By Alexander Gagnon

One of the most unique elements of the AAU James E. Sullivan Award is that any collegiate or Olympic level athlete can win it, regardless of sport or gender. The first-ever AAU Sullivan Award back in 1930 saw a male golfer win over a female tennis champion, male track star, and a female swimmer. That same year also saw a finalist who was a premier polo player.

The award has produced unique winners over the years, as in the award’s 93-year history, finalists have represented over 50 different sports. This article will focus on four AAU Sullivan Winners who are the only athletes in their respective sport to win the award.  
 
SURFING
Carissa Moore – 92^nd Winner, 2021
 

Nearly 100 years after the “Father of Surfing” Duke Kahanamoku last represented the United States at the Olympics, Carissa Moore became the first surfing gold medalist in Olympic history and the first surfer to win a World Surf League title and Olympic gold medal in the same year. That notable accomplishment, which thrust her onto the world stage, earned her the 92^nd AAU Sullivan Award.

Beyond the Olympics, Moore has been a standout surfer ever since she was a child. She actively holds the record for most NSSA National titles with 11, and it didn’t take her long to find success once she moved out of the youth ranks. Moore currently holds five WSL World Championships, including back-to-back wins in 2019 and 2021. She won her first in 2011, making her the youngest ever world champion at the time. She is also a two-time Triple Crown of Surfing champion.
 
Notable Finalists: Six-time World Champion Jordan Burroughs (Wrestling) and two-time USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Jocelyn Alo (Softball)
 
ULTRA-MARATHON
Amy Palmiero-Winters – 80^th Winner, 2009
 

Palmiero-Winters is a testament to the human spirit and the drive to compete, no matter the circumstances. In her 20s, she lost her left leg below the knee to amputation after a motorcycle accident. A track and field athlete growing up, she still wanted to run despite the setback. She began competing in marathons in the mid-2000s, placing on podiums throughout her division.
 
She broke the world record for marathon time by a below-knee amputee at the 2006 Chicago Marathon, a record for a male or female runner. In 2009, she began pursuing the more intense challenge of ultra-marathons, events such as 100-mile races and 24-hour endurance races. Palmiero-Winters would place first in the women’s division at the Heartland 100 Mile, and finish first overall at the Arizona Road Racers Run to the Future 24-hour race. It was the first time an amputee had ever won an ultra-marathon, and her efforts won her the 80^th AAU Sullivan Award.
 
Notable Finalists: Two-time World Champion Erin Hamlin (Luge) and four-time FIVB World Grand Prix gold medalist Megan Hodge (Volleyball)
 
BASEBALL
Jim Abbott – 58^th Winner, 1987
 

Abbott proved appearances can be deceiving all throughout his life. Despite being born without a right hand, it didn’t stop him from excelling at every level of baseball. He adapted and overcame every challenge and has inspired countless people born with disabilities to pick up sports themselves. In 41 starts in college with the Michigan Wolverines, he went 26-8 with a 3.03 ERA and was a first round pick in the MLB draft in 1988. But before he began pro ball, he won gold medals in the 1987 Pan American Games and the 1988 Olympics.
 
Abbott would play 10 seasons in the MLB, making starts with the Angels, Yankees, White Sox, and Brewers. His 1991 season in California would see him become one of only three pitchers with 18+ wins and an ERA below 2.90 that year. But his career is most remembered for his 1993 No-Hitter against Cleveland as a member of the Yankees. He is one of only 13 players to ever throw a no-hitter in the pinstripes, and the only one to do so without both of his hands.
 
Notable Finalists: Volleyball Icon Karch Kiraly and four-time Olympic gold medalist and 60^th AAU Sullivan Award winner Janet Evans (Swimming)
 
TENNIS
Donald Budge – 8^th Winner, 1937
 

Don Budge became the first tennis player to win the AAU Sullivan Award, and over 80 years later he remains the sole player to do so. They’ve had several finalists over the years, including Billie Jean King in the late 1960s, but so far Budge is the only one to seal the deal as a tennis ace. Widely considered to be the greatest tennis player of his era, Budge thrived in major tournaments across the world. The format didn’t matter, as he won Singles, Doubles, and Mixed Doubles majors.
 
He won the 1937 US Open and 1937 Wimbledon to win the AAU Sullivan Award and followed it up by sweeping the grand slams in 1938 (Australian Open, French Open, US Open, Wimbledon). He recorded 10 Major wins and achieved a top world rank in 5 years. (Amateur #1 in ’37, ’38, and Pro #1 in ’39, ’40, ’42). He won 43 career titles over the course of his career and was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1964.
 
Notable Finalists: Olympic gold medalist Adolph Keifer (Swimming) and former 2-mile World Record Holder and 9^th AAU Sullivan Award winner Don Lash (Athletics)
 
 
94^th AAU Sullivan Award
Will a new sport find itself as winners with this year’s AAU James E. Sullivan Award and join the list of solo champions? The 94^th AAU Sullivan Award Ceremony takes place April 23, 2024, at the New York Athletic Club. Finalists will be announced and the final round of voting opens March 12!
 
Keep an eye out on March 20 for the next installment of Sullivan Spotlight, where winners from another sport will be highlighted.