Kelly Brush Wins Prestigious NCAA Inspiration Award

Former Collegiate Skier A Model Of Perseverance, Poise

BURLINGTON, Vt., Jan. 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Former collegiate ski
racer and 2008 Middlebury College graduate Kelly Brush has been recognized by
the National Collegiate Athletic Association for her courage and determination
in overcoming adversity granting her the prestigious Inspiration Award.

Brush was paralyzed in a ski racing accident while competing for Middlebury
College in 2006. She returned to Middlebury, graduated with her class and
started a foundation to raise awareness about ski racing safety and help
others with spinal cord injuries.

She will receive the award at the NCAA Honors and Delegates Celebration
Thursday, Jan. 15 in Washington, D.C.

"Kelly is a true role model of perseverance and dedication for all NCAA
student-athletes and individuals, and we're proud to honor her with the NCAA
Inspiration Award," said Tim Gleason, chair of the NCAA Honors Committee and
commissioner of the Ohio Athletic Conference. "Kelly could have easily given
up, but her determination to return to competition and the classroom, and then
to establish a foundation, shows a strong commitment to accomplish her goals,
and it shows her compassion for others and devotion to the sport of skiing."

The Inspiration Award honors an individual who, when confronted with a
life-altering situation, used perseverance, dedication and determination to
overcome the event and now serves as a role model who gives hope and
inspiration to others in similar situations. The honor is not automatically
presented each year.

"I'm touched to receive this honor from the NCAA," said Brush, who grew up in
Charlotte, Vt. "Sports have been such a vital part of my life that when I had
my accident I never thought about living any differently. I feel very
fortunate to have had the support of my family, friends and the skiing
community all of whom inspired me to dedicate myself to turning a tragedy into
a catalyst for change and a forum for improving the lives of others living
with spinal cord injury."

The NCAA Honors Committee singled out Brush for the truly inspiring way she
confronted personal tragedy, by carrying on her active life, returning to
Middlebury, mastering skiing again on a mono-ski and graduating with her class
of 2008. She looked beyond her own formidable goals creating the Kelly Brush
Foundation with her family and friends to draw attention to improving ski
racing safety and to benefit others with spinal cord injury.

The foundation created the Kelly Brush Century Ride, a 100-mile bicycle event
that this fall drew 366 riders and raised $137,000. Last winter the foundation
launched a national campaign to improve ski racing safety and prevent spinal
cord injury. The Ski Racing Safety is No Accident Campaign has granted over
$58,000 to ski clubs across the country, helping clubs purchase essential
safety equipment including fencing and protective gear.

"Kelly has been an inspiration to the Middlebury College community, the ski
community, and beyond, through her own personal recovery, but also through her
outreach through the Kelly Brush Foundation," said Erin Quinn, Middlebury
College Director of Athletics. "Kelly's participation in the Kelly Brush
Century Ride on a hand bike, her participation in the Middlebury College
Winter Carnival on a mono-ski, and her commitment to help others through the
Kelly Brush Foundation set an inspiring example and also make a significant
contribution to enhancing ski safety and to improving the lives of others with
spinal cord injuries."

About the foundation: The Kelly Brush Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c) 3
organization dedicated to improving ski racing safety, enhancing the quality
of life for those with spinal cord injury (SCI) through providing adaptive
sports equipment, advancing scientific research on SCI and supporting the U.S.
Disabled Ski Team. Kelly Brush, together with her family and friends, started
the foundation in 2006 after she sustained a spinal cord injury while racing
in NCAA Div. 1 competition as a member of the Middlebury College Ski Team in
Vermont. That injury left Kelly paralyzed from the chest down. The Kelly Brush
Foundation affirms Kelly's ongoing commitment to live life to the fullest on
her own terms and better the lives of others living with SCI.
www.kellybrushfoundation.org

SOURCE Kelly Brush Foundation

Charlie Brush, +1-802-846-5298, cbrush@kellybrushfoundation.org