From Sand to Spotlight: Volleyball Star Bourne Turns Battle with Rare Disease into National Honor for Myositis Awareness

Tri Bourne

Tri Bourne, TMA Patient Ambassador Award

Olympian and beach volleyball champion Tri Bourne is celebrated for resilience and powerful advocacy on behalf of people living with rare autoimmune diseases.

COLUMBIA, MD, UNITED STATES, September 17, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Myositis Association (TMA) honors Olympian and beach volleyball champion Tri Bourne with its 2025 Patient Ambassador Award, celebrating his resilience and powerful advocacy on behalf of people living with rare autoimmune diseases.

Diagnosed in 2016 with dermatomyositis, a condition that causes chronic muscle inflammation, weakness, and a host of challenging symptoms, Bourne fought his way back to elite competition after a two-year hiatus, placing in the top ten worldwide at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Today, he uses his platform to raise awareness, inspire individuals living with myositis, and bring visibility to conditions that are often overlooked and underdiagnosed.

“Tri Bourne embodies the spirit of this award,” said Paula Eichenbrenner, Executive Director of The Myositis Association. “By sharing his journey on one of the world’s biggest stages, he has turned personal challenge into powerful advocacy by educating the public, inspiring fellow patients, and shining a spotlight on a disease too often ignored.”

“I’m honored to receive this award,” said Bourne. “Overcoming dermatomyositis has been one of my greatest challenges, but it’s also given me purpose. I want others to know they’re not alone. You can find the positives in your own journey, even with an invisible disability.”

Bourne grew up in Honolulu, Hawai'i and claimed 12 AVP titles, including two Manhattan Beach Opens, before retiring this fall from professional beach volleyball. Tri continues to co-host SANDCAST, the most downloaded volleyball podcast in the world with eight years of continuous episodes, and has co-authored two books.

Bourne will be recognized during TMA’s Heroes in the Fight Awards Ceremony on September 20, 2025, in Dallas, Texas. Additional honorees are Rhonda Rogers and Nancy Harber, Marianne Moyer Myositis Leader Award; Mayo Clinic, Inflammatory Myositis Clinic and Neuromuscular Disease Division, Heroes in Healthcare Award; and Dr. Victoria Werth, University of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Veterans Administration Hospital, Heroes in Research Award.

argenx is the lead sponsor for TMA’s Patient Ambassador Award, presented during MyoCon: The Myositis Association’s Global Patient Conference, which brings together patients, families, clinicians, and researchers for a weekend of education, empowerment, and community.

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About The Myositis Association:

The Myositis Association is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of individuals affected by myositis through education, support, advocacy, and research. TMA is committed to fostering a sense of community that empowers individuals to live their best life.

For more information about the award and the upcoming conference, visit www.myositis.org.

Linda Kobert
The Myositis Association
+1 434-882-2189
email us here

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