Luther’s Norton up for CBS award

 This is a press release from Intersports:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Lauren Price/Intersport

312-645-5417 / lprice@intersportnet.com / @IntersportBuzz

LUTHER COLLEGE'S CHRIS NORTON NOMINATED FOR COURAGE IN SPORTS HONOR ON CBS

Voting Open Now Until Sept. 25 at www.Facebook.com/CourageInSports

2011 America's Choice Honoree Announced on CBS Nov. 13

[Sept. 19, 2011] CHICAGO – Luther College football player Chris Norton, who broke his neck making a tackle in a game last October, is nominated for the America's Choice Honor for Courage in Sports, Intersport announced today. The America's Choice Honor, wholly determined by fan voting, recognizes individuals that have overcome monumental challenges to achieve greatness in the world of sports. The winner will be announced on a one-hour “Courage in Sports” special airing at 5 p.m. ET Nov. 13 on CBS.

Each week for six weeks, two inspirational sports stories will be featured on the Courage in Sports Facebook page(www.facebook.com/CourageInSports). The top weekly vote-getter will proceed to the finals, which run Oct. 3-16. 

On Oct. 16, 2010, Norton was making a routine tackle against Central College when he suffered a life-altering injury, sustaining a fractured neck and compressed spinal cord. After undergoing immediate surgery, he was given a 3 percent chance of regaining movement below the neck.

Norton's courage, resilience and optimism has helped defy those odds. After 10 months of extensive rehabilitation at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., he is now able to feel movement throughout his entire body and recently stood unaided for more than 40 seconds. Norton is back on campus taking classes and continuing intense rehabilitation at Mayo Clinic and with therapists in Decorah. He recently joined his teammates as the honorary captain at Luther's Sept. 10 game against William Penn.

The other week five nominee is Team World Vision's Chicago 100, a group of four runners that are going to embark on a 100-mile journey to raise money for needy children.

The America's Choice Honor for Courage in Sports finalists from previous weeks include Eric LeGrand of Rutgers, Arthur Ray Jr. of Michigan State, the Fennville High School Basketball team and Andrew, Colter, Paul and Willy Phillips.

For more about Norton or Team World Vision's Chicago 100 or to support either nominee, visit www.Facebook.com/CourageInSports. Fans can vote as often as they would like and can share their vote with Facebook friends. Week four voting opened today and ends on Sunday, Sept. 25 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Past Courage in Sports honorees include Hank Aaron, Cal Ripken Jr., Arthur Ashe, Kerri Strug, Walter Payton and Muhammad Ali.

About Intersport

For 25 years, Intersport has been an award-winning innovator and leader in the creation of sports and entertainment based marketing platforms. Intersport provides turnkey solutions for global brands by combining two award-winning divisions: Sponsorship & Event Marketing and Television & Digital Media.

###