The National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics (N4A) presents the award, as it has done annually since 1991. It is named in honor of Wilma Rudolph whose life is a story of achieving against the odds. Diagnosed with polio at a young age, Wilma was told that she would never walk again. With undying love and assistance from her family, by the age of 12, she could walk normally without crutches, braces or corrective shoes. It was then that she decided to become an athlete. In the 1960 Rome Olympics, Wilma Rudolph became the first America woman to win three gold medals: 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, and the anchor on the 400-meter relay team.
The award named in her honor recognizes student athletes who have overcome great personal, academic, and/or emotional odds to achieve academic and athletic success while participating in intercollegiate athletics. Award winners may not the best athletes or students and therefore may not have been recognized by other organizations or awards. Nonetheless, they have persevered and made significant personal strides toward success. The common thread for each year's recipients is motivation or drive to succeed and the work ethic that overcomes difficult situations.
Murphy, who received a B.S. in Kinesiology in December 2006 and is pursuing an M.S. in Health, Policy and Administration, has lived an almost parallel life to Ms. Rudolph's. Growing up, Murphy loved sports, but being a double bilateral-amputee, he couldn't compete in most sports. Determined to be a "winner," he tried wrestling, and his love for the sport is still with him today.
Murphy will be honored at the N4A's National Convention at the Pointe South Mountain Resort in Phoenix, AZ, on Sunday, June 10. For more information on N4A, contact Sandy Meyer at 814-865-0407.
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