Mesabi Range College RB Taquarius Wair to Receive Jimmy V Award at 2020 ESPYs

Mesabi Range College running back Taquarius Wair will be the recipient of the 2020 Jimmy V Award for Perseverance at the ESPYs, ESPN announced Wednesday.

"It is an honor to receive the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance and humbling to be on a list with the previous recipients," Wair said. "I use the phrase 'don't give up' in my life every day, and I will continue to do so in the fight for my dream."

Wair lost the fingers on his left hand at the age of 4 in a fire that took the life of his sister, Shawneece. He spent a month in a coma, and doctors gave him a 20 percent chance of survival.

The Jimmy V Award is given to a sports figure who "has overcome great obstacles through perseverance and determination." It is named after former North Carolina State coach Jimmy Valvano, who died of cancer at age 47 in 1993.

Wair attends Mesabi Range, a Minnesota school that plays in the National Junior College Athletic Association. The Minneapolis native aspires to play for a four-year program.

The ESPYs will air a virtual ceremony June 21.