DENVER – University of Denver Nordic skier Sidney Barbier was named one of three national finalists on Wednesday for the 2025 Honda Inspiration Award by the Collegiate Women's Sports Awards (CWSA).
 
The Honda Inspiration Award recognizes a collegiate female student-athlete that has overcome significant physical or emotional adversity to return to athletic success. One of the most compelling honors in collegiate athletics, it has been awarded annually for the past 37 years across NCAA Divisions I, II, and III.
 
Barbier, a senior and four-time letterwinner with the Pioneers, demonstrated remarkable resilience in overcoming years of debilitating health challenges due to nutcracker syndrome. What began with severe abdominal pain in high school worsened for the next six-plus years to the point where it became overwhelming and difficult for her to get out of bed at times.
 
"It means a lot that I have a chance to share my story," said Barbier. "Having talked with a lot of other woman my age that are going through this same thing, it is important to me to be that voice for those that are dealing with nutcracker syndrome, especially young women. I hope nobody has to go through this, but if they are, I want people to know that there is hope out there. The award's name is the Inspiration Award, so to be able to be that inspiration, even for just one person, is a huge honor and is something I don't take lightly."
 
One of 23 overall nominees for this year's award, Barbier's medical journey involved misdiagnosis after misdiagnosis, failed treatments and multiple surgeries without relief, including the removal of her gallbladder and exploration for endometriosis. In spring 2024, she was finally diagnosed with nutcracker syndrome by the Cleveland Clinic and underwent a first-of-its-kind surgery in the United States by Dr. Mohamed Eltemamy.
 
Nutcracker syndrome is a rare vascular condition that compresses the renal vein that can sometimes lead to intolerable pain for the individual, which was the case for Barbier.
 
For the first time since she was a freshman in high school, Barbier was able to compete nearly pain free on the Nordic tracks in winter 2025. She finished all 10 collegiate races she competed in with the DU ski team despite also dealing with complications of a torn hip labrum during the season.
 
"I am extremely proud of Sidney with everything she has gone through, and we all at DU skiing and the University of Denver are thrilled that she is a finalist for this year's Honda Inspiration Award," said Denver Head Nordic Skiing Coach Rogan Brown. "She epitomizes what a student-athlete is through her passions for Nordic skiing and academics, as well as her role in the DU community. She has battled through a lot over the past four years, but she was always ready to work in trainings and was a great and supportive teammate each time. Sidney is a tremendous role model and is an inspiration for not only our team but for others as well."
 
Barbier's journey will be shared on Monday, June 23 at 4 p.m. MT on CBS Sports Network in a special "Defying the Odds: The 2025 Honda Inspiration Award" show that will feature the three stories of this year's finalists. The program will re-air throughout June, including on Monday, June 30, at 4:30 p.m. MT, leading into the broadcast of the 2025 Collegiate Women's Sports Awards, presented by Honda.
 
The Steamboat Springs, Colorado, native is also an active member of the University of Denver campus community. She is a double-major in environmental science and music and is also earning a minor in physics. Barbier plays the viola in the school's Lamont Symphony Orchestra and Bluegrass Ensemble, works with the DU Sustainability Council and is a Senior Senator and Executive Chair of Sustainability in Denver's Undergraduate Student Government (USG). She has also been published and co-authored an undergraduate sustainability textbook as a junior in 2023-24.
 
Among her roles with USG and the Sustainability Council is working with students, administrators and organizations across campus on a variety of sustainability initiatives. She successfully helped implement projects around zero waste laundry detergent, the DU Ski Bus program, bringing back the DU Bike Shop, zero waste and climate education and planning DU Earth Week.
 
In the classroom, Barbier has been a member of the National Collegiate All-Academic Ski Team in each of her four years and is a four-time winner of the Denver Athletics Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award, given to the athlete(s) in the school's 18 Division-I sports that have the highest grade-point average in their class.
 
Despite dealing with unrelentless pain throughout her four years with Denver skiing, Barbier persevered and finished 37-of-38 career races, earning eight top-20 results in the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association—undoubtably the toughest conference in varsity collegiate skiing that consistently produces team and individual national champions and future Olympians.
 
She raced at the conference and NCAA West Regional championships each season, including putting together a pair of 15th-place finishes in the 5K classic and 15K freestyle mass start on her home course at Howelsen Hill Ski Area in Steamboat in 2022.
 
Barbier is the first University of Denver student-athlete to be a finalist for the CWSA Inspiration Award since gymnast Lynnzee Brown in 2023.
 
Elms College softball senior Katie Cosmos and Virginia track and field senior Marlee Morgan are also finalists for this year's Inspiration Award. The winner will be selected by the CWSA Board of Directors and announced in June, and her story will be celebrated alongside the full Class of 2025 during a live telecast on CBS Sports Network of The Collegiate Women Sports Awards, presented by Honda, in New York City on Monday, June 30 at 5 p.m. MT.
 

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