A Bremen High School multi-sport athlete who returned to competition after battling spinal cancer will receive the Brady Sports Achievement Comeback Award. Dylan Shumaker faced a devastating diagnosis after competing in three different sports as a freshman at Breman.
Shumaker and three other student-athletes across Indiana will receive the Brady Sports Achievement Award including Moise Brutus (Marian University), Kourtni “Kat” Taylor (University of Evansville) and Abigayle Burns (Carroll Jr. and Sr. High School). They will be honored at the 10th Annual Brady Sports Achievement Awards, scheduled for Thurs., April 16, at 7 p.m. at the Indiana Roof Ballroom in downtown Indianapolis.
During his sophomore year, Shumaker experienced severe leg pain, and an MRI revealed three tumors on his back. He was diagnosed with a form of spinal cancer. His battle would include radiation treatments, chemotherapy and surgery on two separate occasions. He completed his treatment in October 2012 and has been cancer-free to date.
As a result of his illness, Dylan was forced to walk away from football, but he was allowed to play soccer. As a senior, he competed with the varsity soccer and baseball teams and was an individual regional qualifier in wrestling. “Dylan Shumaker is very much aware that young eyes are watching how he handles himself under adverse situations, and he consistently demonstrates enormous self-discipline, maturity and poise under pressure,” said Bruce D. Jennings, principal of Bremen High School.
The Brady Sports Achievement Awards were established by the Methodist Sports Medicine Research and Education Foundation and are sponsored by Physicians Rehab Solution to honor four Indiana student-athletes who have overcome injury or hardship.
The 2015 Brady Sports Achievement Awards will mark the 10th anniversary of the event that has honored high school and college athletes and those who have left a lasting impression with their impact on athletic competition in the Hoosier state.
In addition, the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) will present the C. Eugene Cato Memorial Scholarship Awards. Thirteen Hoosier scholar-athletes are recognized for academic accomplishments and hard work and dedication within their chosen sport in honor of the former IHSAA commissioner.
To conclude the award presentation, Indiana sports legends will be recognized for their long-time professional accomplishments within the field of athletics. This year’s Lifetime Achievement Award recipients are Quinn Buckner, who captained Indiana’s undefeated 1976 NCAA basketball champions, and Coach Lou Holtz, who led Notre Dame Football to its last national championship in 1988. Proceeds from the event and the silent auction will help to support the Methodist Sports Medicine Research and Education Foundation.
About the Thomas A. Brady, M.D., Lifetime Achievement Award
The Thomas A. Brady, M.D., Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes individuals with Indiana ties who have made outstanding contributions in the field of athletics. Dr. Brady, recognized as the “father” of sports medicine in central Indiana, established a walk-in clinic in the basement of Methodist Hospital which ultimately became Methodist Sports Medicine. More than 30 years later, this practice is recognized as a leader in the care and treatment of athletes and non-athletes with musculoskeletal injuries and conditions.
About Methodist Sports Medicine Research and Education Foundation
The Methodist Sports Medicine Research and Education Foundation is a not-for-profit organization established to support and enhance the research, medical education, outreach and care undertaken by Methodist Sports Medicine.
