Mahalia White, a redshirt junior volleyball player from the University of North Florida, is named the Class of 2023 Honda Inspiration Award winner as announced by Chris Voelz of The Collegiate Women Sports Awards presented by Honda (CWSA).

White was chosen as the winner by the CWSA Board of Directors, and the three finalists were chosen by the CWSA Inspiration Award committee. The other two finalists were Lynnzee Brown (Denver, Gymnastics) and Grace Taylor (Harvard, Lacrosse).

“One of the most important things we do is tell the stories of how and why women complete,” stated Voelz. “The Inspiration Award nominees are not only competing in their sports but for their lives. This year’s nominees faced adversity in many ways; held abundant positive attitudes and had amazing comeback stories. Such is the story of Mahalia White who was selected as the 2023 Honda Inspiration Award winner. You can’t help but be inspired by what she went through and where she landed.”

An Inspiration Award winner has been selected annually for the past 35 years. The Honda Inspiration Award is given to a deserving female student-athlete in Division I, II or III who has experienced extraordinary physical and/or emotional adversity, injury and/or illness, or experienced extraordinary personal sacrifice during her college enrollment as a student-athlete and yet returns to athletic success.

Each of the 2023 finalists’ stories were highlighted in a Honda Inspiration Award special on CBS Sports Network, Defying the Odds: The 2023 Honda Inspiration Award. This special will be replayed on Monday, June 26, at 8:00 pm ET, leading into the Collegiate Women Sports Award presented by Honda live broadcast on CBS Sports Network.

The special will also re-air on June 19 (8:00 pm ET, 11:30 pm ET), June 20 (10:00 am ET, 6:30 pm ET, 11:30 pm ET), June 22 (6:30 pm ET), June 27 (10:00 am ET, 4:30 pm ET), June 30 (6:30 pm ET) and July 1 (7:30 am ET).

White will be honored with the Class of 2023 on the live telecast from the Pauley Pavilion Club on the campus of UCLA on CBS Sports Network, Monday, June 26^th, at 8:30 pm ET/5:30 pm PT.

White’s journey began after her freshman season during which she was experiencing intense pain in her ribs, spine and pelvis which she attributed to strenuous activity. In the postseason, she was diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Her cancer had spread from lymph nodes to her bones, and she underwent almost four months of chemotherapy until she was officially in remission. While her cancer was in remission, the cancer lesions and chemotherapy left her bones fragile making it painful to walk and it took the rest of the year to fully recover.

She returned to the court in 2019 and had a successful season but while preparing for the 2021 season, she landed wrong and tore her ACL making her miss another full year of play. These challenges had an impact on her both physically and mentally but she returned to competition after each setback and was named to the All-ASUN Second Team after the 2022 season.

“Mahalia’s amazing journey as a volleyball standout at the University of North Florida pales in comparison to her fierce grit and determination in overcoming the impact of her illness and all the adversity it presented,” said Jean Lenti Ponsetto, Chair of the CWSA Board of Directors. “Her strength and courage are enduring examples for all to admire and celebrate!”

The CWSA, celebrating its 46th anniversary year, has honored the nation’s top NCAA women athletes for their superior athletic skills, leadership, academic excellence and eagerness to participate in community service.  Since commencing its partnership in 1986, Honda has provided more than $3.4 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to support women’s athletics programs. 

About Honda Corporate Social Responsibility

For more than 60 years in the U.S., Honda has been committed to making positive contributions to the communities where its associates live and work. Honda’s mission is to create products and services that improve the lives of people while conducting its business in a sustainable manner and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. Accordingly, Honda believes in helping people reach their life’s potential through its focus on the areas of education, the environment, mobility, traffic safety and community. Learn more at http://csr.honda.com/.