Richards Named Honda Inspiration Award Finalist

NORMAN— Oklahoma soccer junior Jazzy Richards is one of three finalists for the Honda Inspiration Award, Judy Sweet, CWSA Board Member and Chair of The Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) Inspiration Award committee announced Thursday.

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 Honda Inspiration Award winner for the Class of 2020 will be selected from the three finalists by the CWSA Board of Directors and honored with the Class of 2021. The other two female student-athletes named as finalists are Savannah Rennie of Cal and Alexandra Watson from the University of Texas.

Richards' story is one of perseverance and resiliency.

In July 2018, Richards collided with another player. Despite not feeling much pain, a few days later, the incoming freshman discovered blood in her urine and told her athletic trainer. She was referred to a local hospital for scanning and tests and sent home the next day for a month of rest and no physical activity.

When her symptoms had not improved after a month, she was referred to a specialist who found a tumor in her bladder which was biopsied as malignant. Richards was the only known person in the world to be diagnosed with a brain tumor in her bladder.

There was no treatment protocol for this aggressive cancer and chemotherapy was not known to work for this type of cancer. Doctors presented two treatment options to Richards and her parents: monitor the tumor and, if it grows, remove the entire bladder or remove the bladder now. The family made the difficult decision to remove the bladder.

Six weeks after surgery Richards returned to campus cancer-free. In March 2019, she was cleared to resume training. In May, she returned to soccer and ultimately, played in all 19 games of the 2019 season, starting 10. Her first career goal came against rival Texas, just over a year after her journey had begun.

An Inspiration Award winner has been selected annually for the past 32 years. The CWSA has been balancing the recognition of deserving honorees with these unusual times as collegiate athletics has come to a halt. Given the nationwide pandemic, the association recently announced the cancellation of the 2020 Collegiate Women Sports Awards event that was scheduled to take place in Los Angeles in June, but the winner will be invited to the 2021 45th anniversary event next June.

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