Robin Roberts: ESPN To Bestow ABC Anchor With Arthur Ashe Courage Award

Robin Roberts, host of ABC's “Good Morning America,” will receive the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the 2013 ESPYs on July 17 in Los Angeles.

Roberts battled breast cancer in 2007, and was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder, myelodysplastic syndrome, in 2012. Despite health challenges, Roberts returned to the morning news show just months after receiving a bone marrow transplant from her sister.

Roberts has been stricken twice by serious illness in recent years, and she returned to the air last month after being treated for a rare blood disorder.

"Robin brings an amazing amount of energy, compassion and determination to everything she does," ESPN’s President John Skipper said in a statement.

"Those qualities made her an incredible asset during her time here at ESPN, and they have served her well as she battled the terrible health challenges that she's had to face," he said. “Robin's accomplishments in so many areas, as an athlete, a broadcaster, a cancer survivor and more, demonstrate her ability to shine regardless of adversity and we could not be more proud to honor her as the recipient of this year's Arthur Ashe Courage Award."

Roberts was involved in sports long before she joined ESPN's "SportsCenter" in 1990, where she stayed until 2005. Before she started her career in broadcast journalism, Roberts distinguished herself as a student athlete at Southeastern Lousiana, where she graduated summa cum laude and played four seasons with the Lady Lions, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Roberts is still listed among the team’s record holders in points scored, and was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.