Houston Sports Awards Announces 2022 Insperity Inspiration Award
2020 Olympic Gold Medalist, Tamyra Mensah-Stock
HOUSTON – "Because. I. Am. A. Champion. I was born for this. I was made to win", sang Tamyra Mensah-Stock after becoming the first African American woman to win a gold medal in wrestling at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
“Champion,” by Carrie Underwood is Mensah-Stock’s go-to karaoke song and perfectly describes her drive, passion, and confidence. Just like the song, Mensah-Stock is a champion and knew that if she put in the hard work, she would make her dreams of becoming an Olympic gold medalist a reality.
Mensah-Stock is being honored for her passion, optimism, and authenticity with the 2022 Insperity Inspiration Award at the 2022 Houston Sports Awards on April 20 at the Wortham Center. In partnership with Insperity, the award was created to honor inspirational individuals, teams, or moments in the Greater Houston sports community.
Mensah-Stock has not always been as confident and positive as she is now. She reluctantly joined her high school wrestling team after being bullied by her classmates. Throughout her high school wrestling career, she found confidence through the sport, allowing her to push through the adversity she was facing, and continue to be successful on the mat.
However, there were still times when Mensah-Stock wanted to give up. During high school, her father died in a tragic car accident after leaving one of her meets. Mensah-Stock blamed the sport for taking him away from her and debated giving up. However, she pushed through and with time, healed, and continued to compete to honor her father’s legacy.
Following high school, Mensah-Stock continued to train and compete all over the world. In 2016, she tried her best to make it to the Rio Olympics, however, fell short in the qualifying events. In 2021 she finally made her way to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. This is where all her hard work paid off. Tamyra Mensah-Stock won her match and became the first African American woman to win a gold medal in wrestling.
“We are honored to present this year’s Insperity Inspiration Award to Olympic gold medalist Tamyra Mensah-Stock,” said Larry Shaffer, Insperity Senior Vice President of Marketing. “Tamyra’s journey and determination are a great representation of our core values. Her perseverance through optimism is inspiring girls around the world to accomplish their biggest goals.”
Today, Mensah-Stock inspires others to work hard and achieve their dreams. Mensah-Stock is passionate about sharing her success and passion with the next generation. She mentors and coaches kids across the country, reminding them that they too can achieve greatness.
The fifth annual Houston Sports Awards will celebrate Deuces Wild and will honor Clyde Drexler, Sheryl Swoopes, and Roger Clemens as its fifth Hall of Fame Class. In addition, Bill Worrell is being honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award, and Houston Texans safety Justin Reid will receive the Sportsmanship Award. The full list of finalists for the 2022 Houston Sports Awards can be found on HoustonSportsAwards.org/Nominees
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About the Houston Sports Awards
The fifth annual Houston Sports Awards will be on Wednesday, April 20, 2022, at the Wortham Center. This star-studded awards show gathers together Houston’s top athletes, both past and present, to commemorate, celebrate and recognize Houston’s top sports achievements, sports icons, performers, and moments. For more information, please visit HoustonSportsAwards.org
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