Less than a year ago, Durango High School and future Adams State University discus and shot put thrower Breann Hawman was in an ambulance asking medics if she’d be able to walk again.
Less than a month ago, after recovering from a broken back, she was throwing in the Colorado High School Activities Association Class 4A State Track and Field Championships. Her perseverance earned her The Durango Herald Female Comeback Player of the Year award.
Hawman’s recovery and progress is remarkable, and she knows the result of her accident could have been much worse. After all, falling off the top of a ladder onto a table 10 feet below is something that could jeopardize everything she’s worked toward.
“I just feel so blessed to be able to even participate let alone get back to where I was,” said Hawman, daughter of Charles and Vicky Hawman. “I remember the ladder slipping out from under me and closing my eyes, wondering how bad it was going to be.”
Hawman suffered compression fractures of the T12 (12th Thoracic Vertebra) and L1 (First Lumbar Vertebra) when she came down on a table from the loft high above. She also split her head open upon impact. Six weeks of rehab gave her the strength to walk without assistance, and a lot of hard work led her back to competition.
“We didn’t know whether she could even throw again, it was that bad,” Durango track and field head coach David McMillan said. “It was never a question to her, though. She was always a very hard worker, and that’s ultimately what made the difference.”
Hawman was the Demons’ top thrower this year and won her third consecutive 4A/5A Southwestern League Championship with a throw three feet longer than the next closest competitor. She went on to compete in both the shot put and discus at the CHSAA 4A state meet. Her shot put throw of 36 feet, 4½ inches was seventh best in the state, and Hawman found herself on the podium for the second consecutive year.
“My goal all along was to go to state,” she said. “I couldn’t have done it without the trainers and coaches. It feels incredible to get any award with all the good athletes we have in the area.”
Hawman will compete at Division II national powerhouse Adams State in both discus and shot put while pursuing an education in wildlife biology. She still can’t ride horses or sit on hard surfaces, but her full recovery is nearly complete.
jfries@durangoherald.com
