NASHVILLE — Sherry Pollex was honored in Thursday’s NASCAR Awards ceremonies as the recipient of the 2023 Myers Brothers Award for outstanding contributions to the sport of stock-car racing, a recognition of her long-standing charitable works in the fight against pediatric and ovarian cancer.
The award presented by the National Motorsports Press Association was given posthumously. Pollex died in September at age 44 after her own valiant personal battle against the disease.
The Myers Brothers recognition is Pollex’s second. In 2017, she shared the honor with her former partner, Cup Series driver Martin Truex Jr.
Pollex was a driving force behind the Catwalk for a Cause, an annual charity fashion show that rallied the NASCAR industry in the fight against cancer. The event was launched in 2010 and has raised more than $4 million to fund research and other initiatives in the campaign.
Pollex faced multiple surgeries and difficult diagnoses in her own battle, but she maintained an optimistic attitude in her quest to inspire others. Her legacy as an ambassador is a lasting one, through her “Sherry Strong” initiative, her foundation’s work, and an oncology clinic founded in 2020 through a partnership with Novant Health.
“I often wonder if that’s my purpose here,” Pollex told The Athletic in 2022. “It’s maybe not what I would have chosen for myself — nobody really wants to be the poster child for any type of cancer — but maybe I’m supposed to go through all this so I can pave the way for other women. On some days, that can be a really hard pill to swallow. But on other days, it’s like, ‘You know, I’ve been given this really important role in this life, and if I’m going to leave a legacy behind and help other people, then I need to do it 100 percent.’ “
Pollex was also honored Wednesday with a remembrance at the Comcast Community Champion of the Year awards ceremony. Pollex was a 2022 finalist for the award, and Comcast paid tribute to her memory with a $10,000 donation to the Sherry Strong Foundation.