That’s a tough one. Plus you haven’t named colleges or the tier. Adcoms want to know you triumphed over challenges, in ways they like, for their colleges. The principle is “Show, not just tell.” So you’d need to be showing the results, not just saying how you “became more aware,” etc. How did that growth manifest, in ways the colleges like to see? Good to write this as a nice narrative. Of course, you have to get an idea of what traits they are looking for.
If the challenge is physical, see if you can do this. Yes, humor can show confidence and perspective, determination and good will. If it’s more mental or emotional, common advice is to stay away.
You may not realize that sometimes the best person to write how you overcame is the GC. He or she can write in the LoR, as one educator talking to other educators, have a chance to rave a bit about you. Best to you.