Hal O'Leary Awards Dinner. Sherri Connell was the recipient of the 2005 Inspiration Award presented at dinner hosted by the Colorado Rockies.

Sherri Connell was the Recipient of

The 2005 Hal O'Leary Inspiration Award

Each year, the Colorado Rockies and the Colorado Rockies Charity Fund host a special dinner on Coors Field called, The Hal O'Leary Awards Dinner. The focus of the evening is to recognize and applaud individuals who have made significant differences in the lives of those in the disabled community.

Sherri is honored to be a recipient of the Hal O'Leary Inspiration Award and ecstatic to have Invisible Disabilities recognized in the disability community. She feels this is a monumental moment for all living with debilitating illness and pain!

From The Hal O'Leary Dinner Program:

2005 AWARD WINNERS

INSPIRATION AWARD WINNER - SHERRI CONNELL

Sherri Connell has made it her purpose to support individuals with "invisible disabilities": those people without outward signs of illness but who struggle with it every day. After being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at age 27, Sherri wrote pamphlets and created a website with information about how her family and friends could better understand her new life and challenges. Little did she know that her words would touch the hearts of people around the world who were suffering from the same challenges.

In fact, her non-profit organization, The Invisible Disabilities Advocate, developed a website (www MyIDA.org) that receives more than 120,000 hits each month. "Even if I were healed tomorrow, I would not return to my career," says Sherri. "I would continue to dedicate my life to speaking out for those living with disabilities. It is not only my passion; it is my purpose."

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Sherri giving acceptance speech

Wow! What an INCREDIBLE night!

Thank you Hal O'Leary and

the Colorado Rockies and the Colorado Rockies Charity Fund!

Sherri and Wayne with award

Sherri and

Hal O'Leary

Founder of NSCD

Friends

Family

Sherri and

Keli McGregor,

President of the

Colorado Rockies

Hal O'Leary is the founder of the National Sports Center for the Disabled. In 1970, O'Leary was a salaried ski instructor at Winter Park when he volunteered to give a one-time ski lesson to 23 children with amputations. That ski lesson turned into the NSCD. Today, the center annually teaches 3,000 participants sports ranging from downhill skiing and snowshoeing to rafting, biking and horseback riding. O'Leary has been a leader and an inspiration to many, as he continues to have day-to-day involvement in the Center.

Named one of the Best 100 Things to Happen to Skiing by SKI Magazine, O'Leary coached the U.S. Disabled Olympic Team, was inducted into the National Ski Hall of Fame in 1970 and was awarded one of only six Professional Ski Instructors of America Lifetime Achievement Awards. Hal is also nationally recognized for pioneering the adopt-a-ski program at Winter Park Resort in Colorado.

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