Thibodeau Named a Finalist for the Honda Inspiration Award

 LOUISVILLE, Ky.  – Lauren Thibodeau from the University of Louisville women’s golf team was named one of the three 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.
 
Thibodeau joins junior Payton Murphy from Western Michigan University and Bentley University senior Emily Sweet as the other finalists
 
The Honda Inspiration Award winner for the Class of 2022 will be selected from these three finalists by the CWSA Board of Directors and honored with the Class of 2022. On June 20, 8:30 pm ET, CBS Sports Network will air Defying the Odds: The 2022 Honda Inspiration Award – a special telecast highlighting the three finalists.
 
“There were many strong nominations for the 2021 Inspiration Award, and each had a truly inspiring story,” said Sweet. “The three finalists demonstrated strength, resiliency, determination and success in overcoming significant health challenges and ongoing adversities.”
An Inspiration Award winner has been selected annually for the past 34 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 2022 Honda Inspiration Award winner will be announced in June and will be honored with the Class of 2022 on a live telecast on CBS Sports Network on June 27th at 9 pm EST.

Jean Lenti Ponsetto, Chair of the CWSA Board of Directors stated, “Once again, the Honda Inspiration Award finalists show us that a competitive heart and spirit personifies grace and courage when confronted with the most insurmountable adversity.”

Here are their inspiring stories.

Lauren Thibodeau, Senior, University of Louisville, Golf

In the summer of 2019 Lauren Thibodeau was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. In December 2020, she became ill and spent 55 days in the hospital. Her first diagnosis was severe ulcerative colitis, but none of the treatments worked and on Christmas Day 2020 her health continued to decline.

While enduring her last treatment option before having to remove her colon, she began to experience…