Lauren Thibodeau, a senior golfer from the University of Louisville, is named the Class of 2022 Honda Inspiration Award winner as announced by Chris Voelz of The Collegiate Women Sports Awards presented by Honda (CWSA).

Thibodeau was chosen as the winner by the CWSA Board of Directors, and the three finalists were chosen by the CWSA Inspiration Award committee. The other two finalists were Payton Murphy (Western Michigan, Gymnastics) and Emily Sweet (Bentley, Swimming).

“At the forefront of the numerous student-athletes who have faced and overcome adversity this year and inspired us to our core is the Honda Inspiration Award winner, Lauren Thibodeau,” stated Voelz. “Lauren persisted with bravery and optimism showing her teammates, and now the nation, the true grit and resolve it took to endure and overcome her condition in order to return to competition. We are moved by her resilience and welcome her to the Class of 2022.”

An Inspiration Award winner has been selected annually for the past 34 years. 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.

Each of the 2022 finalists’ stories were highlighted in a Honda Inspiration Award special on CBS Sports Network, Defying the Odds: The 2022 Honda Inspiration Award. This special will be replayed on June 20 at 11:00 pm ET; June 21 at 10:00 am and 6:30 pm ET; June 22 at 11:00 am ET and on June 27 at 8:30 pm ET leading into the Collegiate Women Sports Award presented by Honda live broadcast on CBS Sports Network.

Thibodeau will be honored with the Class of 2022 on the live telecast on CBS Sports Network on June 27th at 9 pm ET/6 pm PT.

“It is an honor to present the 2022 Honda Inspiration Award to Lauren Thibodeau,” said Jean Lenti Ponsetto, Chair of the CWSA Board of Directors. “Lauren's two-year journey of overcoming the effects of her illness is a story of incredible hard work, toughness and perseverance overcoming every challenge that was put in her path. Remarkably, she drew on her passion and love of golf to fight her way back to greatness and competed in the 2022 NCAA Golf Championship.”

Thibodeau’s journey began in the summer of 2019 when she was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. In December 2020, she became ill and spent 55 days in the hospital and her health continued to decline.

While enduring her last treatment option, she began to experience severe neurological symptoms and was diagnosed with medical Catatonia, a condition caused when the chemistry of the brain gets off and essentially caused amnesia. As doctors scrambled to diagnose and treat her, she underwent an out of the box Electric Convulsive Therapy which miraculously helped. However, her health spiraled once more, and she spent three nights in the hospital undergoing five blood transfusions.

Once finally able to put her medical struggles behind her, Lauren went back to golf competitions in June 2021 and won the New Hampshire State Amateur Championship in August 2021.

She competed for Louisville this year and just closed her season at the 2022 NCAA Albuquerque Regionals. Thibodeau posted the best round of the final day for the Cardinals, shooting 72 to finish at 6-over-par and in a tie for 25th place overall.

The CWSA, celebrating its 46th anniversary year, has honored the nation’s top NCAA women athletes for their superior athletic skills, leadership, academic excellence and eagerness to participate in community service.  Since commencing its partnership in 1986, Honda has provided more than $3.4 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to support women’s athletics programs. 

About Honda Corporate Social Responsibility

For more than 60 years in the U.S., Honda has been committed to making positive contributions to the communities where its associates live and work. Honda’s mission is to create products and services that improve the lives of people while conducting its business in a sustainable manner and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. Accordingly, Honda believes in helping people reach their life’s potential through its focus on the areas of education, the environment, mobility, traffic safety and community. Learn more at http://csr.honda.com/.