Romi Bean: How Colorado’s First Female Lead Sports Anchor Climbed the Mountain and Shattered the Glass Ceiling

In a field often dominated by male voices, Romi Bean has done more than just report the scores—she has rewritten the script. In January 2023, she made history as the first female lead sports anchor in Denver TV history for CBS Colorado (KCNC-TV).

Her journey from a Denver Broncos cheerleader to the primary face of sports coverage is a compelling story of grit, passion, and shattering the “cheerleader stereotype” that once tried to define her.

Born in South Africa and raised in Colorado, Romi’s success is a beacon for young women in media, proving that the most powerful stories are often told by those with the courage to break barriers.

“This is a responsibility I do not take lightly. So many incredible women have come before me and paved the way for me to break a new barrier. It is an honor and a privilege to continue what they started. I hope this shows young women and girls that sports are for everyone!”

— Romi Bean on her groundbreaking role

The Unexpected Altitude: Romi Bean and Denver’s Glass Ceiling

Romi Bean’s story is one of groundbreaking ascent, culminating in a historic promotion that changed the face of sports broadcasting in Colorado. In January 2023, CBS Colorado announced that Bean had been named the network’s Lead Sports Anchor.¹

This was not just a career advancement; it marked her as the first woman to ever hold the main sports anchor position in Denver television history.²

This achievement reverberated far beyond the newsroom. For years, the anchor desk in a major sports market like Denver had been an exclusively male domain.

Bean’s rise signifies a profound cultural and professional shift, establishing a new precedent for female leadership in sports media. Her success is often viewed not merely as a personal victory, but as a critical moment of normalization.

As fellow Denver sports pioneer Jenny Cavnar once noted, “The best thing about being the first, is knowing that you’re not the last”.⁴

Bean has embraced this shared mantra, understanding that her visibility creates opportunities for countless aspiring young women.

Upon accepting the role, Romi Bean acknowledged the gravity of the moment, recognizing the path paved by those who came before her.

“This is a responsibility I do not take lightly,” she stated. “So many incredible women have come before me and paved the way for me to break a new barrier.

It is an honor and a privilege to continue what they started. I hope this shows young women and girls that sports are for everyone!”.¹

This powerful commitment to mentorship and community defines her leadership style, underscoring the shift from simply reporting on the game to actively shaping the media landscape.

“Just a Cheerleader?” The Stigma That Fueled Perfection

Before she commanded the anchor desk, Romi Bean was a familiar face on the sidelines of Empower Field at Mile High. She spent five seasons with the Denver Broncos Cheerleaders (2005–2010), eventually serving as a Team Captain.

This experience gave her unparalleled proximity to the world of professional football and instilled a deep understanding of team dynamics and professionalism. However, this background also became her greatest hurdle in the news industry.

In a highly competitive field, the transition from professional cheerleader to respected journalist is fraught with challenges, primarily the persistent stereotype that she was merely “just a cheerleader that wants to be on TV”.⁵ Bean recognized the double standard immediately.

She candidly spoke about the intense, often unfair scrutiny placed on female reporters. She observed that if a woman were to make a basic error, like misnaming an athlete, “it’s a thousand times worse than a guy messing up”.⁵

This environment of skepticism, rather than diminishing her resolve, became the ultimate proving ground.

The professional pressure she faced served as an accelerant to her work ethic, forcing her to strive for an almost impossible level of accuracy and preparation.

By relentlessly building credibility and ensuring her work spoke for itself, she systematically dismantled the stigma.⁶ 

Roots of Resilience: Fleeing Apartheid and the Family History of Risk

To understand Romi Bean’s inherent drive and competitive nature, one must look to her family history, a narrative steeped in resilience and high-stakes relocation. Romi Bean was born on January 20, 1987, in Johannesburg, South Africa.

While she left when she was nearly two years old and has since become a proud American national, her South African roots are foundational to her personal story.¹

Her parents, Joe and Sandy Bean, made the difficult choice to leave their homeland in 1988, relocating the family to Colorado.⁷ This decision was not made lightly.

They chose to move primarily due to their opposition to the political and cultural climate of the time. According to Romi Bean, the departure was necessitated by the ongoing reality of apartheid in South Africa; her parents “didn’t want to raise their kids in that culture”.⁷

This profound family sacrifice, made to ensure a better environment for their children, echoes a much older history of upheaval and migration.

Her paternal grandfather, David Bean, was a Lithuanian Jew who had earlier fled persecution during World War II, finding temporary refuge in South Africa to escape the Nazis.

This multigenerational narrative, characterized by making immense sacrifices and embracing risk for the sake of freedom, established a clear pattern of tenacity and moral conviction within the Bean family.

Further shaping her perspective was her immediate family structure: Romi grew up alongside four older brothers.¹

This lively, competitive household environment cemented her natural affinity for sports, teamwork, and healthy competition—all traits that would prove invaluable in her eventual career covering elite athletics.

The Detour: Numismatics, Real Estate, and Business Acumen

Romi Bean’s career trajectory is distinctly non-linear, a characteristic that ultimately equipped her with a uniquely diverse skill set few traditional journalists possess.

An alumna of Cherry Creek High School, she pursued higher education at the University of Colorado Boulder, graduating from the prestigious Leeds School of Business.¹

Her professional journey initially led her far afield from sports media. Before taking the dive into broadcasting, she held positions in seemingly unrelated fields:

• Executive Associate: She worked for Kevin Lipton Rare Coins, Inc. in Beverly Hills, immersing herself in the world of numismatics (coin collecting) and high-value transactions.

• Real Estate: She also worked as a Real Estate Intern in Los Angeles, gaining experience in sales and market analysis.

• Business Development: She held a role as a Business Development Manager, honing her skills in corporate strategy and client relations.⁸

This diverse background, particularly her formal business education, provides her with a competitive edge when covering professional sports.

In an era where sports news is increasingly focused on contracts, trades, and the economics of massive franchises, her literacy in business, finance, and marketing allows her to offer viewers sophisticated analysis beyond mere scores and highlights.

She can approach high-level management and athlete representation with an informed, business-minded perspective, aiding her reporting credibility.⁸

The first true bridge back to her passion was radio. She served as an Executive Producer and Host at iHeartRadio for over two years, where she began to hone her voice, writing skills, and ability to handle on-air production.⁹

This radio experience was vital, providing the foundation necessary for her subsequent pivot to television.

Romi Bean’s Unconventional Career Trajectory

The Ultimate Risk: Climbing Kilimanjaro on Impulse

Beyond her professional achievements, Romi Bean’s adventurous personal life offers significant clarity into her risk tolerance and character.

When asked about the biggest risk she has ever taken, her answer was definitive: “Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, without training… booked our flights a month beforehand”.¹

This spontaneous decision to tackle Africa’s highest peak with minimal structured preparation reveals a fundamental aspect of her personality: a confident reliance on intrinsic resilience and a willingness to embrace challenges head-on.

She did not need months of formalized preparation; she trusted her body, her willpower, and her ability to push through discomfort.

This physical challenge provides a striking parallel to her professional trajectory. Her entry into television reporting began on a part-time basis, requiring her to prove her worth and mastery in a highly visible environment.

Just as she approached Kilimanjaro, she viewed the professional ascent as a mountain to be conquered by sheer force of will and focused effort, rather than only by traditional, stepwise progression.

This audacity explains her rapid success after a diverse background—she is innately comfortable trusting her capacity to learn and perform under extreme pressure.

Earning the Stripes: The Part-Time Grind and Full-Time Dedication

Romi Bean’s path to the lead anchor role was neither swift nor guaranteed. It was a methodical climb built on five years of hard work and dedication at CBS Colorado (KCNC-TV).

Her relationship with the network began in April 2017 when she joined on a part-time basis, primarily covering the Denver Broncos on the morning programs.¹

This initial arrangement demanded immense discipline, requiring her to maximize limited airtime to learn every aspect of anchoring, reporting, writing sports stories, and engaging with the Colorado community.¹

She recognized early on that this low-paying, part-time work was done for the long-term opportunities it provided, a reflection of her focused career vision.⁷

Her commitment quickly paid dividends. After two rigorous years of proving her aptitude, Romi secured a full-time position as the Weekend Sports Anchor in 2018.¹

This transition was a critical milestone, allowing her to fully dedicate her energy to comprehensive sports journalism.

This protracted apprenticeship ensured that by the time she was named the Lead Sports Anchor in January 2023, she had earned the institutional confidence of the network and the deep respect of the community she served.²

The Romi Bean Method: Why Trust Beats the “Gotcha” Interview

In a modern media environment often driven by soundbites and conflict, Romi Bean operates using a distinct and highly effective journalistic philosophy centered on genuine connection and trust.

She believes her primary role is to act as a “conduit” between the beloved athletes and coaches and the passionate fans who support them.⁶

Her methodology emphasizes fostering meaningful, long-term relationships with the subjects she covers, prioritizing respectful reporting over aggressive or sensationalist questioning.¹

By earning the trust of athletes, she is able to navigate sensitive subjects and tough seasons while still obtaining authentic and candid quotes.

This approach contrasts sharply with the “gotcha” journalism style, which often results in guarded subjects and limited access.

This philosophy has yielded exceptional results, granting her rare access to notoriously guarded figures in Colorado sports.

For instance, she has developed unique relationships with Denver Nuggets MVP Nikola Jokic—even addressing him in basic Serbian on occasion—and highly dynamic University of Colorado Head Coach Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders.¹¹

Her ability to secure intimate moments with such major figures underscores the effectiveness of her relationship-first reporting strategy, demonstrating that kindness and respect can often lead to better stories than antagonism.

Apex Coverage: The Award-Winning 2022 Season

The year 2022 served as a pivotal moment, cementing Romi Bean’s reputation as one of the region’s premier sports journalists. Her exceptional performance throughout that year earned her significant professional recognition, including being named the 2022 co-Colorado Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sports Media Association (NSMA).²

This award validates her capacity to manage and deliver comprehensive, high-stakes coverage across a wide spectrum of sports, demonstrating her command over the entire Colorado sports ecosystem. Her award-winning portfolio included:

• NHL Glory: In-depth coverage of the Colorado Avalanche’s run to the Stanley Cup Championship, including the gigantic parade and celebration that captivated downtown Denver.¹

• NBA Dominance: Chronicling the Denver Nuggets as Nikola Jokic secured his back-to-back NBA Most Valuable Player award.¹

• Football Turmoil: Exhaustive reporting on the tumultuous Denver Broncos season, which included detailed coverage of the blockbuster Russell Wilson trade, the hiring and firing of Nathaniel Hackett, and the team’s trip to London for an international game.¹

• Collegiate Success: Providing consistent updates on the University of Denver men’s hockey National Championship run.¹

The breadth of her coverage—simultaneously managing the chaos of the Broncos’ organizational crisis alongside the celebration of two major professional championships—proves her capability to handle immense workload and diverse, high-pressure subject matter, strengthening her qualifications for the eventual Lead Anchor promotion.

National Recognition: The Honor of the Gracie Award

While her Colorado Sportscaster of the Year award validated her local expertise, Romi Bean’s dedication to her craft and her role as a female pioneer received national acknowledgment in 2024. She was honored with a prestigious Gracie Award for On-Air Talent – Sports (Local).⁴

The Gracie Awards, presented by the Alliance for Women in Media, are distinct in that they specifically recognize outstanding content created by, for, and about women.¹

This award is not just a marker of journalistic quality; it is a profound validation of her impact as a female figurehead in a traditionally male-dominated arena.

Bean’s ongoing engagement in community initiatives, such as co-emceeing the Sportswomen of Colorado Awards in 2025, further reinforces her professional responsibility to elevate the profile of women in sports.

This institutional support for gender parity in media underscores the fact that her rise to the Lead Anchor chair is not an isolated event, but a significant movement toward equitable representation.

Romi Bean: Honors and Achievements

Inside the Headlines: Clearing Up Romi Bean’s Personal Life

Due to Romi Bean’s prominent media visibility, certain details about her personal life, particularly her marital status, often become topics of high public interest and frequent search queries.

Romi Bean generally maintains a high degree of privacy regarding her life outside of work, focusing the public spotlight squarely on her professional achievements.

To address high-volume inquiries, several key facts are confirmed:

Romi Bean Age and Birth: Romi Bean was born on January 20, 1987, making her 38 years old as of 2025. Her zodiac sign is Aquarius. While born in Johannesburg, South Africa, she moved to Denver at age two and identifies as a Colorado native.¹

Romi Bean Married Status: Romi Bean is currently single. She is neither married nor engaged.

Jonathan Leines and Romi Bean: She was previously in a relationship with Jonathan Leines, an executive sales representative based in the Denver area. However, that relationship has since concluded. The latest public information confirms she is currently single and dedicated to her career.

Romi Bean Height: Romi Bean stands at 5 feet 7 inches (170 cm).

Providing definitive, factual answers to these personal queries ensures the public has access to trustworthy information, reinforcing the biography’s journalistic integrity.

Romi Bean: Quick Facts and Personal Details

Quirks, Hobbies, and the Love of ‘Plethora’

Despite the demanding schedule of a lead sports anchor, Romi Bean maintains a commitment to wellness and humor, offering fans a glimpse into her highly relatable personality outside the studio.

Her hobbies reveal a high-energy lifestyle balanced with focus: she is dedicated to yoga, enjoys skiing, and remains, unsurprisingly, an avid spectator of live sports.¹

This active lifestyle reflects the rigorous dedication she brings to all aspects of her life, including her physical preparedness.

Among her lighter preferences, Romi confesses that her favorite word is “plethora,” a choice reflecting a slight intellectual curiosity and an appreciation for expressive language.¹

Conversely, her least favorite word is “Can’t,” a sentiment that encapsulates her career trajectory defined by overcoming limitations.

Her greatest fear involves creepy crawlies: she notes she would never attempt a job related to spiders or snakes.¹

When asked about her hidden talents, she self-identifies as a comedian—though she humorously notes this is “still to be confirmed by others”.¹

Ultimately, the guiding lights in her life remain her parents, Joe and Sandy Bean, who she lists as her most enduring role models.¹

These humanizing details help connect her powerful professional narrative with her down-to-earth personal identity, fostering deeper affinity with Colorado viewers.

Analyzing the Legacy: The Normalization of Female Authority

Romi Bean’s professional journey serves as a powerful case study in the modern evolution of sports journalism.

Her historic promotion to Lead Sports Anchor is not just a temporary victory, but a foundational step toward the normalization of female authority in the most visible media roles.

Her impact can be analyzed in three critical areas:

1. Disrupting Stereotypes

By successfully navigating the transition from a Denver Broncos Cheerleader to an award-winning sports anchor, Bean proved that talent and dedication transcend superficial professional labels.

Her ability to shed the initial industry stigma forced a re-evaluation of professional prerequisites, demonstrating that a diverse background, including performance and business experience, can translate directly into journalistic excellence.

Her success provides irrefutable evidence that competence and commitment are the only necessary qualifications for leadership roles.

2. The Relationship-Driven Model

In an era of intense media scrutiny, her reporting philosophy, which prioritizes trust and genuine relationships over sensationalism, offers a model for future journalists.

This approach has proven its commercial value by delivering high-quality, continuous access to elite athletes and coaches, providing viewers with more authentic and trustworthy stories.

3. Inspiring the Next Generation

Romi Bean understands that her position carries the weight of representation. By actively encouraging young women and girls to participate in and cover sports, she transforms the perception of who is permitted to lead in this industry.

Her visibility guarantees that the next generation sees the anchor desk as a default possibility, ensuring that her status as the “first woman” soon fades into history as the ranks of female lead anchors swell.

Forward Pass: Career Trajectory and Future Focus

Romi Bean’s professional future is marked by significant upward momentum. Given her track record of perseverance and her recent national recognition (the Gracie Award), her career trajectory is positioned for continued expansion.

Financial Snapshot

As a Lead Sports Anchor in a top-20 media market like Denver, her financial success reflects her professional value. Romi Bean’s net worth is estimated to be around $1 million as of 2025. Her income is primarily derived from her role at CBS Colorado, where her annual salary is estimated to be in the range of $100,000 to $150,000.

Predicted Career Path

Having mastered the local beat, the next natural progression for a journalist of her caliber would be broader national or specialty roles. Potential career paths could include:

1. National Network Special Coverage: Leveraging her expertise in covering major events like the Stanley Cup and NFL dramas for CBS Sports regional or national specials.

2. Executive or Management Role: Transitioning into an Executive Producer or News Director position at the local level, using her business acumen to guide the next generation of journalists.

3. Specialized Feature Reporting: Given her success with in-depth profiles (Jokic, Coach Prime), focusing on documentary or long-form feature reporting for a national sports media platform.

Romi Bean’s story—defined by a willingness to pivot, a refusal to accept limiting labels, and a deep sense of responsibility—has already secured her place in Colorado media history.

She is not merely reporting the news; she is actively defining what it means to lead in the 21st-century sports media landscape.

Romi Bean’s Notable Colleagues at CBS Colorado

The team at CBS Colorado relies on the diverse talents of journalists across various disciplines:

• Shaun Boyd (Political Specialist)

• Andrea Flores (News Anchor/Reporter)

• Alan Gionet (News Anchor)

• Tori Mason (General Assignment Reporter)

• Kelly Werthmann (News Anchor)

• Rod Mackey (Sports Reporter, joined 2023)

Sources

1. 49th Annual Gracie Awards Winner List ¹⁴

2. CBS News Colorado on Gracie Awards ⁴

3. CBS News Colorado on NSMA Sportscaster of the Year ¹³

4. Scribd Document on Sportscaster of the Year ²

5. Westword Article on Family and Apartheid ⁷

6. Romi Bean YouTube Channel ¹⁵

7. CBS News Colorado Personality Page ¹

8. DNVR Broncos Podcast Interview (Cheerleader to reporter) ¹⁶

9. Gridiron Growth Podcast Interview (Stigma, Authenticity) ⁵

10. Media Booking Site (iHeartRadio, career history) ⁹

11. The Org (Business development, versatile skills) ⁸

12. CBS Announcement of Lead Anchor Promotion Impact ³

13. Mile High Sports Article (Golf analogy, perseverance) ¹⁸

14. CBS News Colorado Interview Clips (Jokic, Coach Prime) ¹¹

15. Relationship Status Update ¹⁹