Heather Farr’s Legacy Continues to Inspire Sun Devils

Former ASU women’s lacrosse player Kerri Clayton was one such recipient.

“I was shocked when I found out that I won, truly a humbling moment,” says Clayton, whose hard work on and off the field earned her the Heather Farr Award back in 2018. “If you’re nominated for an award as special as this one, you’re doing everything right. Your efforts are finally being recognized and you’ve been a great representative of what ASU stands for. Even if you don’t win, just being nominated is a huge accomplishment.”

There are 13 women nominated for this year’s award, with a member of almost every female athletic program earning the opportunity to receive the prestigious award. The three finalists are Yanni Acuna from softball, Audrey Ernst from triathlon and Alexia Delgado from soccer.

“I’m just so proud to have the opportunity to be a shepherd of Heather’s legacy and continue to educate new female athletes at ASU about everything that she stood for,” says Farr-Kaye, a two-time cancer survivor herself.

During the 2008-09 season, Farr-Kaye battled a recurrence of breast cancer, the same disease that Heather was diagnosed with. Not only did she make a second full recovery, but Farr-Kaye also led the women’s golf team to the NCAA Championships and helped bring home ASU’s seventh NCAA title. 

“Cancer’s gift to me, after going through it myself and having watched my sister and my dad both lose their battles, is my ability to handle adversity,” Farr-Kaye said. “I learned that one of the reasons why I’m here is to show others that even on hard days you can pick yourself up and move forward and continue on to great things. Heather taught me so much about how to look at life and how to be resilient. She fought her battle with such grace and dignity, and my goal will always be to honor her.”

This year’s Heather Farr Award will be announced at Wings of Gold on March 29, an annual fundraiser for the 14 women’s athletic programs at Arizona State University.  The money raised through Wings of Gold is evenly distributed between the 14 programs and is used for recruiting, academics, and other essential needs necessary to compete at the Division I collegiate level. To attend this year’s event, please register here, or click here to donate and share your support for this deserving cause and celebration of Heather’s legacy.