SEATTLE – It seemed like an obvious choice. After all, not many college basketball players have come back from a heart attack. But after reading the stories of the other 17 finalists, even Kayla Burt wasn’t so sure that she would be the recipient of the fifth annual V Foundation Comeback Award.
In the end, it was Burt’s story that moved the foundation the most, and on Tuesday the Arlington native was announced as the winner of the award, presented by the V Foundation for Cancer Research.
“I had no idea,” said Burt, who recently completed her junior season for the Huskies. “Initially, I didn’t even know about the award. To be one of the finalists for it was great.
“I went on the Web site several times and read all the stories, and I was inspired by their stories. Those people have overcome so much to do what they’ve done, that they are just as deserving. So to win it is obviously a great honor.”
The award, established in memory of former North Carolina State coach Jim Valvano, is open to men’s and women’s basketball players at all NCAA divisions. It is awarded to a student/athlete or a team who has accomplished a personal triumph after facing adversity.
Among the finalists were Seattle Pacific’s Brittney Kroon, who had a liver transplant, and Western Washington’s Grant Dykstra, whose arm was caught in a grain auger when he was a youth.
ESPN will air a segment on Burt several times during its broadcast of the Women’s Final Four this weekend. She will be honored with a trophy prior to one of Washington’s preseason games next season.
Burt suffered a cardiac arrest on New Year’s Eve of 2002. Several of her teammates performed CPR to keep her alive and Burt was in a coma for 15 hours. She was diagnosed with Long QT Syndrome, a genetic heart condition, and a defibrillator was placed in her chest.
After spending a season as a student assistant coach, Burt received clearance to re-start her career, something she didn’t know would ever be possible.
“There were times when I thought I’d never step on the court again,” Burt said. “For awhile, I didn’t think it was possible.”
“Through her amazing determination and perseverance, she embodies the spirit of this award,” V Foundation CEO Nick Valvano said in a release. “Kayla has overcome tremendous physical adversity. She believed in herself and her ability to return to the court.”
Not only did Burt return to the court, but she was one of Washington’s best players. She led the Huskies in scoring at 9.6 points a game and 2.9 assists a game.
“It wasn’t my plan to come back and start and do anything great,” Burt said. “Just to put my uniform on again was amazing. Obviously, you want to win, but it wasn’t my focus to go out there and be the star. It was just to have fun with my teammates and compete with them at a high level.”
Burt said the doctors made her aware of the risks, but she was willing to accept them. She said she felt no physical effects from her heart trouble, and never regretted her decision. The worst pain she felt all year was breaking her nose in a late-season game. She said she never worried that her heart may give out at any point.
Burt said she goes into this offseason with a different outlook than last year. Last year, she was unsure if her body would be able to handle the rigors of the UW’s workout regimen. Now she feels like she has no physical limitations.
Burt knows that people know her as much for her story now as for her basketball ability, but she said she feels greatful that she has become an inspiration for others who have faced adversity.
“I get e-mails and stuff in the mail all the time,” Burt said. “That’s inspiring to me. A lot of times, you feel like you’re the only one. You have to remember that there are so many people out there who have faced and overcome a lot of the same things you have. Just hearing those stories, people who have survived amazing tragedies, that’s an inspiration to me.”
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