Anwen Moses Earns Nancy Nakahara Profiles in Courage Award Through Perseverance in Diving

Anwen Moses returns to the diving board season after season, meeting the challenges of lifelong medical conditions with a commitment to improving and competing on their own terms. The WCA School senior has qualified for the 3A state meet in diving all four years. That consistency comes in a sport demanding balance, power, flexibility, spatial awareness and mental composure, skills that Moses’ conditions make exceptionally challenging.

Born with birth defects, Moses lives with iris coloboma, scoliosis, spina bifida and a Chiari malformation. Iris coloboma involves missing tissue in the colored portion of the eye and causes severe vision loss and light sensitivity. Scoliosis curves the spine, while spina bifida can cause back pain and muscle weakness. A Chiari malformation places pressure where the lower brain extends into the upper spinal canal, creating challenges that can include headaches, neck and shoulder pain, balance difficulties and sensory disturbances.

Moses’ athletic journey has meant working through ongoing limitations rather than returning from a single injury. Across 13 years of involvement in swimming and diving, Moses has continued developing skills and pursuing goals, including qualifying in USA Swimming for two years. A four-year member of the Bison diving team, Moses trains with coaches Heather Moses, who is also their mother, and Caleb Cohoon. Their family includes father Randy Moses and siblings Eira and Tesni.

Stacy Wood, Douglas High School swim coach and a swimming representative for the Wyoming Coaches Association (WCA), sees an athlete who refuses to let comparisons dictate the experience. Diving depends on officials’ judgments rather than a clock, but Moses stays focused on familiar, well-loved dives and executing them well. Wood has watched that approach over four years of conference competition, alongside Moses’ steady commitment to encouraging other divers.

That encouragement extends beyond the Bison team. Moses treats opposing divers as teammates, cheering their performances, sharing their disappointment and celebrating their victories. Competition has not displaced those connections. Wood nominated Moses for the Nancy Nakahara Profiles in Courage Award, recognizing both the perseverance behind the performances and the care Moses shows fellow athletes.

The WCA is honoring Moses with the award, which recognizes athletes who overcome disabilities, illnesses or tragedies to fulfill their athletic dreams. First presented at the 1999 State Track Meet, it honors Nancy Nakahara, who coached volleyball and basketball in Lyman before becoming an athletic director. Nakahara endured a long fight with polymyocitis, a disease described as similar to multiple sclerosis, while also helping announce the State Track Meet and serving at other sporting events.