McFadden wins Wilma Rudolph Courage Award
23.10.2015The 10-time Paralympic medallist received the honour at the biggest night for women’s sport in the USA.
Tatyana McFadden attends the photocall for the IPC Athletics Marathon World Championships at Tower Hotel ahead of Sunday's London Marathon on April 24, 2015 in London, England.
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The USA’s Tatyana McFadden took home the 2015 Wilma Rudolph Courage Award at the Women’s Sports Foundation’s 36th Annual Salute to Women in Sports on Tuesday (20 October) in New York, USA.
The award is presented to a female athlete who exhibits courage in her athletic performance, demonstrates ability to overcome adversity, makes contributions to sports and serves as a role model for others. It has been given out since 1996.
“If you have the courage to begin, you have the courage to succeed,” McFadden told the Women's Sports Foundation.
McFadden has won 10 Paralympic medals in athletics and also advocates for equal access for students with impairments. McFadden and her mother helped pass Maryland Fitness and Athletics Equity for Students with Disabilities Act (2005) that mandates that schools provide competitive opportunities for students with impairments in interscholastic athletic programmes.
McFadden, who won six world titles in 2013, will aim for her third consecutive marathon grand slam at the New York City Marathon on 1 November. With that, she is not competing at the 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships, which are underway in Doha, Qatar, and run until 31 October.
The USA’s tennis player Serena Williams and football player Carli Lloyd capped off banner seasons when they were crowned the 2015 Sportswomen of the Year – Williams for an individual sport and Lloyd for a team sport.
