Brown University
USA Gymnastics Collegiate National Championship
Gymnastics' Kinamon Wins Mari-Rae Sopper Spirit Award
4/11/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
PHILADELPHIA – After persevering through two major injuries and nearly losing her left leg due to a staph infection, Brown University gymnastics sophomore Tori Kinamon has won the Mari-Rae Sopper Spirit Award, USA Gymnastics announced at the 2015 USA Gymnastics Collegiate National Championships.
The award is given annually to the gymnast who best exemplifies passion, dedication, and devotion to the sport of gymnastics and is named for the late Mari-Rae Sopper who died aboard American Airlines Flight 77 on September 11, 2001 while traveling to start her new job as the head women's gymnastics coach at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
"I was so honored to receive the Mari-Rae Sopper Spirit Award. Hearing her story made me even more motivated to come back to the sport I love and reminded me to face challenges with fire and fight," Kinamon said. "As the award recipient, I feel that I have a responsibility to embody Mari-Rae's passion for gymnastics, and I couldn't be more humbled, excited, and inspired by the chance to do this."
Last season as a freshman, the Peachtree City, Ga., native competed regularly for Brown on bars in January and February prior to suffering an injury to her left leg. During the subsequent surgery, she contracted MRSA, a severe staph infection, causing her to remain in the hospital for over three weeks in March and April.
Over the course of her hospital stay, she underwent eight invasive surgeries requiring a series of incisions running from the top of her hamstring and past her knee. Kinamon almost lost her left leg during the process, and doctors were not sure if she could ever return to gymnastics.
Kinamon began the arduous process of recovering from her injury and hospitalization over the summer and returned to the Bears for the 2015 season.
"Tori made an incredible comeback and is the greatest example of hard work and determination," Brown head coach Sara Carver-Milne said. "She has never looked back, felt sorry for herself, or asked for any exceptions."
The McIntosh High School product not only returned to the team this season but also earned a spot in Brown's competitive bars lineup for the season opener with her score counting towards the team total.
After making her return to competition, Kinamon suffered a setback the next week as she tore the Achilles tendon on her left leg, the same leg as her previous injury. Unfazed, Kinamon has continued to contribute to the team's success and is eyeing a return to competition next season.
"Tori Kinamon is one of the strongest, hardest working student-athletes I have coached," Carver-Milne said. "Tori is a huge inspiration to her teammates and coaches. She has a very positive and mature outlook and attitude."
Through it all, Kinamon, a Health & Human Biology concentrator, has maintained a 3.60 cumulative grade point average and has supported her teammates at every turn.
"Tori is extremely respectful and appreciates every opportunity gymnastics provides," Carver-Milne said. "Tori's experience, recovery, strength, and work ethic motive her team each and every day."
