RECOGNIZED FOR HER COURAGE was LRMS student Samantha Wozich, who is pictured with Principal Matt Lokken and Olympian Julia Clukey.

As part of her statewide school presentations, former Olympic luge racer Julia Clukey proudly recognizes a student who is living a life with courage.

The Julia Clukey Courage Award is designed to recognize Maine students of all abilities for their courage in areas such as reaching their full potential, accomplishing personal goals, demonstrating leadership or overcoming adversity, just like Julia.

The award is not performance based. When selecting a recipient, school administrators can define courage any way they would like.

The principal or school administrator who schedules Julia’s presentation selects the award recipient.

With the bleachers full of students and staff members, many clad in green attire, Lake Region Middle School Principal Matt Lokken read the following, describing his selection for the Courage Award:

When this student was 7 ½ years old, she was diagnosed with having a brain tumor that was affecting the right side of her body. Two weeks later, she underwent an operation in which most of the tumor was removed, but some still remains.

In children, there is the potential that the tumor can continue to grow. As a result, she has to travel out-of-state for regular MRI screenings, which require her to be anesthetized as often as every three months to insure that the tumor is not growing.

This student courageously lives with the reality that her tumor could come back.

It is my pleasure to offer this award to Samantha Wozich.

A loud ovation poured down from the bleachers as Samantha had her photo taken with Mr. Lokken and Olympian Julia Clukey.

After the presentation, Julia spent time at a folding table writing her signature on mini posters of her on a luge, which had students beaming as they returned to class.