Alessandra Diaz graduated from Lake Gibson High School in May 2024 and plans to attend the University of South Florida and majoring in kinesiology and sports management in hopes of becoming a D1 football strength and conditioning coach this Fall. She participated on the Varsity Weightlifting Team and Flag Football Club. She is currently assistant coaching the 2024 Lake Gibson boys weightlifting team. She teaches the boys technique and helps them fix their issues while the head coach writes the workouts. In meets, she helps the boys with their numbers, what technique mistakes they've made, and some other decisions. At only the boys 3rd meet, they had 46 PRs and they won the meet against 4 other teams. She also helped manage the boys football team. She helped them stay on track with the practice schedule, make notes of technique and flaws in plays for coaches to review. She gained 217 volunteer hours this year. She was Captain of the weightlifting team. Along with lifting, Alessandra wrote the team’s workouts, guided stretches, and lead her teammates in meets. The team had questions and some doubt about a new coach. She did not have any weightlifting experience and would often look to her for guidance. Her main goal is to become a successful strength and conditioning coach for a D1 college or professional football team. She loves football so much as a sport, and there is not enough female representation in this field. Becoming a strength and conditioning coach, combines football and her extensive knowledge of weightlifting. Her next goal is to one day, have the chance to lift for the United States in the Olympics. She is currently lifting at USAW meets to gain experience and network in hopes of getting closer and closer to that goal. Her next goal is to go to college and become as educated as she possibly can. She wants to make her family proud. The women in her family are very smart and educated, she wants to follow in their footsteps.
Alessandra is not your typical “weightlifter”. For the past four years, weightlifting has been her life. Traumatic events in her early years created an emotional side of her.  She try’s to hide it, causing her to put forth a false image. Lifting gives her a platform to prove that she is stronger than people think. In kindergarten, her mom was diagnosed with kidney failure and lupus. Throughout elementary school, she helped her mom through dialysis every night, spending her childhood watching her health decline. Additionally, her father abused her, occasionally landing her in the hospital. In December 2017, her brother woke up to find her mom in distress, calling 911 immediately. Her mom slipped into a coma. While she was in the hospital, she was staying with her dad, taking care of him. She was was 12, cooking, cleaning, and raising herself while her dad worked, and the abuse continued. Sadly, her mother passed away on February 13th from lupus, kidney failure, and sepsis. It was the hardest thing Alessandra ever experienced. Her family recognized the abuse from her father, prompting them to insist he relinquish custody. Her grandparents then adopted her. Her parents’ absence left her unaware of how to properly express the pain, acting “dramatically”.

In 8th grade, Alessandra came across a video of a girl weightlifting, she never saw anything like it. She heard cheering, support, and genuine awe when she jerked the bar above her head. She desired that same feeling.
Freshman year, she was excited to start her first weightlifting season. Due to a COVID exposure, she started 2 weeks after her teammates. Her coach wanted to ensure her success, no matter the cost, and introduced cutting her body weight. At her first meet, she felt a spark and knew that this is what she needed to be doing. No freshman had ever qualified for the states competition, she wanted to be the first. She medaled at districts and regionals and finished top 15 in states, accomplishing every goal she set.
Sophomore year, a new head football coach arrived, Coach Pringle. He was also an Olympic weightlifting coach and would give great advice. During flag football season, Alessandra would go to his office before practice and talk to him about football and weightlifting. Coach Pringle suggested becoming a student manager to gain experience and knowledge about football. She soon found out that he was transferring to Lake Gibson. Worried about her training plans, she also transferred to Lake Gibson. That summer she worked with him and her weight numbers skyrocketed. She left a school she had known for 12 years, struggling mentally and with an eating disorder. Coach Pringle had her track her food intake to try to reverse the damage from her previous coach. He introduced her to USAW national events and gave her the confidence that she one day could be an Olympian. He provided the safe space and guidance that she was lacking.

Junior year, Alessandra was in her best shape and was eager to start the season. Coach Pringle took over the team. Although a fantastic coach, he was coaching weightlifting and football. None of the girls had been to state and were not at her skill level. Many were new to weightlifting techniques. She stepped in to teach them. She developed a great relationship with all her teammates.

States always fall on the anniversary week of her mom’s death. Last year the competition fell on the 5th. She wanted her mom to be proud of her, placing extra pressure on herself. She got all her snatches, assuring her a silver metal with only her first lift, but she wanted a gold metal. Putting too much pressure on herself, she failed her last lift and every bench. She felt like she failed by not meeting her goal. Everyone was proud of her telling her how strong she was, which is why she does this sport.

In December of 2022, Alessandra was approached by a USAW coach. He told her that her form and strength has the ability to take her far and encouraged her to join his USAW team. Although, she was very worried about how she would be able to afford it. She lives an hour from the gym, she would have to pay entry fees for meets, as well as having to pay $75 a month to the club. Between gas, the monthly coaching fee, and meets she was struggling to afford this opportunity. One of her long term goals is to go to the Olympics and put her name out there in hopes to make her mom proud. She live off social security checks, she pays for everything herself from rent to food to gas, it was hard to be able to afford these extra things. But she refused to let money stop her from achieving her goals. So she had to leave Coach Pringle’s team and affiliate with her high school coach's team.

After the state tournament her junior year, she was invited to the 2023 All-Star Championships. While preparing for the all-star meet, she decided to join her high school's flag football team. She played flag football since 6th grade and she was super excited. She had to join the flag football team late due to the weightlifting states competition, so she only had 3 days to prepare for the first game. Training for both weightlifting and flag football was very hard on her body. She was compressing her muscles and elongating them at the same time; her body could not keep up. Their first game landed on the day before a weightlifting meet. Her flag football coach, had her starting on both sides of the ball, therefore she hardly ever left the field. She started to feel her hip hurt really bad and by the end of the game she was begging to get off the field but she pushed through. The next day, she got to the meet and let her coach know about the pain she was going through but she lifted anyway. She scratched all but one snatch because of how much she was struggling. Clean and jerk comes around and on her first lift, I ended up falling forward at the bottom of her clean and over extending my hip. She was in some of the worst pain she ever experienced. But this did not stop her, she got herself together and chose to lift again, she successfully completed by clean but when it came time to jerk, it hurt entirely too much. Alessandra ended up needing to go to the ER and found out she severely strained her hip. She was unable to walk or lift her leg and had to use crutches for 2 weeks. While she was out for 2 weeks, she ended up having mononucleosis. So she lost all her strength from her hip injury and mono sickness and was not able to lift for over a month. She was supposed to compete at the 2023 USAW Florida State meet in May but had to back out because of her injury and sickness in March.
In the Summer of 2023, Alessandra felt like she needed to compete, work, and get back into weightlifting. She decided to compete in the USAW Junior Nationals, in Colorado. She had to raise money for months to be able to travel and compete. This was her first meet back since her injury and she was very nervous. Additionally, her coach was unable to come with her so she had to be coached by another school's coach who has lifters competed against her since freshman year. She was in a completely other state, with coaches she did not know, and at one of the biggest meets in the country. Alessandra ended up taking 7th place overall and she learned a lot. She made connections with Olympic coaches from all over the country and fell in love with the sport again.

 Alessandra learned that sometimes in life, you have to be strong both inside and out to rise from your adversity. Weightlifting has taught her, that to be able to reach her goals, she has to be the one to go out and work hard. No one will do it for you. While mentally challenging, weightlifting has given her the chance to show those around her that she is strong enough to rise from the pain of her past.

Zarah Kerawala graduated from Ridge Community High School in Davenport FL in May 2024. Zarah served as Class President for four consecutive years, leveraging leadership to reshape social dynamics, foster a vibrant school spirit, and enhance academic standards in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. Pursuing a career in healthcare, she actively engage with HOSA to delve into various healthcare avenues and concurrently held the position of Regional Secretary, steering initiatives to foster leadership and exploration within the field. As the Youth Lead at her church, she drew upon her experiences to mentor budding volunteers and orchestrate seamless event management, contributing to the growth and cohesion of her community. She aims to pursue dental school following her undergraduate studies, with a focus on specializing in Periodontics. She would like to open her own clinic and make it a comfortable place for children to feel at home and not frightened of where they are and what they need to have done to their oral hygiene. She hopes to go into the dental field and then be a research assistance hoping to find new discoveries in the Public Health field.

As an avid athlete, Zarah has always believed in the power of sports to instill discipline, resilience, and determination. Throughout her athletic journey, she has faced numerous challenges, but none as profound as the recent hardships that have tested her courage and perseverance in ways she never imagined. Facing this adversity, Zarah found solace and strength in the refuge of sports. Rather than succumbing to despair, she channeled her energy into her athletic pursuits, using them as a means of escape from the harsh realities of the families circumstances. Despite the uncertainty and instability plaguing her personal life, the track, the field, or the court became her sanctuary—a place where she could temporarily transcend the hardships that weighed heavily on her shoulders.

Zarah’s athletic journey has not only been a source of physical empowerment but also a testament to her unwavering determination and resilience. She refused to let go of her dreams. She sought out scholarships and sponsorships, tirelessly working to fund her athletic endeavors while somewhat alleviating the financial burden on her family. Moreover, the camaraderie and support of her teammates and coaches provided her with the sense of belonging and encouragement she needed to persevere. Together, they weathered the challenges of grueling training sessions, competitive setbacks, and personal struggles, forging bonds that transcended the confines of the playing field.

In retrospect, every hurdle she faced—whether it be financially, academic pressure, or personal setbacks—has only strengthened her resolve and fortified her character. Each setback served as a catalyst for growth, teaching Zarah invaluable lessons about resilience, resourcefulness, and the indomitable human spirit.

Receiving this award would not only validate her perseverance in the face of adversity but also provide much-needed financial assistance to continue pursuing her athletic aspirations. With unwavering determination and an unyielding spirit, she is committed to overcoming whatever challenges lie ahead, knowing that every obstacle conquered brings her one step closer to realizing her dreams.

In conclusion, her athletic journey is a testament to the transformative power of sports in the face of adversity. Through perseverance, resilience, and unwavering determination, she has navigated the tumultuous waters of hardship, emerging stronger, more resilient, and more determined than ever before. And as she stands on the precipice of the future, she is filled with optimism and gratitude, knowing that every step forward is a triumph over the adversities that once threatened to hold her back.

Tyrone Lillard graduated from Lake Gibson High School, works for Chick-Fil-A and is planning to attend Florida International University this fall. [He was a member of the Track and Field team.] His major leadership experience was during his time in the marching band. He was responsible for creating the visuals for the school's show. It was challenging as he had to lead and guide over 136 band students for the performance. However, with his guidance and confidence, they were able to deliver an outstanding performance which earned them a superior rating during the final show. His journey in Track and Field started when he would assist fellow teammates. During practice, they all struggled. As time progressed, they gradually earned more experience and he took on the role of team captain, leading and guiding everyone through training sessions. This proved that being kind and helping others can bring you better days. He worked as a trainer at Chick-fil-A. His main responsibility was to train and assist others in their work. As a trainer, he would have to ensure that everyone is doing their job and maintaining cleanliness. He also assisted new workers and would guide them in their tasks. Through this work, he has learned to be patient and kind towards new workers. He realized that effective communication is crucial to efficiently working in any establishment. He wants to attend college to pursue a degree in business and management, then attend culinary school to start his own eating establishment. His short term goal is to become an American Track and Field athlete by attending college, competing in the NCAA, and qualifying for the 2028 Olympics in his senior year. He plans to attend college and specialize in meteorology to gain an in-depth understanding of weather patterns and phenomena. This will allow him to help others plan their day more effectively. 

In 2014, when he was seven years old his sense of security was ripped away from him. He was assaulted by his ex-best friend's older brother. Years after the event he didn’t want anyone to think he was at all different. Everywhere he went the atmosphere was uncomfortable. He tried to cope with the pain during his middle school years; however, it affected his social life. Until his high school years, he had not yet found a way to keep himself happy and release all the negative thoughts. He then decided to join the high school Track and Field team. He was excited to see what the future held for him in this sport. He coped with the pain of his past experience by running away from his problems and using that pain to race to the finish line. 

During that time, he had really bad thoughts and mostly stayed silent.  He needed something to change for his own self wellbeing. He decided to put hard work and courage towards this sport and change his perspective on others, especially himself. He learned not to blame himself for what happened to him as a child but to forgive himself and let go of the haunting past. He moved on and helped himself do better in the 400m dropping his time with each practice and meet. He qualified for the 4x400m at regionals with his 3 other teammates. Unfortunately, they were disqualified because they dropped the baton, but that did not stop their fighting spirit. In the final stages of his final track season, he is happy he learned how to make others feel good. They just have to run towards it and learn to live with their emotions.

Audrey Link graduated from Santa Fe Catholic High School in Lakeland FL and is planning on attending University of Florida this Fall. She played Varsity Girls Tennis and was a Varsity Cheerleader. She earned the position of Captain on the High School Cheerleading Team. This provided her with the responsibility to plan dances, stunts, uniforms, and events for the team. Audrey was given the opportunity to serve as a Senate Page, in Tallahassee, aiding in the communications of State Senators in the creation of Florida State laws. After 9 years of service, she earned the position of Assistant Head Altar Server in her local Catholic Parish. This involved much more serving hours and a position to teach and motivate younger servers to continue in the position. Audrey plans to earn a Bachelors and Masters in architecture from the University of Florida’s College of Design and Construction to become a licensed architect. She will seek to earn an AI certificate from UF to become well versed in the incorporation and potential impacts of technology in her field. She anticipates becoming an expert in her profession and establishing her own architecture firm.

Who could look at Audrey and think that she was a cheerleader? It seems unnatural. It is unnatural. She is an introvert, someone who could count her friends on one hand. She hates to put herself out there for fear of potentially facing ridicule and failure. She is shy and mistrusting. She is a pessimist, seeing the glass partially empty before she sees it mostly full. How could she ever be a cheerleader? The Santa Fe Cheerleading Team was defunct at the start of her freshman year. No uniforms, no mats, no returning students. Undefined rules and unspecified expectations. Audrey did not ask to participate in this cheer reboot. When prompted, she did not want to join. After attending pre-tryout practices, she wanted to quit. Her coach, Mrs. Courtney Franzino, had known her since she was three years old. She thought Audrey could be a good addition to this passion project. Although her desires for her were sweet and genuine, she wanted nothing to do with it. Even though credit was due for rebooting this squad from nothing; the team was small and inexperienced, the cheers were weak, and the smallest of stunts were unstable. She pushed and pushed for an excuse to leave, yet cheer was persistent.  She stayed on the team for her freshman year. At times she even enjoyed it, attending school events and being part of a team, but it was strange. She had never been around these girls before. Some were kind and supportive, others not so much. She did not picture herself as either of these classic female cheerleader stereotypes, so where did she belong? On top of her uncomfortable new social life, her workload was intensifying, and time was running thin. With enrollment in AP and dual enrollment courses, her inner perfectionist was determined to maintain a straight A transcript. In addition, Audrey was a part of the high school Varsity girls tennis team. She had been playing tennis since childhood and anticipated devoting her love and free time to the tennis season. Cheer felt superfluous amidst these competing priorities. By the end of her freshman year, she decided that she wanted to quit.  Cheer was persistent again.  After a summer off, she found herself back on the team for her sophomore year. The cheers were synchronizing, progressively growing louder and stunts getting stronger. The team was beginning to gain confidence. Still, she kept her grasp loose. She was pessimistic of the fit on the team, and didn’t identify herself as a cheerleader. As that year went on, that began to change. She began to socialize with a few girls on the squad, learning more about them as individuals. Their love for glitter and Taylor Swift. Their desire to prove themselves. Their genuine care for Audrey. That threw her off. She always had trust issues and was incredibly cautious with who she chose to trust. But hearing that these individuals cared about her, even though she had provided no reason to do so, began to reset her thinking. As trust grew with them, she found herself becoming more like them. She came out of her shell, lowered her barriers a bit. When it came time to cheer, she found herself wanting to perform, to put herself out there. She received advice on makeup and hair styles. Her confidence grew. She helped her coach with planning for efficiency and fluidity. Cheer was no longer superfluous. It was transforming into something much more powerful. Stunting with the girls she trusted quickly became her favorite aspect of cheer. Calling cheers requires the team to move as one, but stunting takes that to the next level. You need faith and trust in your teammates to stunt, something she couldn’t have imagined she could build with the girls when she first joined the squad her freshman year. It inspired Audrey to start investing her talents to improve the team. She directed and organized. Cheer had already started changing her, and this was her chance to change cheer. Sophomore and junior years of cheer flew by, and before she knew it, Audrey was a senior. Against all her preconceived notions, all her introversion and shyness, all her negative thoughts that told her she was not cut out to be a cheerleader, she was named the Captain of the team. Her coach had been watching her grow and change for four years and she not only saw a cheerleader, but a leader.  As Captain, Audrey planned events and choreographed dances.
She led a rough but spirited group of boys through the Fall powderpuff football game. She fundraised for costumes and coordinated with other groups in the school to find new ways to promote school spirit. In her senior year, she finally took hold of cheerleading and her role within it and gave it everything she had, the person she was, and the person it showed her she could be. It was on the drive home from the final game when it hit her just how much she came to love cheerleading. How much she cared for her new girlfriends.  How much it boosted her confidence and brought her joy. How much it molded her into a stronger leader than she could have ever been without it. Cheerleading is not that ditzy cliche stereotype seen in movies. It is a diverse group of individuals, providing each other with a place of safety. It gives everyone the opportunity to branch out and put yourself out there. It teaches you to love who you are while guiding you on paths to discovering new parts of yourself. Audrey’s coach always described cheerleading as the heartbeat of a high school. She would add, it was the heartbeat of her adolescence. She can now say with 100% confidence: she is a cheerleader!

Morgan L. Simmons graduated from Sumner High School in May 2024 and is planning to attend Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, GA this fall. She was the first freshman female student to show her calf at a 4HClub event. She was elected Secretary of the local 4H Club as a Sophomore. She was the first senior female student to reach $5000 sales level of cows in 4 years. This was all possible because Sumner High School Agricultural Department has a direct affiliation with the following organizations, Ruskin/Hillsborough County 4H Club; Livestock Breeding and Showing LLC. Therefore, Morgan has been participating in breeding, raising and showing livestock (cows) for the past 5 years and many years before that. She hopes to graduate from ABAC with honors. She would like to find a summer internship at a local livestock company raising cattle and horses.

After college graduation, she plans on joining a regional livestock company as a full time employee as first-line worker with cattle and horses. Coach Robin Wagman was Morgan’s great aunt. Their lives overlapped by only a few years. Her Aunt Peanut passed away from cancer in February 2011 when she was 7 years old. Her mother and other family members have told her about her Aunt’s courageous life battling cancer and how she taught school and coached right up to almost the day she died. She has always wanted to be like Aunt Peanut, strong, committed and proud. Around the time her aunt passed, she began raising cows every year to show at local and county 4H and special breeder events. While continuing her education in middle and high school, Morgan stayed with her calf raising and showing until she had won numerous show ribbons and had accumulated many thousands of dollars in calf sale money. Her family always wanted her to play sports, but she considered calf raising and showing as her individual dream sport every season.  Morgan’s goal of being able to be around each aspect of raising and selling livestock along with her  practical college courses is very important. ABAC is the perfect college environment for her to achieve this goal.

Riley Mathews graduated from Winter Haven Senior High School in May 2024 and works at Ridgepoint Church. Riley has a 4.2 GPA and is a member of the National Honor Society. She participated in Girls Weightlifting and Competive Cheer and is planning to attend Florida Southern College in Lakeland, FL.
She hosted a fundraiser for an injured gymnastics teammate to assist with medical expenses. With the help of her family and other volunteers, she was able to raise over $1,000. During a time when Riley’s weightlifting team had no coach, she wrote a strength training program for her teammates. They were able to progress in their performance and compete in Club Championships.

During her senior season of weightlifting, the team huddled up while she prayed over the competition. This caught the attention of the opposing team, and all the athletes in the room prayed together.
She wants to spread God's love to those who don't know what God's love feels like. She would like to go on a mission trip as a nurse someday. After college and a few years of work, Riley hopes to become a confident leader that younger nurses look up to.

Up until June 2020, gymnastics was her entire life. She was homeschooled to accommodate long, early practices. No time for a social life, Riley had a goal to achieve: A full athletic college scholarship. Little did she know, on June 9th, 2020, she would have a serious gymnastics accident that would end her career. She had to learn how to put her faith in God and trust his plan for her.

She has always been a Christian. She was baptized at 5 years old, prayed before meals, and went to church every day. She thought she had everything figured out; she was going to get an athletic scholarship to a great university, compete in the 2024 Olympics, and open her own gymnastics facility. Riley thought she was all set, but that was her plan, not God's. A fall on the head was her wake-up call.

Due to her accident, she suffered a herniated disk in her cervical spine. It was estimated she would have a healthy recovery, implementing low-intensity exercise after six months of no activity. However, a few months later, she began to experience migraines and foggy memory. She went to a neurologist and was diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome.

The recovery time ranged from two months to lifelong. Unsure of her future, she knew the only thing she could do was pray. Though, Riley felt as if nothing was happening. Wondering why God let this happen, she fell into a depressive state. She started going through the motions of life: physical therapy in the morning, schoolwork in the afternoon, and cognitive rehab before bed. She could no longer see her purpose in life. Fortunately, there was always a sense of
consistency: God. Although she felt separated from him, she didn't feel separated from her church community. Her church community prayed for her endlessly and helped steer Riley’s focus back to God. She felt his presence and her relationship with him began to grow rapidly.

Over and over, she prayed about her future. She asked God what he wanted for her life. It was at that time Riley heard his voice. He let her know that gymnastics was an amazing part of her past, but it's not part of her future. She shouldn't worry about what is ahead because God already has everything figured out. Since she has healed from the injury, she has been blessed to participate in competitive cheer and Olympic weightlifting. Riley created new friendships in cheer and made it to the State Championships three times in weightlifting. This has shown her that God’s plan is greater than her own.