Patrick Bernadeau was born and raised in Brockton, Massachusetts, but has lived in Port St. Lucie for most of his life.
He moved to the Treasure Coast in 2001, graduating from Fort Pierce Central High School. He earned an associate degree from Indian River Community College (now called Indian River State College) before getting a bachelor's degree from Florida Atlantic University.
He began his journalism career in 2011 and was a TCPalm freelance contributor from 2013-17.
Bernadeau continued his career with stops in Dickinson, North Dakota (Dickinson Press), Willmar, Minnesota (West Central Tribune) and Pensacola (Pensacola News Journal) before returning to TCPalm as a sports reporter in February.
Q: Why did you choose to be a sports journalist?
A: I remember watching Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls win their first championship in 1991. I wasn't yet five years old, but that's my earliest memory of sports. From NASCAR, NFL, MLB to just about everywhere else in between, I've been hooked on sports ever since then. Around middle school, I realized I wasn't going to become the next Michael Jordan. But since I had an encyclopedic sports memory, a friend suggested I should become a sports reporter. From skimming through box scores to reading the work of great reporters and columnists on a daily basis, my passion for journalism evolved. I've always been a solid writer, but I've grown to appreciate the chance of being a storyteller and messenger for the community. It hasn't been easy, there have been ups and downs. In college, I switched my major to education and thought I'd be a teacher. But my sports reporting passion never died, and after 13 years, I can't imagine myself doing anything else.
Q: What is your favorite part about being a sports journalist?
A: I've been fortunate to cover a few events at the professional and collegiate level, but 90 percent of my work has been with preps. With that said, regardless if it's in the regular season or a championship is on the line, I love recording and documenting a big play that a student will remember for the rest of his or her life. That athlete can save a newspaper, search for a website link or look up a video and have all the feelings or thoughts of that moment come flooding back. Given all the photos that have been taken of me while interviewing the subject of that big play, it feels good knowing I have a small role in a moment that will always be special.
Q: What is your most memorable story or photo?
A: When you work at a small newspaper, you are usually both the writer and photographer. That was the case when I worked in North Dakota. While there, I covered Lauren Jorda, a three-sport high school athlete who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She still played volleyball before going to get treatment. In the first game after being diagnosed, the entire crowd wore teal t-shirts, as teal is the color associated with the ovarian cancer ribbon.
It was an emotional scene. I thought I did a good job describing it with my words, but I was most proud of a cover photo I took. Jorda, a setter, had her arms up zeroing in on the ball as she prepared to deliver a pass. The crowd was in the background, with one fan smiling and holding up a "We Love Jorda" sign. At that point, I was an amateur photographer, and I still don't think my camera skills are the greatest, but to get that shot remains my proudest moment.
Q: What do you like to do outside of work?
A: I'm admittedly a pretty boring guy. I'm a homebody who loves being on the couch watching sports or listening to sports podcasts. When I have moments of sports overload, the channel changes to The Simpsons or Succession, and the podcasts switch to something WWE or movie-related. But when I step out of the house, I enjoy checking out the area's best restaurants, taking in the weather by going on a stroll or going to a sporting event or comedy club.
Patrick Bernadeau is a sports reporter for Treasure Coast Newspapers. He can be reached at (772) 985-9692, on X at @PatBernadeau or via email at pbernadeau@gannett.com.
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