“I dedicate the Ruby Award to my mom,” Cary Groth says, “who exemplifies all of the qualities associated with the award. I am blessed to have been raised by a strong woman and a supportive father.” Groth, recently retired Athletic Director for the University of Nevada, Reno, appreciates the award that Soroptimists International of Truckee Meadows (SITM) has presented to her and she says she owes it all to her family.
Growing up, Groth was heavily involved in sports. Whether it was watching or playing, the Groth family encouraged the involvement. So it should be no surprise that Groth has had many accomplishments in field of sports. For 10 years she was the director of athletics for her alma mater, Northern Illinois University and inducted into the Northern Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010. She was the National Association of Collegiate Women’s Athletic Administrator of the Year in 2003 and served on the U.S. Department of Education’s Commission on Opportunity in Athletics in ’02-’03. She is an appreciated local figure in Reno and has been recognized by the Girl Scouts of the Sierra Nevada and the Nevada Women’s Fund. And if that weren’t enough she can now add the Ruby Award: For Women Helping Women to that impressive list of endeavors.
Out of the many achievements presented to Groth, she feels that her biggest accomplishment is something that can’t be etched onto a plaque or molded into a prestigious award. Groth says hers greatest triumph in women’s sports is, “becoming a role model for women aspiring to enter the athletic profession and to have provided opportunities for our athletes and staff to have success.”
Sports may be a male dominated field today, but Groth is one success who has proven to the world that women have a place in athletics, especially in leadership positions, such as Athletic Director. Groth’s parents mentored her and raised her and her siblings in a way that encouraged them to follow their dreams no matter what the obstacles may be. Groth’s legacy will continue to inspire women and girls across the nation to achieve their goals not matter the hurdle, just like the Groth family recommends.
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