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Bill Snyder Woman of Impact Award
August 23 @ 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
LOCAL RUNNER/PHILANTHROPIST TERRA JAMES SELECTED AS 2026 BILL SNYDER WOMAN OF IMPACT AWARD RECIPIENT
PRESENTED BY COMMERCE BANK
For Immediate Release: Monday, July 20, 2026
Brett Esely, Contact: 816-233-6688, besely@stjomo.com
In conjunction with the St. Joseph Area Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2026 enshrinement ceremony presented by Atha Bros Ag, the St. Joseph Sports Commission is pleased to announce our fifth recipient of the Coach Bill Snyder Woman of Impact Award presented by Commerce Bank. The Woman of Impact Award recognizes a female athlete, coach, administrator or a contributor that achieved an outstanding season or accomplishment over the past year.
The award is named in honor of St. Joseph Area Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2021 inductee Bill Snyder who spoke of the strong impact his mother Marionetta made on his life during his induction speech at the inaugural Hall of Fame ceremony. Coach Snyder, a St. Joseph native, Lafayette High School graduate and legendary Kansas State football coach will be on hand to present the award.
Our 2026 Woman of Impact recipient is Terra James. A true community philanthropist in the sport of running, Terra has a passion that is unmatched by many. James has been the volunteer marketing director for the St. Joseph Marathon all four years of its existence and takes time to do countless tasks behind the scenes to help make the event a tremendous success which continues to experience a consistent amount of growth each year. Additionally, as a proud St. Jude Hero, she has dedicated her running journey to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. James has completed the prestigious Boston Marathon, Memphis Marathon, Kansas City Marathon, and the Nashville Marathon twice, along with dozens of half-marathons and countless community races in which she uses every finish line as an opportunity to raise funds and awareness for local causes and to support children battling catastrophic illnesses. She is a proud member of the Measly Mile Mafia and has inspired countless others in the group to follow her footsteps by running for local and national charities, including seven fellow runners from the St. Joseph community who have become St. Jude Heroes. All seven athletes will compete in the 2026 New York City and/or Memphis Marathons with James and will have raised over $110,000 by the end of 2026. Through her leadership, she has organized numerous annual charitable races locally – including the Holiday Tutu Trot, Krug Castle Challenge, and the return of the Pony Express 5K.
James along with the 2026 Hall of Fame class consisting of 10 individual inductees, 1 team and the Special Olympics Athlete of the Year will be recognized on Sunday, August 23 during the enshrinement ceremony at Stoney Creek Hotel & Conference Center with social hour beginning at 4 PM and ceremony at 5 PM. Tickets are $25 per person and may be purchased at stjomosports.com or by calling 816-233-6688.
2022 Recipient – Candi Whitaker – Missouri Western State University Head Women’s Basketball Coach
2023 Recipient – Jackie Steltenpohl – Bishop LeBlond Head Girls Basketball Coach
2024 Recipient – Kimberly Huss – Bishop LeBlond Head Girls Volleyball Coach
2025 Recipient – Ali Perry – University of Arkansas-Fort Smith Women’s Golf Student-Athlete