Kerri Strug to speak at Preps Awards

An iconic Olympic gold medalist will headline the Review-journal’s Best of Nevada Preps Awards.

Gymnast Kerri Strug, known for her winning vault performance in the 1996 Olympics on an injured ankle, will be the event’s keynote speaker June 3 at the Thomas &

Mack Center.

She also will present awards to the best student-athletes in Nevada in Niaa-sanctioned sports during the third annual event.

“This event has helped us give a platform to the best and the brightest among the state’s student-athletes,” said Review-journal sports editor Bill Bradley, who again will host the event. “We are very proud to have Kerri join us this year, and we are very aware of the impact these awards have on our high school athletics community.”

Strug’s performance was one of the memorable moments of the 1996 Atlanta Games. Her unforgettable vault helped the U.S. clinch its first Olympic gold medal in the team gymnastics competition.

Strug, who has competed in gymnastics since she was 8, was a two-time Olympian, three-time World Championship medalist and a member of five World Championship teams since 1991. She has since authored two books, including her autobiography, “Landing on my Feet: A Diary of Dreams.”

Her motivational speaking has taken her to work for the Office of Presidential Student Correspondence at the White House and with the Treasury Department in the Office of General Counsel. She has served as a spokesperson for the Special Olympics and the Children’s Miracle Network, and has participated in projects with DARE, Pediatric AIDS, Make-a-wish Foundation and Childhelp.

The awards ceremony will feature the state’s boys and girls athletes of the year and the coach of the year as well as other awards, including the Richard Nelson Courage Award.

The event is open to the public.

For tickets, go to Unlvtickets.com.