Heather Lewis

JACKSON TWP — Heather Lewis has spent most of her adult life in positions of leadership and is used to having answers when people confront her with questions.

But three years ago, she was the one asking questions that yielded few clear-cut replies.

Lewis, the athletic director for the Seneca Valley School District since 2012, was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer in February 2021.

"There's no history of breast cancer in my family," she said. "After I got over the initial feeling of shock, I wanted to know if I was going to die. What would my life be like if I survived?"

Lewis underwent aggressive chemotherapy treatments, followed by radiation and endured three surgeries in the fall of 2021. The entire ordeal lasted 10 months. She now has scans every three months to check if the cancer has returned.

The WPIAL recently released its 2024 Hall of Fame list and Lewis will be honored in May as this year's Courage inductee.

"I'm humbled and very appreciative to be recognized," she said. "But I am not going to accept the honor just for me. I will accept it on behalf of anyone who has ever been diagnosed with cancer. We will forever be teammates on a team we weren't hoping to be part of."

Once Lewis learned how her battle would commence and proceed, her outlook changed.

"When I learned of the treatment schedule, my mind-set shifted," she said. "Mentally, it was easier to manage my emotions once I knew how we were going to attack it.

"I knew I was going to lose my hair, but didn't want to wait for it to start falling out when I combed it or waking up and finding it on my pillow, so I had it cut right at the start. I figured, if I am going to be bald, I'm going bald right now."

Her support system was strong and wide-ranging, even extending to her late mother.

"She battled lung cancer for 18 months before she passed," said Lewis. "I remember the grace and confidence she had throughout her fight.

“I told people not to treat me like I had cancer. Treat me as you’ve always done and let me decide what normal is.”

West Allegheny athletic director David McBain went out of his way to show his support.

"I ended up getting ball caps sent to me from so many different schools and that's what I wore to cover my head,“ Lewis said. ”One day, I'd wear a Neshannock hat, the next day a Quaker Valley hat ... Dave was the one who got the schools on board with that and it meant so much to me.

"The support I got from my AD colleagues was tremendous."

Lewis continued as SV's athletic director for the first six months of her battle.

"The more I was occupied, the more I could keep my mind off of the cancer," she said. "The first of my three surgeries was in September 2021 and I was told I had to step back from my duties at that point."

Prior to arriving at Seneca Valley 12 years ago, Lewis coached both women's lacrosse and field hockey at Bucknell University. Her time at the school also included stints as associate athletic director and assistant athletic director. She also served on the board of directors of a United States Olympic Committee national governing body, supporting women's national team qualifications for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

“Leadership is about giving back,” she said. “As a kid, I saw both of my parents in leadership roles. My dad was a football coach at Waynesburg College and my mom led a teacher’s union in the area. Both of them greatly influenced me.”

At Seneca Valley, Lewis spearheaded the efforts to get turf fields installed for the baseball, softball, soccer and lacrosse teams along with the construction of a state-of-the-art aquatic center, now home to the district's varsity swimming and diving teams.

On her watch, the school has won a number of WPIAL and state titles in various sports, both as a team and individually.

“I believe that collectively, we have the best coaches in the WPIAL,” she said. “I’ve been blessed to work with great people.”