She was born in
Toronto,
Ontario, where she attended St. Richards Catholic Elementary School and Senator O'Connor High School. After completing grade 12, she received a full scholarship to
Ohio State University as a member of the Women's volleyball team. She was a two-time OSU Scholar-Athlete; team captain in 1979 and 1980; an all-Big Ten selection in 1980; and won three OAISW titles and the 1979 MAIAW regional championship, which was part of a school-record-setting 37-win season. She graduated with a degree in journalism and returned to her native Toronto in the early 1980s to begin a career in sports journalism with the Toronto Sun. ==Career==