▁panel ▁of ▁exper ts . ▁Through ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁iteration ▁of ▁the ▁ESP Y ▁Awards , ▁cer emon ies ▁were ▁conducted ▁in ▁February ▁of ▁each ▁year ▁to ▁honor ▁achiev ements ▁over ▁the ▁previous ▁calendar ▁year ; ▁awards ▁presented ▁there after ▁are ▁con ferred ▁in ▁July ▁and ▁reflect ▁performance ▁from ▁the ▁June ▁previous . ▁ ▁The ▁inaug ural ▁winner ▁of ▁the ▁Best ▁Ath lete ▁with ▁a ▁Dis ability ▁ESP Y ▁Award ▁at ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁edition ▁was ▁mountain ▁clim ber ▁Erik ▁Wei hen m ayer ▁who ▁suff ers ▁from ▁a ▁total ▁visual ▁imp air ment ▁and ▁he ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁blind ▁person ▁to ▁reach ▁the ▁sum mit ▁of ▁Mount ▁Ever est ▁in ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 1 . ▁He ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁three ▁people ▁to ▁have ▁won ▁the ▁award ▁during ▁its ▁three - year ▁history ; ▁spr inter ▁Mar lon ▁Sh ir ley ▁won ▁the ▁acc ol ade ▁at ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁ceremony ▁for ▁becoming ▁the ▁first ▁am put ee ▁in ▁history ▁to ▁set ▁a ▁time ▁below ▁eleven ▁seconds ▁in ▁the ▁men ' s ▁ 1 0 0 ▁metres ▁at ▁the ▁Ut ah ▁Summer ▁Games , ▁and ▁K yle ▁May n ard ▁was ▁voted ▁the ▁winner ▁of ▁the ▁award ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁iteration ▁because ▁of ▁his ▁strong ▁form ▁in ▁fre est yle ▁wrest ling ▁in ▁high ▁school ▁despite ▁being ▁born ▁with ▁con gen ital ▁am putation ▁that ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁short ening ▁of ▁all ▁his ▁lim bs . ▁The ▁Best