Tempe Sports Authority to Host

Tempe Sports Authority to Host

17th Annual Courage Awards March 8,2010

Inspiring Stories of Courageous Athletes

DJ Gregory, Cheri Blauwet, Team Kilimanjaro to be Celebrated

** Tickets on sale now (480.940.8666) **

Proceeds to Fund Community Youth Oriented Non-profit Organizations and Student

Scholarship Pro9rams

TEMPE, AZ. - The Tempe Sports Authority will host the 17th Annual Courage Awards on Monday,

March 8, 2010 at the Marriott 8uttes Resort - Kachina Ballroom (2000 Westcourt Way) in Tempe at

6p.m.

OJ. Gregory, Cheri Blauwet, Team Kilimanjaro in addition to Max Ashton and Tom Hicks to be honored with

a prestigious Courage Award, which celebrates athletes who triumph over individual obstacles to rise above

physical challenges or overcome significant injury to persevere and achieve their goals. Tickets for this very

special evening are available by calling 4BO.940.6666 and include a cocktail reception and silent auction

starting at 6 p.m., followed by a live auction, dinner and awards ceremony at 7 p.m.

The Tempe Sports Authority Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization established the Courage Awards in 1994

through the volunteer efforts of the board and is well known for hosting an inspiring evening filled with

stories of courage and determination. The purpose of the event is to honor exceptional men and women

who inspire young people nationwide. Proceeds from the event are used to fund community youth-oriented

non-profit organizations and scholarship programs at Arizona colleges.

"Courage, bravery, guts...these are jUst a few of the words that describe OJ, Cheri and Team Kilimanjaro;

the candidates the Tempe Sports Authority Foundation has chosen this year to accept the 17th Annual

Courage Award:' Dee Robbins, President of the Tempe Sports Authority Foundation, said. 'These athletes

exhibit a courageous spirit which serves as an inspiration to all of us and we are proud to be honoring this

group who have triumphed over individual obstacles and share a common spirit to rise above harsh

difficulties, persevere and to achieve their goals. It is our hope that you will consider supporting the work

we do in the community by purchasing a ticket or sponsoring a table to honor these deserving men and

women in sports who are inspiring role models for all of us."

The 2010 Courage Awards will be emceed by Daron Sutton, the television play-by-play voice of the Arizona

Diamondbacks and Arizona State Sun Devils men's basketball. Sutton was previously the play-by-play

announcer for the Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

2010 Courage Award Recipients

D.l. Gregory

OJ. Gregory's journey began with challenges. Born 10 weeks premature with cerebral palsy,

underdeveloped lungs and entangled legs, OJ was told he would never walk.

For the first few years of his life he would get around by army crawl but after several surgeries, OJ learned

to walk with a cane--defying the odds. But that wasn't enough. Like most kids, OJ loved sports and had a

passion for golf. He picked up the sport at the age of nine and taught himself how to do a one-handed

swing, using his other hand to balance on his cane. He attended his first PGA TOUR event in 1990 at the

age of 12 in Greensboro, NC.

Since he could not become a pro, he decided the one thing he could do was walk and the PGA Tour gave

him his chance to walk every toumament last year. Each week he shadowed a different player along the

course, interviewing them and writing a blog about his experience. Striving to walk 44 tournaments in 45

weeks, across more than 900 miles, OJ persevered, defying expectations.

"His toes overlap," his father said. "So the pressure and all is unbelievable." OJ had to put seven or eight

Band-Aids on his feet to minimize the blisters and impact from all of the walking. "I'm going to fall; it's just

the way it is," OJ said. "I'm going to do it. So you know what? You get back up and you learn from your

mistakes and you don't do it again."

On November 9th, after 11 months, OJ completed his year-long mission, walking for more than 180 rounds,

3,256 holes and 988 miles.

He received a Bachelor's Degree and Master's Degree in Sport's Management from Springfield College in

Springfield, MA.

Cheri Blauwet

Cheri Blauwet, M.D. was born and raised on a farm near the small town of Larchwood, Iowa. She sustained

a spinal cord injury in a farming accident as a young child, however, was immediately encouraged to be

active, involved and to see disability as simply another way of living rather than as an impairment. Upon

entering high school, her track coach encouraged her to join the track team. By her sophomore year she

had set records at the state level and began competing nationally. In the fall of 1998, Cheri began her

academic and racing career at the University of Arizona. She became the captain of the wheelchair track

and road racing team. In 2000, she became a name on the international scene bringing home 1 silver and 3

bronze medals from the 2000 Paralympic Games in Sydney, Australia. Some of her outstanding finishes

include:

• Winner, 2003 and 2004 New York City Marathon

• Winner, 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2008 Los Angeles Marathon.

• Winner, 2004 and 200S Boston Marathon

• Gold Medal, 2004 Athens Paralympic Games: 800 meters

• Bronze Medals, 2004 Athens Paralympic Games: 5000 meters and Marathon

As a result of these Wins, she was nominated for the 2003 Women's Sports Foundation Sportswoman of the

Year in addition to two consecutive nominations in 2004 and 2005 for the ESPY award in the category Best

Athlete with a Disability. Cheri was also a nominee for the 200S Laureus World Sport Award within the

category "World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability."

Ultimately, Cheri sees sports as one platform through which she can promote disability rights and

empowerment at an international level. Currently, Cheri is a resident in Internal Medicine at the Brigham

and Women's Hospital, a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA.

Team Kilimanjaro

Marc Ashton, CEO of the Foundation for Blind Children was asked by Kevin Cherilla and Erik Wienhenmayer

if the Foundation wanted to take a team of blind climbers up to Africa's tallest peak, Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Inspired by the movie "Blindsight" Marc began asking staff and blind clients to attempt this feat. Their

excitement was immediate and FBC's Team Kili was formed within weeks. The team of 8 blind climbers and

17 sighted guides trained for 14 months, beginning with how to guide a blind climber on smaller mountains

around Arizona and ended with a freeZing climb of Mount Humphreys in Flagstaff.

The team was made up of young and old, blind and sighted, but all had one goal. ..to get to the top. Only

SO% of the attempts on Kilimanjaro make it to the top...that's SO% of sighted pecple. Many pecple

doubted the team and questioned putting blind climbers in a position to fail. But the team had a saying,

"seeing isn't always belieVing."

Two outstanding world records were accomplished during this hike by Max Ashton and Tom Hicks. Max, 13

years old, is the youngest blind climber to summit Mount Kilimanjaro in the world. He is currently a student

at Mountain Trials School in North Phoenix. Captain Tom Hicks' 13 year U.S. Army career came to an

abrupt end when he was diagnosed with a progressive degenerative retinal disease and was medically

discharged, 11 years ago. He is the first blinded US Veteran ever to summit Mount Kiiimanjaro. Tom works

at the Phoenix VA Medical Center as a Case Manager, serving over 800 blind or visually impaired veterans.

On June 29, 2009, all 25 climbers stood at the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, 19,340 feet above Africa. Their

Tanzanian guide said although he has been to the top over 200 times, he has never had a group this large

all stand together at the top. The team believed that the only reason they were able to succeed is their

devotion to each other's success. No one wanted to disappoint the team. They made it where thousands

before us failed, because they believed. Courage is believing you can do it.

For more information, please visit: http://www.temoe.qov/couraqeawards/ or caIl 480.940.8666.