During her acceptance speech, Code recalled her first AJGA tournament. She felt scared, intimidated and out of place. Hardin s sincerity made a lasting impression. Going out of your way to be nice to someone, no matter how good they are. That s what sportsmanship is, Code told the audience of 500 at the AJGA awards banquet.
Sportsmanship goes far beyond the polite or superficial handshake.
Adversity has made Mallory Code wise beyond her years. She delivered the speech with remarkable poise and conviction for a teen-ager, rarely glancing at her notes. Her message was equal parts gratitude, inspiration, ethics and humor. After they discovered I had diabetes, I was giving myself six to 12 shots a day, Code said. Mallory said her parents, Brian and Karen, wouldn t tolerate self pity.