Graduate student Lynnzee Brown from the University of Denver, Harvard University sophomore Grace Taylor and redshirt junior Mahalia White of the University of North Florida are named finalists for the Honda Inspiration Award as announced by Judy Sweet, CWSA Board Member and Chair of The Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) Inspiration Award committee.
The Honda Inspiration Award winner for the Class of 2023 will be selected from these three finalists by the CWSA Board of Directors and honored with the Class of 2023. On June 19, 8:00 pm ET, CBS Sports Network will air “Defying the Odds: The 2023 Honda Inspiration Award” – a special telecast highlighting the three finalists.
“The 2023 pool of nominations was the largest in recent years and each nominee had a truly inspiring story,” said Sweet. “The three finalists demonstrated repeated strength, resiliency, determination and success in overcoming significant health challenges and ongoing adversities.”
An Inspiration Award winner has been selected annually for the past 35 years. The Honda Inspiration Award is given to a deserving female student-athlete in Division I, II or III who has experienced extraordinary physical and/or emotional adversity, injury and/or illness, or experienced extraordinary personal sacrifice during her college enrollment as a student-athlete and yet returns to athletic success.
The Class of 2023 Honda Inspiration Award winner will be announced in June and will be honored with the Class of 2023 on a live telecast on CBS Sports Network on June 26th, 5:30 ET/8:30 PT.
Jean Lenti Ponsetto, Chair of the CWSA Board of Directors stated, “The stories of Lynnzee, Grace and Mahalia are tributes to their courage, perseverance and determination toward overcoming the adversity of their circumstances. Their triumphs exemplify the fierceness of their personal commitment to their teammates and respective team’s successes. Truly heartwarming and inspirational.”
Here are their inspiring stories:
Lynnzee Brown, Graduate Student, University of Denver, Gymnastics
On February 16, 2020, Lynnzee Brown sustained a rupture of her right Achilles tendon during a gymnastics competition which led immediately to surgical repair and a nine-plus month rehabilitation before returning to competition for the 2021 season. After the 2021 season, she was named a Honda Sport Award finalist for Gymnastics.
On January 30, 2022, during a floor routine in competition, she sustained another Achilles tendon rupture, this time on the left. She underwent another surgical repair and after a 10-plus month rehabilitation, returned to NCAA competition for the 2023 season.
While sidelined during the 2022 season, she spent the remainder of the season finding new ways to lead the team – through providing support and confidence.
She finished her 2023 season as an AAI Award Finalist, given to the top senior in the nation, and was the 2023 NCAA Champion runner-up on Vault.
Grace Taylor, Sophomore, Harvard University, Lacrosse
During her first semester, Grace Taylor battled illness and was eventually diagnosed with mononucleosis.
Following a period of rest, she returned to competition as a defender on the lacrosse team, but sustained an injury to the head only to be diagnosed with a concussion one week later. Due to the severity of the concussion, she missed the remainder of the fall season.
In August of 2022, Grace was diagnosed with cancer (Papillary adenocarcinoma) and, early in the fall semester, she attended multiple oncology appointments and underwent biopsies, all while still practicing and attending to her studies. In mid-September, she underwent 14 hours of surgery over two days to remove her thyroid and lymph nodes.
Grace returned to competition in 2023 and played in 12 contests while starting 10 for the Crimson.
Mahalia White, Redshirt Junior, University of North Florida, Volleyball
During her freshman volleyball season, Mahalia White was experiencing intense pain in her ribs, spine, and pelvis, which she associated with strenuous activity.
In the postseason, she was diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Her cancer had spread from lymph nodes to her bones, and she underwent almost four months of chemotherapy until she was officially in remission. While her cancer was in remission, the cancer lesions and chemotherapy left her bones fragile making it painful to walk and it took the rest of the year to fully recover.
She returned to the court in 2019 and had a successful season but while preparing for the 2021 season, she landed wrong and tore her ACL making her miss another full year of play. These challenges had an impact on her both physically and mentally but she returned to competition after each setback and was named to the All-ASUN Second Team after the 2022 season.
The CWSA, celebrating its 46th anniversary year, has honored the nation’s top NCAA women athletes for their superior athletic skills, leadership, academic excellence and eagerness to participate in community service. Since commencing its partnership in 1986, Honda has provided more than $3.4 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to support women’s athletics programs.
About Honda Corporate Social Responsibility
For more than 60 years in the U.S., Honda has been committed to making positive contributions to the communities where its associates live and work. Honda’s mission is to create products and services that improve the lives of people while conducting its business in a sustainable manner and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. Accordingly, Honda believes in helping people reach their life’s potential through its focus on the areas of education, the environment, mobility, traffic safety and community. Learn more at http://csr.honda.com/.