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Foote, Howerin Named Medal of Inspiration Honorees

Lancaster, Pa. – On Wednesday morning, the Atlantic East Conference announced two recipients of The Medal of Inspiration award: Marywood University’s Lilli Foote and Wesley College’s Alexis Howerin. 
 
The Medal of Inspiration, an award created to honor individuals that battled through adversity to become stronger versions of themselves, was awarded to two individuals who handled their separate battles with resilience and grace.

Lilli's Journey...
Foote struggled with a dilapidating eating disorder that began in the seventh grade. Her fight continued throughout junior and senior high school. During her senior season, it was decided she was “too skinny” to play high school sports.

Still, Foote had every intention of becoming a NCAA Division III student-athlete even amidst her constant battle with a disorder that affects – often undiagnosed – more than a quarter of female collegiate athletes. Marywood University’s lacrosse team was to be a fresh start for Foote until a nagging injury as well as her eating disorder kept her from the field for another two years.
 
Although Foote had to manage frequent meetings with counselors, dieticians and trainers to recover, she was still a devoted member of the women’s lacrosse team by helping and supporting her coaches and teammates at every practice and game.

After enduring an intensive outpatient eating disorder program, Foote turned a corner in her fight with her eating disorder just before her junior season. She worked extremely hard in fall practices and conditioning to see the field in 2020 until COVID cut the season short.

Her hard offseason work paid off as she appeared in five of Marywood’s eight games in 2021. Foote’s recovery reached a pinnacle in the first-round conference playoff game against Immaculata where she scored her first-and-only collegiate goal.
 
"That goal meant so much to me," said Foote. "It not only represented a point for my team, but a result I finally achieved. After years filled with tears, defeat, and perseverance, I was able to be back on the field playing the sport I loved."
 
Lilli Foote Goal

Alexis’s Journey...
After finding an unusual lump on her breast before a field hockey game during the 2019 season, Howerin followed her gut instinct to see a doctor. Following a biopsy and lumpectomy, Howerin was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer in January 2020.
 
Howerin had to put her life on hold to battle through a double mastectomy, 20 weeks of chemotherapy and 5 weeks of radiation. Although her fight took her off the field, Howerin was an inspiration to all.
 
Not only did she help younger athletes learn and understand defensive strategies during her recovery, but she used her own story to help others by raising awareness on breast cancer and self-exams. Howerin and the rest of the field hockey team made waves throughout Division III with their dedication to breast cancer awareness during October 2020.
 
Amidst her struggles, she devoted hard hours to get herself back into physical shape to be able to play field hockey again. After regaining physical strength and increasing her cardiovascular fitness, she was once again able to get back on the field in March 2021 to play against Immaculata.
 
The Unthinkable Part One 
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four