White Rock Paralympian Sarah Hunter will be honoured in March with the Harry Jerome Comeback Award.
The award was announced this week by Sport BC, and will be presented to Hunter – an international renowned wheelchair tennis player – at a March 5 gala in Vancouver.
The Harry Jerome award is presented "to an athlete who competed in an individual or team sport in 2013 after having suffered an unusual setback, such as illness or injury."
Hunter, who was also a torchbearer during the 2010 Winter Paralympics in Vancouver, returned to the top level in her sport after missing the majority of the 2011 and 2012 tennis seasons due to an injury to her left shoulder and wrist.
“Sarah Hunter is an amazing athlete who has had several comebacks in her career and is truly an inspiration to us all,” said Sport BC president and CEO, Rob Newman.
Hunter has twice represented Canada at the Paralymics, first in Athens in 2004 and then in Beijing in 2008. Her quest for a third appearance – in 2012 in London – was derailed due to her injuries.
After sitting out with her injuries, Hunter fell out of the top 15 in the world wheelchair rankings for the first time in eight years, but has since re-entered the rankings – she is in the top-five in quad singles and currently third in quad doubles.