Redshirt freshman Aaliyah Gayles from the University of Southern California basketball team, Brigham Young University senior track & field star Meghan Hunter and senior basketball player Annie Tate from Wheaton College (Ill.) 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 2024 will be selected from these three finalists by the CWSA Board of Directors and honored with the Class of 2024. On June 17, 8:00 pm ET, CBS Sports Network will air “Defying the Odds: The 2024 Honda Inspiration Award” – a special telecast highlighting the three finalists.
“Each of the nominees in 2024 had a truly inspiring story and made the selection process very difficult,” said Sweet. “The three finalists demonstrated exceptional strength, resiliency, determination and success in overcoming significant health challenges and ongoing adversities.”
An Inspiration Award winner has been selected annually for the past 36 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 2024 Honda Inspiration Award winner will be announced in June and honored alongside the Class of 2024 on a live telecast on CBS Sports Network on Monday, June 24, 2024, at 7 PM ET, from its new home in New York City. The special telecast “Defying the Odds: The 2024 Honda Inspiration Award” will re-air several times during June, including June 24, 6:30 pm ET, leading into the announcement of the Honda Cup broadcast.
Jean Lenti Ponsetto, Chair of the CWSA Board of Directors stated, “I’m in awe of the courage and perseverance of the Inspiration Award finalists. Their stories ring true of gutsy resilience, motivation and loyalty in overcoming all odds to be contributing members of their teams.”
The 2024 Honda Inspiration Award finalists showcase remarkable resilience and determination in the face of adversity. Here are their inspiring stories.
Aaliyah Gayles, Redshirt Freshman, University of Southern California, Basketball
Aaliyah Gayles, a McDonald’s High School All-American out of Las Vegas, Nev., overcame a harrowing ordeal after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds at a house party in her senior year of high school. Despite enduring multiple fractures and surgeries, Aaliyah remained steadfast in her commitment to basketball, signing her National Letter of Intent to USC from her hospital bed. Her return to the court, marked by a standing ovation and her first three-pointer as a Trojan, symbolized her unwavering determination and courage.
Meghan Hunter, Senior, Brigham Young University, Track & Field
Meghan Hunter's journey back to track and field after a devastating car accident in her hometown of Provo, Utah, demonstrates her extraordinary strength and perseverance. Suffering a broken neck in a rollover accident, Meghan faced a long road to recovery. She defied the initial doubts from surgeons and gradually regained her ability to run. Just nine months after the accident, she returned to track workouts. She has since earned First-Team All-America honors and All-Big 12 accolades.
Annie Tate, Senior, Wheaton College (Ill.), Basketball
Annie Tate's basketball career at Wheaton (Ill.) was marked by numerous setbacks, including multiple surgeries and life-threatening complications. Despite enduring Tarsal Tunnel surgery, spinal tumor surgery, pneumonia, and pulmonary emboli, Annie refused to let adversity define her. In her senior year, she returned to the court and made a significant impact starting all 25 games and earning D3Hoops.com All-Region and First Team All-CCIW honors. She averaged 20.0 points per game, scoring 499 points, which ranks sixth all-time on Wheaton’s single-season scoring list.
The CWSA, entering its 48th 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/.