Federica Masolin

Masolin was born on 7 May 1985, in Milan, Italy,[1][2] the oldest daughter of parents who are of Friuli origin;[3][4][5] her father Flavio comes from Latisana with her maternal grandfather originating from Codroipo and her mother's name is Franca.[4] Masolin has a younger sister,[4] whom she was jealous of,[6] and she was taken by her father to watch sports events such as motor races and tennis matches in her youth to stop the two siblings from arguing.[7][8] She also did ballet,[3] and graduated from the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore with a degree in modern literature.[9][5] Following time making minor contributions to local newspapers,[3] Masolin did an internship with the editorial staff at sports television channel Sky Sport at age 20.[2][4] She received full support from her parents,[7] and the experience she got at Sky Sport allowed her to be made a sideline volleyball correspondent for both the Serie A1 Men's League and the Serie A1 Women's League.[2][3][9][10]

In 2009, Masolin began to cover the Serie A and Serie B football leagues as a sideline reporter for Sky Sport.[3][10] She was frequently sent to cover matches involving the Genoa C.F.C. and U.C. Sampdoria clubs,[9] and subsequently presented the broadcaster's coverage of the 2011 Copa América.[2][9] Masolin also presented the Euro Calcio Show dedicated to the broadcasting of foreign football leagues in Italy.[2] In 2012, she was sent to London by Sky Sport to cover the 2012 Summer Olympics,[5] and began fronting the Sky Sport24 programme at the behest of certain editors the following year.[2][10] Masolin was also sent to cover the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.[5][11]

She was made presenter of Sky Sport's three-day event coverage of Formula One motor racing from the 2014 season onwards after a meeting with a Sky director in Sochi that February,[5][12] and also conducted the pre-season presentations of the Ferrari racing team.[10] Masolin prepared for the role by reviewing the sport's regulations and spoke with colleagues about it.[11] She made her first appearance as presenter at the 2014 Australian Grand Prix,[11] and has built a healthy working and personal relationship with fellow pundits Davide Valsecchi and 1997 world drivers' championship winner Jacques Villeneuve.[6] Masolin presents the pre and post-race Paddock Live portions as well as the pre-race social column of Sky Sport's Formula One coverage.[13] In 2017, she was named TV Reporter of the Year over fellow broadcaster Giorgia Rossi with 52.4 per cent of the vote.[1] She is an ambassador for the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation and has taken part in charitable events for the foundation.[14] Masolin has been part of the Run That Track community raising money for foundations helping children in Bangladesh, Ghana and South Africa.[15]

She dislikes discussing her private life with the media.[7] Masolin is fluent in four languages.[5] She said she rises early,[8] and arrives at a race track four hours before the television broadcast begins as preparation for 30 hours of broadcast over the course of a meeting.[15] Masolin says she feels more relaxed in Formula One than doing football and found there to be less prejudice in the former.[6][7]

• Federica Masolin at IMDb