Title: Former Tennis Star, Emily Austin on her transition into Sports Journalism

Emily Austin is a 19 year old with multiple titles under her belt already. Emily Austin is well known for interviewing athletes including NBA players, NFL players & etc while uploading them on her platforms, the series is called, Daily Vibes With. Austin is an Actress, Sports Journalist, Model and social media influencer. Austin grew to a strong online presence through her Instagram and Tiktok. While growing her online presence, her notability grew as Austin was able to land features in film: ‘Isn’t It Romantic’ (2019) and ‘An American Pickle’ (2020). Austin’s work has brought her opportunities to work with many brands and be seen in magazines as well as billboards.

We got to make Austin, typically the interviewer, be the interviewee and catch up to learn some great info about her:

Q: Saw you were a former tennis player, what got you into the sport and do you ever see yourself resuming in the near future?

Since I was able to walk, my mom put a tennis racket in my hand. My brother and I both would play tennis 4 days a week from the age of four, until college. I decided to focus on school and work because being a college athlete is a full time job. I play leisurely now.

Q: Tell us more about your IGTV show, “Daily Vibes With”.

I started Daily Vibes when I turned 18. I wanted to have a show that was more on the fun side. I would gather fan questions in advance, and ask them during the interview. I wanted it to be fun, informative, engaging with the viewers.

Q: How did it come about? What are some of your biggest names you’ve been able to have on?

It started when quarantine began, and instead of doing nothing like most 18 year olds, I decided to take the opportunity of everyone being at home to interview these athletes. I’ve had Mitchell Robinson from the New York Knicks, Enes Kanter from the Boston Celtics, Ben McLemore from the Houston Rockets, former All-Star Carlos Boozer, and NFL player Zach Banner. (Plus more)

Q: Whenever the tables turn and you’re the one being interviewed, does being a journalist help you be a natural in front of the camera or an audience?

Being a journalist definitely helps me answer questions easier. I’ve always been pretty confident in front of cameras because I’ve worked as a model and have been in films before.

Q: What was the transition from being a highly ranked tennis player to being a journalist like? 

Fortunately being an athlete gave me a perspective on what these people I am interviewing deal with to a certain extent. It makes it easier to relate to them, and easier to ask them questions.

Q: Prior to the pandemic and the adjustments you had to make, what were the original goals and ambitions you had?

I’ve always liked sports, and I am very comfortable on camera. When deciding on a career path I figured “why not take my two passions and combine them into a career”.

Q: if the pandemic ends today, what’s the next move for Emily Austin? Are there any professional routes you see yourself taking?

Hopefully once this ends and arenas can reopen, I definitely see myself working with an NBA franchise. I’m going to continue modeling, and continue filming as I do now.

For more information, visit https://www.instagram.com/emily.austin/