Man Behind the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Wins Award

Pete Frates is the 2017 NCAA Inspiration Award Recipient

Former Boston College center fielder Pete Frates is receiving the 2017 NCAA Inspiration Award. 

Frates was diagnosed with ALS in 2012, nearly five years after his Boston College career ended, and has been recognized for his courage and spirit while battling the disease. 

Frates was the impetus behind the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, which raised over $220 million in the summer of 2014. 

The first words he uttered to his parents after the diagnosis were selfless, “What an opportunity we have to change the world.” 

“After being told you have two to five years to live, who would say that?” said John Frates, Pete’s father. “Unless you have experienced competition at the highest levels, overcome obstacles, worked so hard to make yourself a better human, a better athlete, a better person.” 

A statement on the NCAA website reads, "Frates will be honored with the 2017 Inspiration Award at the NCAA Honors Celebration in January. The award is presented to a coach or administrator currently associated with intercollegiate athletics, or to a current or former varsity letter winner at an NCAA institution. It is reserved for people, who when confronted with a life-altering situation, used perseverance, dedication and determination to overcome their trauma, and, most importantly, are role models giving hope and inspiration to others in similar situations."

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