’s jazzed by what she does, and I think that’s what helps her do such a great job of it.”
From broadcasting to books
In 2010, she had the coveted opportunity to host women’s hockey at the Vancouver Olympic Games, a career highlight for Bowes.
While preparing for the 2008 games, she had the idea for her bestselling children’s book series, Lucy Tries Sports.
The Lucy Tries series is an opportunity for Bowes to educate on the benefits of sport while advocating for children’s physical and reading literacy.
The six books portray each sport from a child’s perspective by showing how they would learn it, while also reinforcing the principles of healthy child development.
“When a child reads a Lucy book, they are seeing themselves. All children can see themselves in the books,” said Bowes. “And she is really the aspiring multi-sport champion for all kids. Lucy is the leader of the pack. And that is a parallel in many ways to sports media and where I came from.”
Currently in partnership with Cavalry FC and the Spruce Meadows Leg Up Foundation, Bowes shares the importance of reading literacy and staying active through soccer.
She does this during her school visits alongside players, where every child receives a Cavalry FC edition of Lucy Tries Soccer.
Her stories and advocacy have reached far beyond Calgary. Her work with Rogers Hometown Hockey has shared the importance of physical literacy through the sport, and Lucy Tries Hockey in cities across the country.
Giving back in Calgary
Bowes’ freelance work and community involvement continue across Calgary, including her work with Webber Academy’s athletic park alongside the Chair of the Webber Academy Foundation Board, Lorne Webber.
She played an invaluable role in bringing two key title sponsors and showcasing the park to businesses and the community, with an impact of well over $500,000.
Additionally, during her time with Webber, Bowes helped organize the Webber Academy Athletics Banner Brunch to recognize student-athletes and the teams that win championship banners for the school.
“She, single-handedly, brought to the table a whole roster of guest speakers of former professional and amateur athletes to speak at this event. And then she also garnered a number of very unique and key silent auction items as part of a fundraiser,” said Webber.
She also works with grade 10 student-athletes at the National Sports School on media performance training to help them prepare to deal with the media throughout their careers in sports.
Looking ahead
Bowes hopes to continue partnering with like-minded organizations to share the importance of children’s sports.
She continues her advocacy alongside Lucy Tries Sports, aiming to have a seventh title published before the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
She’s also working towards her dream of having animated Lucy Tries digital shorts.
“These are tough times to be a Canadian author; it’s very challenging,” said Bowes. “But then when I get these hugs and big bright eyes talking to me after the assembly, it’s hard for me to quit.”