ALL ARKANSAS PREPS INSPIRATION AWARD WINNERS
These special honorees were chosen by a committee from entries submitted by high school coaches and the general public.
CHI ST. VINCENT HEALTH AWARD
ISABELLA FLOYD • SENIOR BATESVILLE
ABIGAIL WELLS • SENIOR LITTLE ROCK CENTRAL
Batesville senior Isabella Floyd was wide awake and fully aware of everything that was happening while trapped beneath her ATV. First responders radioed ahead to the local hospital, and Floyd went from the ambulance into a medical helicopter. Floyd would have three surgeries, one of which took her left arm below the elbow. And since that moment, Floyd decided to live her life inspiring others to overcome obstacles. She picked up a tennis racquet and discovered a new athletic passion. Playing for the Pioneers, she was twice all-conference and a two-time 5A state qualifier. And during her junior year, she stepped back onto the volleyball court in competition, one day after receiving a special prosthesis.
Track athlete Abigail Wells ended her freshman year at Little Rock Central High School with a win in the 200-meter. She couldn’t have known that just a few days later, her athletic career would evaporate. A hurt ankle lead to a devastating diagnosis osteosarcoma, a rare bone cancer that permeated the young athlete’s leg. The condition was known to spread, so instead of offseason workouts running sprints, Wells began a race of a different kind — eradicate cancer. And when the chemo didn’t work, the decision to amputate was made.
But this courageous athlete could not be stopped. Her moment of truth arrived, and Wells took the line in the 100-meter during her junior year. The 100-meter is the shortest race in track, but it was long enough for Wells to inspire many other people, including her fellow young amputees.
“The personal ministry of these young women show us what strength truly is,” CHI St. Vincent CEO Chad Aduddell said. “It also shows the very real connection between physical well-being and spiritual well-being. Isabella and Abigail are both true champions.”
HUSSMAN COMMUNITY AWARD
MIKALA CLENDENIN • SENIOR LAKESIDE HIGH SCHOOL
Outgoing, dedicated and compassionate, Mikala is a natural when it comes to helping others. She has been a hospice volunteer since eighth grade, participated in the Buddy Walk to celebrate Down Syndrome Awareness, and is a part of the Miracle League, an organization for special-needs baseball players. She also uses her Miss Ouachita Rivers title to advocate for the groups she’s so passionate about.
It recently gave her an outlet to shine light on the darker elements of teenage life and mental health issues. Mikala witnessed her fellow dance teammate struggle with mental illness and eventually suicide.
To honor her friend, Mikala was inspired to bring more attention to the complicated issue, using her platform in the Miss Arkansas program. She started to focus on mental health, bullying and other factors that contribute to depression and suicide. She developed a platform for people to be able to be more open about mental illness.
“Mikala has a passion for helping others and does so with a joyful heart,”said Eliza Gaines, executive editor of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. “We were especially impressed with her recent dedication to educating youth about the stigma of mental-health issues and teaching them to reach out for help.”