Past Courage Award Recipients
The INTEGRIS Jim Thorpe Rehabilitation Courage Award was established in 1994 to recognize and honor individuals who have overcome disabilities caused by injury or illness by facing the physical and mental challenges of rehabilitation with courage and determination.
The awards are named after the man known as the World's Greatest Athlete. Jim Thorpe, a Sac and Fox Indian, won gold medals in the 1912 Olympic games in Stockholm, Sweden, in the pentathlon and decathlon events. Those medals were confiscated in 1913 on the grounds that Thorpe had been a professional athlete. The medals were presented again to the Thorpe family in 1983.
Thorpe went on to establish a career in professional football, and was a founding father of the National Football League.
The Courage Award is presented yearly. In 1995, INTEGRIS Jim Thorpe Rehabilitation was designated the rehabilitation facility of choice for retired and active NFL players by the National Football League Players Association.
The national award represents the ongoing relationship between the Jim Thorpe Association in Oklahoma City, INTEGRIS Jim Thorpe Rehabilitation and the National Football League Players Association.
National recipients are active or retired NFL players.
2011 Courage Award Gala
For 17 years, INTEGRIS Jim Thorpe Rehabilitation has presented Courage Awards to individuals who display exceptional bravery and grace through the most difficult of circumstances.
We are proud to announce this year’s winners: Nicole Brown, Mary Beth Davis and Chad Peery.
Nicole Brown
In November 2008, 20-year-old Nicole Brown was involved in a car accident in which she sustained a severe brain injury resulting in significant physical and cognitive impairments. Initially, it was believed there was very little potential she would ever function with any level of independence. But during the past two plus years, Nicole has proved everyone wrong. She recovered from being in a coma, moved from bed restriction to a wheelchair, then to a walker. Today, Nicole still has limitations but can walk on her own with little supervision. As her body healed, so did her attitude. Nicole worked through an entire spectrum of emotions. She pushed through the anger to find inner peace. Nicole’s newfound joy is contagious. She is performing most daily activities with modified independence and is pursuing education and travel opportunities. Nicole is even planning a trip to Europe with a friend and is determined to carry her own backpack.
Mary Beth Davis
In August 2010, 20-year-old Mary Beth Davis had just started classes at Oklahoma State University. She was on her way home to Guthrie to visit her family when she was involved in a single car accident. She suffered a complete spinal cord injury leaving her permanently in a wheelchair. However, Mary Beth is a fighter and would not give up. She worked through the pain and grew a little stronger each and every day. She decided not to allow her injury to control or interrupt her life. She is back at school part time, with plans to enroll full time in the fall. Mary Beth views her situation as a learning experience and just a bump in the road. She aspires to be a veterinarian and is determined not to let her disability derail that dream.
Chad Peery
“Courage” has been described as the ability to confront fear, pain, danger, uncertainty or intimidation. Chad Peery exemplifies the word, both in his profession as an Oklahoma City police officer and in his rehabilitation journey. Chad’s world changed forever on Feb. 15, 2011, when he was brutally beaten while trying to escort three men out of a bar. He was paralyzed from the neck down during the attack. His recovery hasn’t been easy, but he has handled every difficult situation with grace and dignity. When Chad gets frustrated, instead of giving up, he forces himself to work harder. The 34-year-old says his four children ages 3 to 11 are his inspiration.
“Chad has achieved remarkable functioning improvement since arriving at Jim Thorpe Rehabilitation,” says Amal Moorad, M.D., medical director of Jim Thorpe Rehabilitation. “At the present time he is capable of upper body dressing, feeding himself, propelling his wheelchair, and other normal daily activities. He has made incredible progress so far with the hope of even further recovery to come as he continues his outpatient spinal cord rehabilitation at the Jim Thorpe outpatient facility.”
INTEGRIS Jim Thorpe Rehabilitation will honor these courageous individuals at the third annual Courage Award Gala.
Join us for a celebration like no other – dinner, dancing, cocktails, live (click the link to view sneak peek of live auction items) and silent auctions and award presentations – an exciting evening full of glitz and glamour.
The event will raise funds to support the extraordinary programs offered at INTEGRIS Jim Thorpe Rehabilitation.
- Aquatics Program Music Therapy Program
- Assistive Technology Center Patient Care Specialty Equipment
- Brain Injury Support Groups Patient Home Evaluation
- Community Re-entry Programs Professional Specialty Rehabilitation Training
- Horticulture Therapy Program Spinal Cord Injury Support Groups
- Limb Loss Support Group Therapeutic Recreation Program
In the face of health care reform and its impact on patient access and community health, it is imperative to formulate ways to continue these valuable programs that are not funded through traditional means. This can be made possible only through the generous, tax deductible donations of people like you.