Courtesy: Sacred Heart Athletics
HARTFORD, Conn.- Senior Bryana Cielo of the Sacred Heart University swimming and diving team, has been chosen by the College Sports Information Directors of America, in association with Hartford HealthCare, a recipient of the Hartford HealthCare Connecticut Courage Award. Rebecca Lobo, the program ambassador, will present Cielo with a plaque virtually and SHU with a $1,500 donation to the general scholarship fund in Cielo’s name to help future students achieve their dreams.
Cielo stated, “I’d like to thank Hartford Healthcare for persevering through this difficult time to hold a ceremony, as well as CoSIDA and the selection committee for choosing me for this award. To the members of SHU Athletics, I have had the most amazing four years. Aaron Gaberman and Chris O’Connor, thank you so much for the nomination. It is a huge honor. Coach John and my teammates made me feel welcome even when I was on the sidelines, which was so amazing. But, mostly, my family. I am so grateful to have the best doctors out there. I couldn’t be facing this challenge head on without all of the incredible people that are in my life.”
Each month, two inspiring student-athletes who have demonstrated courage in the face of adversity—such as overcoming injury, illness or other challenges—are recognized as Hartford HealthCare Connecticut Courage Award Winners. A panel of writers, editors and sports information directors from CoSIDA, AP and College Hoops Illustrated, as well as Lobo, select the honorees. Hartford HealthCare is donating a total of $15,000 to the general scholarship funds for the student-athletes being honored throughout the year.
Cielo, a senior from Montville, NJ, was able to letter in swimming for four years and earn all-conference honors at Montville High School and swim for two years at the NCAA Division I level for the Pioneers. During the 2016-17 season she was an NEC Academic Honor Roll member as well as a member of the Pioneers 200-medley relay school-record setting team.
Despite having to sit on the sidelines for her junior and senior seasons, she served as a valuable member of the team by motivating and inspiring her teammates. In January 2020, after one year of being seizure-free, her doctors and coaches permitted her to swim one final race—the 50-meter freestyle at the NEC Championships. As if pulled from the pages of a Hollywood script, she swam the best time of her life.
“Getting up on that block was the best thing that could’ve happened for me. After two-and-a half years of sitting on the sidelines, all I wanted to do was get in for one more race. My career ended so suddenly, I couldn’t have let 2017 NEC’s be the last time.” Cielo stated on her journey to swimming one last time.
SHU head swimming and diving coach John Spadafina knew Cielo was ready for this big task as he stated, “I made her a promise that as long as she was healthy she would get her to swim in her senior meet with her teammates. Bryana was so concerned how she was going to swim. In 18- months you will be excited to be back and not think about it.”
Spadafina added, “in December 2019, Bryana was cleared by her doctor and then by our doctor to swim in our Senior Meet versus Siena on January 18. She swam the 50-free Her teammates went crazy. It was a great day.”
“Hartford HealthCare is excited to recognize these two remarkable young student-athletes, who despite setbacks, have overcome challenges to continue to perform their best as both scholars and athletes,” says Jeffrey A. Flaks, president and chief executive officer of Hartford HealthCare. “Our organization’s purpose is to help people live their healthiest lives, and both Bryana and Kurt’s courageous stories of recovery and perseverance are an inspiration to all.”
“We thank Hartford HealthCare for helping us create a platform to share the personal stories of courage for student-athletes at colleges and universities throughout Connecticut,” says Doug Vance, executive director of CoSIDA. “We hope the stories of the personal challenges that these remarkable young men and women have battled can inspire other young people to show courage in the face of adversity in their own lives.”
As the Hartford HealthCare Courage Award Ambassador, Ms. Lobo attended award ceremonies with several of the honorees and helped raise awareness for their inspiring stories of courage. Ms. Lobo retired in 2003, is a member of the National Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, the Naismith National Basketball Hall of Fame and the CoSIDA Academic All-America Hall of Fame. She has served on the Board of Directors for Hartford Hospital, where she was born. She currently works as a television analyst, author and motivational speaker and lives in Connecticut with her husband and their four children.
Congratulations to Bryana, and good luck to her in her future endeavors. I’ve always enjoyed her writing here on Swimswam.