Courtesy: Louisville Athletics
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — University of Louisville swimmer Abdelrahman El-Araby was named as a recipient of the 2023 Wilma Rudolph Student-Athlete Achievement Award by the National Association of Academic and Student-Athlete Development Professionals (N4A).
The N4A Wilma Rudolph Student-Athlete Achievement Award honors student-athletes who have overcome great personal, academic, and/or emotional odds to achieve academic success while participating in intercollegiate athletics. These individuals have persevered and made significant personal strides toward success.
El-Araby is a star sprinter for the University of Louisville swim team where he has won 18 ACC medals (five of them gold) in his three years as a Cardinal. He has qualified for the NCAA Championships each year and won UofL’s first-ever relay NCAA national championship as the anchor of the 200 free relay. In March of 2022, Elaraby made a serious attempt on his life after an outstanding performance at the ACC Championships. Unable to recover in time for the 2022 NCAAs, he made his comeback at the 2023 ACC Championships in Greensboro last February when he won gold in the 50 freestyle. He gave an emotional speech on ESPN after the race about his journey through his mental health crisis that went viral. He also helped found the Cards All In initiative that provides resources, support and peer support for athletes that are struggling with mental health issues. His openness about his suicide attempt helped other athletes struggling with similar ideation and he has used his platform as a champion swimmer to reinforce the need to seek help and resources to overcome problems.
About Wilma Rudolph: Despite being told as a child she would never walk again, Wilma Rudolph relentlessly pursued her dreams of becoming an international track and field star. At the height of her career, “the fastest woman in the world” used her platform to shed light on social issues. Rudolph competed in the 1956 Olympic Games and won a bronze medal in the 4×100 relay. Four years later, she headed to the 1960 Summer Olympics determined to earn gold. Her performance in Rome cemented her as one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century. She won three gold medals and broke several world records. Rudolph became the first American woman to win three gold medals in track and field at the same Olympic Games. The indoor track and dormitory at Tennessee State University are named in honor of Rudolph. She died of a brain tumor on November 12, 1994.
About N4A: N4A, which has been in existence since 1975, is a diverse educational service and professional non-profit organization. Membership of N4A includes academic support and student services personnel who are committed to enhancing opportunities for academic, athletics and personal success for student-athletes.
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Powerful. Well-deserved!