CLEVELAND - The National Association of Academic and Student-Athlete Development Professionals (N4A) has announced the recipients of its 2020 Wilma Rudolph Student-Athlete Achievement Awards. 

"The 2020 class of N4A Wilma Rudolph Award recipients characterize the utmost examples of resiliency and bravery. I am in awe of their accomplishments and thrilled to honor them in this special and unique way", stated current N4A President and Director of Student Success Initiatives at Pennsylvania State University, Denise Poole. "Wilma Rudolph was a phenomenal woman who was once quoted as saying, 'The triumph can't be had without the struggle'. Ms. Rudolph defied odds and overcame the significant challenges that were presented to her over the course of her lifetime. After being diagnosed with Polio at the age of five, she was faced with the likelihood of lifelong paralysis. However, Wilma not only taught herself to walk again but persevered to become the first American female to be a three-time Olympic gold medal winner in track and field. Ms. Rudolph is one of the most decorated athletes in U.S. history, who not only broke records in her sport but also transcended gender barriers on her path to historical greatness. On behalf of the N4A Board of Directors and our membership, it's an honor and privilege to congratulate the recipients of the 2020 N4A Wilma Rudolph Award.  We are so proud of their accomplishments and excited to honor them for all they have and will continue to achieve," she concluded.

The 2020 Wilma Rudolph recipients are Bailey Deason, King University; Maddie Holland, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Casey O'Brien, University of Minnesota; Robert Paylor, University of California, Berkeley; and Sydney Wetterstrom, University of Michigan.

Bailey Deason - King University

Bailey Deason grew up in a single parent household where her father's addiction dictated her environment. Her father's reputation followed her through school, and it was not until she picked up a softball for the first time that she felt a sense of hope. At 16 years old, she finally disclosed to her softball coach what she and her brother were enduring at home with their father and it was then that the Department of Human Services gave custody to her aunt. Deason started at Columbia State Community College as a softball player but unfortunately, she could not escape her past. For the first time in three years, her father showed up at a softball game and began blaming her for everything and eventually pulled a gun on her. After this traumatic experience, she started at King University. She still faced adversity, but she never gave up; she pushed herself on and off the field. She was accepted into the Master of Business Administration and was supposed to play her final year of eligibility in 2020. Despite all that Deason has been through in her life, she believes in herself and is "finally thankful for the hand [she] was dealt." 

 Maddie Holland - University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Maddie Holland always wanted to be the best version of herself, which entailed having perfect grades and excelling as a pole vaulter. During her senior year of high school, this passion suddenly turned to an obsession. Holland began worrying about her weight and felt that the more weight she lost, the more accomplished she would feel. When she entered the University of Nebraska, her fear of weight gain escalated, and she began restricting food even more. She began meeting with a dietician and sports psychologist who diagnosed her with Major Depressive Disorder, Anorexia Nervosa, and Generalized Anxiety. Holland did not want to believe it because she thought everything was going well in her life but soon realized her eating disorder had taken over her life and she entered an inpatient treatment center to get help. She spent the next six months in an inpatient treatment center and took a season off from track,which ended up saving her life. With the overwhelming support from the University of Nebraska track coach, academic department, and teammates, Holland is back on the track team and has found her passion in pole vaulting again. She has also immersed herself in organizations dealing with mental health with the hope of helping others become their best self.

Casey O'Brien - University of Minnesota

Casey O'Brien was first diagnosed with Osteosarcoma, an extremely rare form of bone cancer, at 13 years old. Although treatment required nine months on chemotherapy and a full knee replacement, he was determined to be cancer free and get back on the football field. His cancer relapsed his sophomore year of high school, but O'Brien never gave up. He beat cancer for the second time and convinced his doctors to allow him to move from quarterback to placeholder, in order to still achieve his dream of playing college football. Finally, back on the football field, O'Brien became a placeholder at the University of Minnesota, but his fight was not over. His cancer came back three more times since entering college but his determination to play in a Division I football game kept him fighting. In the Fall of 2019, O'Brien finally got his chance to play his first football game in the Big 10, cancer free.

Robert Paylor – University of California, Berkeley

In one moment, Robert Paylor was in the best day of his life, competing for the 2017 collegiate rugby national championship. In the next moment, his life changed forever. Paylor suffered a severe spinal cord injury in the first minutes of the game, leaving him unable to move or feel anything below his neck. His doctor told him he would never walk or move his hands for the rest of his life. In the following weeks Paylor fought to survive, battling pneumonia and an inability to swallow or breathe independently. Once medically stabilized, he was transported to Craig Hospital in Denver, Colorado, where he entered an intensive rehabilitation program to rebuild the sensory and motor functions that lay below his neck. Through an unbreakable will and relentless determination, Paylor is defying the odds. By the help of his physical therapists and rugby coach, he is now able to stand up and walk with the aid of his walker, and he continues to push his physical limits to accomplish new goals. He also recently graduated from the top-ranked UC Berkeley Haas School of Business. Paylor is using his experiences and learnings to embark on a passionate career in public speaking. His purpose is to share his story and the methods he uses to overcome quadriplegia, so he may inspire others to access their full potential and conquer their challenges no matter how daunting they may seem.

Sydney Wetterstrom - University of Michigan

Sydney Wetterstrom is a two-time sexual assault survivor. The first incident left her feeling guilt, shame and fear of the man who attacked her and of those not believing her. She became very depressed which led to suicidal thoughts. After a trip home to Colorado, Wetterstrom began to self-harm and attempted suicide, leaving her in a psychiatric hospital. Following her second sexual assault incident, she attempted suicide again and was rushed to the ER. This left her feeling isolated and that she was letting her volleyball team down. During her time in the hospital, Wetterstrom began researching programs for female athletes that were sexual assault survivors. Based on these results, she and a fellow student-athlete created a support group called Student-Athlete Sexual health (SASH), for student-athletes that were affected by sexual assault. With the help of the counseling team at the University of Michigan, Wetterstrom was able to create a safe environment for survivors to learn coping mechanisms, acceptance and to gain their voice back. She is grateful for volleyball and the University of Michigan for helping her put her life back together. She was able to complete her senior year of volleyball and has invested in not only her athletic ability, but also her emotional and mental well-being.

About the Rudolph Student-Athlete Achievement Award: The N4A Wilma Rudolph Student-Athlete Achievement Award honors student-athletes who have overcome great personal, academic, and/or emotional odds to achieve academic success while participating in intercollegiate athletics. These young men and women may not be the star athletes or best students, and therefore may not have been recognized by other organizations or awards. Nonetheless, they have persevered and made significant personal strides toward success. 

About N4A: N4A, which has been in existence since 1975, is a diverse educational service and professional non-profit organization. Membership of N4A includes academic support and student services personnel who are committed to enhancing opportunities for academic, athletics and personal success for student-athletes. For more information on N4A, visit www.nfoura.org. N4A is administered by NACDA, which is in its 55^th year. For more information on NACDA and the 17 professional associations that fall under its umbrella, please visit www.nacda.com.