Lonnie Hannah knows all about adversity. At the age of 20, a shelving unit fell on top of him in a warehouse accident, rendering his legs immobile. He didn’t let that stop him from competing in wheelchair tennis and, later, going on to win gold at the Paralympic Winter Games as a member of the 2002 U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team. Last year, Hannah was determined to not let cancer stop him, either. Hannah was diagnosed with melanoma at the beginning of 2005 and went through several months of chemotherapy to fight it off. Despite the treatments, he continued to practice and, in April, Hannah played in the 2005 USA Cup, a three-team international tournament in Denver. Although he wasn’t in top physical condition and was limited in his playing time, Hannah proved he still had the scoring touch, netting a goal in the first game of the competition.

Hannah's fight and resolve served as a great motivating force for the 2006 U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team that won bronze in Torino. While his stats from Torino (one assist and a +3 rating) did not put him among the team leaders, he was so respected by his teammates and fellow U.S. Paralympians that he was chosen to carry the flag for the U.S. delegation at the Closing Ceremony at the Paralympic Winter Games. In addition, Hannah received the Whang Youn Dai Overcome Prize, a yearly honor given to two Paralympic athletes (one male and one female) for best exemplifying Paralympic spirit.