The Alberta Baumgart Memorial Award was created to honor and assist a student athlete, more specifically a Platt wrestler, who exhibits the bravery, resilience, and dedication we find to be some the best traits a person can possess. These are the traits Alberta Baumgart exhibited throughout her life, and more importantly; near the end of her life.

Alberta Baumgart was chosen as she exhibited these qualities before she became sick, and even more so, afterward. She displayed bravery in her battle with cancer, resilience of in her mind, even when her body failed her; and dedication to a cause greater than herself...her family.

Alberta’s story is a sad one of a battle with cancer that is the same that thousands of people have faced or will face. By now, everyone knows someone effected by cancer. The inspiration of her story comes from the character she showed when faced with unbeatable odds and test of both the mind and body. The following is a brief description of the timing and events of her story:

Shortly after graduating from college, Cum Laude, in 1995 with her Bachelors Degree in Business Management, Alberta paid a visit to the doctor and was diagnosed with breast cancer. This was a very nasty and already advanced form of breast cancer. Alberta quickly reacted without thought to fight to the end and pursued the most aggressive and experimental treatments available in addition to surgery, in order to remove as much of the cancer as possible. This was just the beginning of a 5-year battle without end in sight. Every success and completion of treatment was met with an unsettling and equally devastating disappointment and reoccurrence of cancer. The mental strength she displayed was remarkable. Over 3 times she was told “you have less than a year to live” or “you have 90 days to live.” When Alberta was told she had 90 days to live, she shocked everyone and made it another full year!

They say that you don’t want to live through 1 million dollars in medical treatment. Over the course of 5 years Alberta had an estimated 2 million dollars worth of medical care, which included 3 major rounds of chemotherapy and radiation, and countless surgeries along the way! Even in the very end she refused to lay down all hope. It was only until she was told she had less than a month to live because the cancer had spread to her brain, did she accept her inevitable fate. 3 weeks after she made the conscious decision to give up, she did pass on. This was the most grueling 3 weeks of pain and suffering that should befall no person. Yet she endured it just the same.

Alberta, through her 5-year battle with cancer, showed an amazingly positive attitude and handled such a situation with grace and character. Many people would do nothing but lash out at others and bring everyone around them down. This was not Alberta's attitude. While Alberta did not tolerate incompetence from her doctors and caregivers, she did not have a negative attitude and outlook. Alberta was a true strong spirit whom we have chosen to represent the best character a person can display when faced with an insurmountable challenge.