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Sunita Williams feature earns Aishwarya Kumar Jenkins nomination
Kumar’s ESPN feature chronicled Sunita Williams’ unplanned 286-day International Space Station mission and Earth return.
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Pranavi Sharma - Mon, 25, May 2026
- 03:19 EDT
- 20
Aishwarya Kumar / X
Tamil Nadu-born journalist Aishwarya Kumar has been nominated for the 2026 Dan Jenkins Medal for Excellence in Sportswriting for her ESPN feature on NASA astronaut Sunita Williams and her extended mission aboard the International Space Station.
Kumar announced the nomination in a post on X, writing, “Overjoyed to be named a finalist for the Dan Jenkins Medal for Excellence in Sportswriting for my feature on astronaut Sunita Williams' journey through space alongside so many phenomenal writers and friends!”
The nomination was announced by the Center for Sports Communication & Media, or CSCM, which released the 12 finalists for the 2026 Best Sportswriting category. The annual awards honor the legacy of sportswriter and author Dan Jenkins and recognize outstanding sportswriting published during the previous calendar year.
ALSO READ: Sunita Williams addresses diaspora anxiety
Kumar was nominated for her March 18, 2025 ESPN feature, “Inside NASA Astronaut Sunita Williams’ Journey Through Space.” The story examined Williams’ unexpectedly prolonged stay aboard the International Space Station after launching on June 5, 2024, for what was originally planned as an eight-day mission. Williams ultimately returned to Earth on March 18, 2025, after 286 days in space.
The feature combined reported narrative with detailed scenes from Williams’ mission. In one section, Kumar described Williams watching Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft detach from the space station without the astronauts’ suits onboard. “She's on her way home,” Williams radios to Earth in the story as the spacecraft drifts away.
Another section focused on Williams participating remotely in the Falmouth Road Race from space. Kumar wrote that Williams, strapped to a treadmill aboard the International Space Station, told runners on Earth, “It's going to be sort of crappy,” before beginning her run in orbit.
ALSO READ: Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore finish recovery on Earth
Kumar is an award-winning journalist at ESPN specializing in long-form storytelling. According to her professional biography, her work focuses on sports, immigration, identity and mental health.
Her previous recognitions include an honorable mention for the 2025 APSE Billie Jean King Award for Excellence in Women’s Sports Coverage. Her story “The Pain of ‘Baby Jordan’ and the Power of Kami Miner” was selected for “The Year’s Sports Writing 2024,” while “The Grandmaster Diet” was chosen for “The Best American Sports Writing 2020.”
Several of Kumar’s stories have also received honorable mentions in “This Year’s Best Sports Writing.” Her reporting has appeared in outlets including The New York Times, NPR’s ‘Only a Game,’ Forbes and Longform recommendation lists.
Before joining ESPN, Kumar contributed reported features and video stories to Vice Sports, SB Nation, AP TV, The Hindu, The Star and The New Indian Express. She has worked as a journalist in India, the United States and South Africa.
Other finalists for the 2026 Best Sportswriting category include writers from publications such as The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Sports Illustrated, The New York Times Magazine and Runner’s World.
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