H*5304 Concurrent Resolution, By Clemmons, Fry, Crawford, Duckworth, Hewitt, 
Hardee, McGinnis and Johnson
 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR THREE-TIME USA OLYMPIC ATHLETE
 AMBER CAMPBELL OF MYRTLE BEACH ON THE OCCASION OF HER RETIREMENT FROM
 PROFESSIONAL ATHLETICS, TO CONGRATULATE HER ON A DISTINGUISHED CAREER IN TRACK
 AND FIELD, AND TO WISH HER MUCH SUCCESS AND FULFILLMENT IN ALL HER FUTURE
 ENDEAVORS.

   04/25/18  House  Introduced, adopted, sent to Senate
                     (House Journal-page 25)
   04/25/18  Senate Introduced, adopted, returned with concurrence
                     (Senate Journal-page 8)

TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR THREE-TIME USA OLYMPIC ATHLETE AMBER CAMPBELL OF MYRTLE BEACH ON THE OCCASION OF HER RETIREMENT FROM PROFESSIONAL ATHLETICS, TO CONGRATULATE HER ON A DISTINGUISHED CAREER IN TRACK AND FIELD, AND TO WISH HER MUCH SUCCESS AND FULFILLMENT IN ALL HER FUTURE ENDEAVORS.

Whereas, growing up with athletic brothers, three-time USA Olympian Amber Campbell of Myrtle Beach wanted to follow their example and thus began competing in track and field. The daughter of James and Evette Campbell, she was raised in Indiana. After high school, she headed to Coastal Carolina University (CCU) to inaugurate an extraordinary college career in track and field; and

Whereas, during her college years (2000-2004), Amber was a five-time NCAA All-American, as well as a sixteen-time Big South Champion. She earned seven titles in indoor track and field and nine crowns in outdoor track and field. Further, she won four individual titles in the indoor weight throw and three in the shot put and was crowned champion four times in the discus. She won the outdoor hammer throw three times and the shot put twice; and

Whereas, for her high attainments, Amber was named Big South Women's Track Athlete of the Year each of her final three years at CCU and in 2002-2003 she was honored as the leadership conference's Female Athlete of the Year. The only three-time recipient of the Big South Women's Track and Field Athlete of the Year award, Amber still owns CCU records in the weight, indoor shot put, outdoor shot put, discus, and hammer throw. She was named to the Big South Women's Track and Field All-Decade Team for 2000-2009 and is a member of both the CCU and Big South halls of fame; and

Whereas, following CCU graduation, Amber's professional career began. She competed for the USA at the International Association of Athletics Federation World Championships in 2005, 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2015 in the hammer, and she won gold at the 2015 North American, Central American, and Caribbean Championships. She placed third in the 2011 Pan American Games and second in 2015 and is a four-time USATF outdoor champion in the hammer throw, winning in 2010; and

Whereas, at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Amber finished sixth overall in the women's hammer throw. Her throw of 72.74 meters was the highest finish ever for an American, just two meters away from a bronze medal. In 2008, she placed twenty-first in Beijing, and in 2012 she placed thirteenth in London. Amber also owns the USA Olympic Trials all-time record, 74.03 meters (2016), which broke her own U.S. Olympic Trials record set in 2012; and

Whereas, later in 2017, Amber Campbell retired from professional athletics. Presently, she serves as organizational development coordinator for the City of Myrtle Beach and is active in the special needs ministry at Beach Church; and

Whereas, over the course of her athletic career, this 2004 CCU graduate has received numerous awards. Most recently, she was honored at the 2018 Celebration of Inspiring Women, presented by Women in Philanthropy and Leadership for CCU. In addition, CCU awarded her an honorary doctorate in 2017; and

Whereas, proud of her dedication and accomplishments, the General Assembly takes great pleasure in wishing this adopted daughter of South Carolina the greatest success as she pursues her goals, and the members look forward with interest to hearing of her further achievements in the days to come. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:

That the members of the South Carolina General Assembly, by this resolution, recognize and honor three-time USA Olympic athlete Amber Campbell of Myrtle Beach on the occasion of her retirement from professional athletics, congratulate her on a distinguished career in track and field, and wish her much success and fulfillment in all her future endeavors.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to Amber Campbell.