'They love him': Young Winnipeg sports broadcaster delivers Olympic reports for his school

Every morning after O Canada and school announcements, Grade 8 student Tyler Landry gets in front of the camera and delivers an Olympic sports report for all the students at General Vanier School.

"I've always just liked being in front of the camera," Landry said. "I do like giving everyone something to look forward to each week because obviously, the school hasn't been able to do as many field trips or field days or anything. It's just nice to give people something to look forward to each week."

Landry started his sports reporting last year when the Grade 7 and 8 classes decided to produce a virtual weekly newscast as a way to bring together the school that had been separated by the pandemic cohort system.

"That kind of became part of our culture last year in the community, and everyone looked forward to it, and Tyler was our sports reporter," said Marsha Leary, the student services teacher at the school.

With the Winter Olympics on this year, Leary thought it would be a good idea to get Landry back in the broadcaster's seat.

"He was all in and away we went," she said. "I knew he would do a great job, and it really is all on him. He has to write a script, he's doing it before school, things are still happening while he's reporting. I just turn the camera on; it's really all him."

Each morning, Landry recaps the previous night's Olympic events, if any medals were won, and highlights an athlete of the day. It's a job made easier by the fact that Landry is a big sports fan and enjoys watching the Olympics.

"I like watching all the obscure events," he said. "I'm a Canadian. I just love hockey and curling as well. I mean as much as I like the lesser-known sports, I still love the mainstream ones that are more well covered."

And he plans to keep cheering on Team Canada.

"I like what Canadians have done in Beijing," he said. "We put a great product out on there and (are) definitely showing the world what Canada can do."

Leary said the Olympic recaps have become popular among Tyler's classmates who stop him in the hallway or on his way home to say how much they like his reports.

"They love the Olympic stuff, but I think it's really about Tyler. They love him," she said.

As for his future as a sports broadcaster – well, Tyler hasn't quite settled on his career path yet.

"I haven't really decided exactly what I'm going to do, but yeah, it's definitely in consideration."