NEW YORK CITY - BYU middle distance runner Meghan Hunter has been named one of three finalists for the Honda Inspiration Award, the Collegiate Women's Sports Awards announced Wednesday afternoon.
An Inspiration Award winner has been selected annually for the past 36 years and 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.
Meghan's Story
On the early morning of July 4, 2019 Meghan and her brother Morgan were traveling up Provo Canyon to volunteer at a road race in Park City. Suddenly a deer ran across the road and Morgan wrestled with the car to swerve around the deer and stay on the road. The car rolled four to five times, leaving Meghan with a sore neck that increasingly became more and more painful. She was taken to the hospital in Park City where she found out that her neck was broken. Meghan was later airlifted to Provo and underwent a six and a half hour surgery to fuse her C3 to C5 into one block of bone. She wore a neck brace 24/7 for several months. The big question was always “Will she run again?” A group of surgeons agreed that she possibly would be able to run in a year or two. Defying the odds, Meghan was cleared to do track workouts nine months later.
Meghan experienced more than just physical setbacks on her return to the sport. The mental battles she faced may have been much more challenging. She dealt with PTSD from the accident and suffered several panic attacks. Coach Diljeet Taylor's goal for Meghan shifted for her to just "get to the start line" because once the gun went off, Meghan had all the physical tools she needed to be successful.
In May of 2023, Meghan qualified for the NCAA West Preliminary Round ranked 39th in the 800m with a time of 2:06.08. Once again defying the odds, she fought to advance past all three qualifying rounds and earned herself a lane in the final. Meghan finished in eighth in the NCAA, earned First Team All-American honors and walked away with a major lifetime best of 2:01.53.
In March of 2024, she earned her second First Team All-American honor as she placed third at the 2024 indoor national championships in 2:02.15.
Meghan's unwavering commitment and relentless work ethic continue to push her to new heights, defying the odds and serving as an inspiration to many.
Learn more from the Deseret News about Meghan's miraculous comeback.
The Honda Inspiration Award winner for the Class of 2024 will be selected by the CWSA Board of Directors. On June 17, 8 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network will air “Defying the Odds: The 2024 Honda Inspiration Award” – a special telecast highlighting the three finalists. The following day, June 18, the winner will be announced.