With Focus, Humility And Undeniable Talent, 'The Sky Is The Limit' For Pennsylvania Phenom Avery Lewis

By Mary Albl of DyeStat

Laedoan Lewis doesn’t recall her daughter ever actually walking first. As memory serves, those first steps were in the form of a run.

“Avery used to run from us when we would go to a department store, or like the supermarket, and she would just start running,” Laedoan Lewis said. “I don’t think she ever really walked, she just was taking off and running.”

If those first memories were any indicator where Avery Lewis’ running would potentially take her, her mom had no idea.

“We just kind of went with it, not really expecting it to take off the way it did,” she said.

Running before she walked, Lewis’ track career accelerated out of the starting blocks and hasn’t slowed down. Since starting track and field at age 6, she’s set world and national age-group records.

Now a 15-year-old from Parkesburg, Pa., Lewis has continued to blossom amid the pandemic into one of the nation's best prep sprinters and jumpers. Most recently at The Virginia Showcase in Virginia Beach, Jan. 14-17, she won the 200-meter dash in 23.91 seconds, becoming just the sixth female freshman ever dip under 24 seconds indoors.

She also won the long jump, soaring 20 feet, 8 inches (6.29m), shattering the indoor state record of 20-2.50 (6.15m) set in 1991 by Dawn Burrell. Her mark was also the national freshman class indoor record, the top prep indoor mark ever achieved by a 15-year old and US#1.

“To firsthand see someone develop from a young age, and watch the stage of her development from a little kid, to a young teenager, to a young lady, and still be on that same track that you hoped and projected they stay on when they were younger, showing promises of being a phenom, it’s amazing,” said Brandon Shell, her club coach at Infinity Track Club.

GETTING STARTED

Lewis wanted to run because of her older brother T.J. She used to tag along to the track practices at the family's church-sponsored club, because Laedoan was a coach. At that stage, the shy little girl avoided the track and stayed close to her mother's hip.  

“One particular practice a coach came over and he started to encourage her to go and play in the sandbox, so I think that’s probably where the love of the long jump came from,” Laedoan Lewis said. “Then the next you know, she's up and running, and we kind of looked at her, and was like, ‘Wow, she's actually kind of good.’ And it just took off.”

With a natural ease and comfort level, Lewis took to the idea of running and jumping.

“Running is just fun to me,” she said. “I get to feel free when I’m running.”

Lewis began running with her church club and met Shell — who runs Infinity Track Club, a nonprofit organization — at a track meet. Shell started working with Lewis as a kindergartener and immediately recognized the potential. He still coaches her, as the head coach at Friends' Central School in Philadelphia. 

“She was born with all the physical tools, the perfect attention, very displinced, very driven, and at a young age,” Shell said. “She’s always been the one to do the extra.”

SOMETHING SPECIAL

“I remember people coming up to us, right after her first race, and telling us to get our tickets to the Junior Olympics, which were in Houston that year,” said Terrence Lewis, Avery’s father. “We had no idea this stuff even existed. We were really just doing it for fun.”

Lewis wrapped an unusual level of maturity and focus around her fun and drew attention from the start.

At the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Junior Olympics in August 2012 in Texas, she jumped 11 feet, 1 inch to finish 10th overall in the 8-under long jump event. Her mark was a World Age Group record for 6-year olds. She continued that trend, setting international age group records in the long jump the next three summers. In 2012, she also ran a World Age Group record for 8-year olds in the 200 (27.98). 

"She has the prototypical build, a very strong build,” Shell said. "She’s got good height, (she now stands at 5-10) excellent coordination and she’s competitive.”

Lewis’ name quickly became ubiquitous at The Armory in New York, where she dominated the competition at the Colgate Games.  Lewis holds the fastest times in meet history in the Elementary A (grades 1-3) 55 meters (7.75), 200 meters (28.09) and the Elementary B (grades 4-5) 55 meters (7.35) and 200 meters (25.99).

Those performances pointed to the possibility of a great future. Shell said he told her parents to brace themselves for all the attention to come. 

Laedoan Lewis, who used to work at Friends', was able to shield her daughter from the onslaught that is social media. Shell said her parents have done a good job of grooming her for the moment with core values of faith, discipline and fun. But for Lewis, the spotlight has never been a big deal.

“My parents always tell me to just have fun. The minute I stop having fun, I don't necessarily have to run anymore," Lewis said. "It’s never been a stressful thing for me. I’m able to continue to do what I love without having the pressure.”

STAYING HUMBLE

Ben and Jerry’s ice cream was what Lewis requested following her performance at The Virginia Showcase. That's a pretty typical scene after a track meet for the Lewis family. Laedoan said they like to keep things normal and let their daughter just be a teenager.

"We make sure she has outlets for social time and really try to keep her grounded and level-headed," Laedoan Lewis said.

Like her first encounter with the track, Lewis describes herself as a bit reserved and shy, until she becomes comfortable. 

“‘I’m definitely very crazy. I have a personality,” she said. “I like to say I’m a little kid at heart. I like to cook and bake and make slime, so I’m pretty crafty.” 

Grounded by faith and family, Lewis’ trajectory has been marked by humility. Laedoan Lewis said you’ll never see her daughter boasting or wearing her medals around her neck after a meet. In fact, there’s been numerous occasions when her parents had to ask where her medals are. 

“Humility is a big part of who we are,” Terrence Lewis said. “For us, it’s a humbling experience because we know it’s a gift. We’ve just instilled that in her and our son. Pride comes before the fall, and that’s what the Bible teaches us. We really want to focus on being as humble as possible.” 

In 2019 Lewis suffered a minor setback when she discovered she had broken a toe, forcing her to miss part of the summer. She said that time away from competition, including the lost seasons due to the pandemic, have reminded her not to take anything for granted.

“I was able to refresh my mind a little bit and just have fun,” Lewis said. “I have great support from family and friends so that keeps my momentum going, and it's a gift from God.”

BIG DREAMS

The words come out Lewis' mouth with conviction and a mature confidence.

“I would like to go to the 2024 Olympics, but if not, there’s always later. I would also like to go pro,” Lewis said. “That’s a goal that I’m working toward.” 

They are big dreams for a 15-year old, but so far Lewis has demonstrated the talent to keep those goals in play.

“You know, I tell my kids to dream big, set goals and try to achieve them,” Laedoan Lewis said. “And if you don’t, that’s OK. You only fail when you stop trying.”

Talking about her performance after The Virginia Showcase, Lewis said she’s been wanting to break 24 seconds for a few years, but because of her toe injury she’s had to work her way back slowly, honing in on her speed and mechanics.   

“Now that I’m under 24, I just have to keep training hard and stay under 24 and maybe get to 22/21s,” Lewis said. 

Up until about two years ago, Avery was coached by Shell through Infinity. She now runs unattached and is coached by her parents, who both have backgrounds in the sport. 

“The focus is to sharpen her technique and really refine a lot of sprinting technique and skills, make sure she has a strong core, and just get stronger each and every day,” Laedoan Lewis said. “And continue to really have fun while she is working out.”

During the pandemic, with Pennsylvania's official high school indoor track season postponed, Lewis said she’s continuing to train, work hard and see what opportunities arise. Despite the unconventional track season, Lewis isn’t slowing down. 

“I firmly believe that the sky's the limit. Don't put limits on yourself,” Laedoan Lewis said. “Try to go out there, set your goals, and then try to crush them. And when and if you do, set higher goals and just keep going.”

And of course, continue to have fun with it.