Antoinette Cobb, a 2009 honors graduate of Louisiana Tech University and one of the country's top ranked 100-meter hurdlers, has been named the 2010 recipient of the 22nd annual Honda Inspiration Award. This award is given each year to a female college athlete who has overcome adversity to excel in her sport.
Shocking Diagnosis After Freshman Season at LA Tech
After four years as a track standout at West Feliciana High School in St. Francisville, LA, where she helped lead her team to two state titles, Antoinette Cobb, a native of Zachary, LA, entered Louisiana Tech and was named All-Western Athletic Conference for both her freshman indoor and outdoor track seasons. Her college track career was off to a terrific start when she earned a stunning second-place finish in the 100-meter hurdles at the 2006 WAC Indoor Championships, despite not being ranked on the league's top-10 performance list. Cobb's prospects took a shocking turn for the worse, however, when she was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer immediately after her freshman outdoor season. Facing surgery and a grueling six-month regimen of chemotherapy, she was forced to withdraw from classes for two quarters and forego track for her entire sophomore year.
Colon cancer is one of the most deadly forms of the disease, and 90 percent of victims in the U.S. are older than 50, according to the Colon Cancer Prevention Center. Says Cobb of her diagnosis, "I was in shock. I thought only old people got colon cancer. I kept visiting different websites trying to figure out what was wrong. I just didn't want to believe it, even after the diagnosis."
Battling Cancer with the Same Determination She Exhibits on the Track
Cobb set out to battle the cancer with the same courage and determination she was known for on the track. In addition to her surgery, she underwent chemotherapy three times a week, losing 25 pounds and much of her strength. When she returned to school and track in her junior year the treatments had clearly taken their toll, and her times had slowed considerably. But just as she had struggled and worked to beat cancer, Antoinette battled against the stopwatch on the track, edging closer and closer to returning to her times before her diagnosis.
Assistant Track Coach Charles Ryan came to Louisiana Tech in 2008, the year Antoinette returned. "I really got a chance to see her determination," he noted. "It was clear that her cancer regimen had set her back quite a bit, but from the very first day she refused to be coddled. She would run every single drill, and never let her condition be a crutch or hold her back in any way. If I said, `That's enough for today,' she would say `Why? I can go some more.' While she ran very well in her first year back, it took about seven months of very serious training before she was back where she belonged. Then it was like a light went on, and there was no stopping her."
With courage, perseverance and constant training, Antoinette recovered to become the seventh best 100-meter hurdler in the country with a time of 13.07. In her junior and senior years (2008 and '09), she earned four WAC titles for indoor and outdoor competition and helped lead her team to consecutive WAC championships. She graduated with her class cum laude last May with a 3.68 grade point average, is currently pursuing her Masters degree in Biology at LA Tech and is in the process of applying to medical schools. She is also this year's WAC Champion in the 100-meter hurdles and finished in the top three in the 100m and 200m dashes, helping the Lady Techsters win their sixth consecutive outdoor conference title.
Like all Inspiration Award winners, Cobb was chosen not only for her athletic achievements, but also for her strength of character and for the outstanding example she sets for young women everywhere. She says she's very proud to be a Honda Inspiration Award winner, and is thrilled to be recognized by a program that has honored some of her track & field heroes in the past, like Gail Devers and Jackie Joyner-Kersee.
Says Cobb, "I was really surprised when I learned I had won the Honda Inspiration Award, and I feel very honored. Throughout my whole ordeal with cancer, the thought of getting back to school and track were two things that really helped keep me going. If I had any advice for people facing difficult life situations it would be to focus on the things that you love most, because that is what can inspire you to return and to get well. The six months of my life devoted to undergoing surgery and chemotherapy actually increased my drive to succeed and decreased my fear of tackling hard situations."
For more information on The Collegiate Women Sports Awards Sponsored by Honda, click here.