Perseverance is defined as “Persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.” It is one of the words that will forever define the legacy of Jim Valvano, who over 30 years ago waged war on cancer and in that time has raised $353 million for cancer research. Every year at the ESPYs, ESPN’s annual sports award show, one athlete is given the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance. This year’s winner, Katie Schumacher-Cawley, was the personification of perseverance through her battle with breast cancer.

Who is Katie Schumacher-Cawley

Schumacher-Cawley’s athletic career began in Chicago, where she excelled at sports from an early age. In high school, she was a standout basketball and volleyball player, leading her high school volleyball team to state championships in three different years.

After graduating, she attended Penn State, where she continued to play both basketball and volleyball. In 1999, she helped the Nittany Lions volleyball team secure their first championship in program history. By the time she finished her career in Happy Valley, she had earned spots on three All-Big Ten volleyball teams and helped lead the basketball team to the Sweet 16 in the 2002 NCAA tournament.

Making History

After graduating from college, she took her first coaching job as a volunteer coach at Illinois before joining the University of Illinois Chicago volleyball program, eventually working her way up to head coach by 2009. She coached at UIC for seven years before spending one year at the University of Pennsylvania, then returned to her alma mater, Penn State, in 2018 as an associate head coach, taking on full head coaching duties by 2022.

In the fall of 2024, Schumacher-Cawley was diagnosed with breast cancer and endured six rounds of chemotherapy. During her treatment, she never missed a practice or a game. So what got her through? Perspective.

“People talk about inspiration and things like that. I’ll tell you — there’s babies and younger kids that are really sick, that’s my perspective,” she told ESPN.

During the season, the Nittany Lions took care of business, boasting a 29–2 record and defeating Louisville to win the 2024 National Championship, making her the first female Division I head coach to win an NCAA women’s volleyball title.

Just a few months later on February 10, 2025, Schumacher-Cawley completed her last round of cancer treatment. Check out the awesome moment below:

Never Give Up

With all that Katie Schumacher-Cawley had overcome and how dominant her team was this past season, it’s not surprising that she was named Big Ten Volleyball Coach of the Year for the 2024 season.

In her moving speech at the ESPYs, Schumacher-Cawley reflected on the hardships and triumphs of the past year, urging others to never give up. Check out the speech below.

From Katie Schumacher-Cawley’s journey, we learn two powerful lessons.

First, perspective can be a guiding force in the face of adversity. During her battle, she found strength and inspiration in her team, her family, and fellow patients—reminding herself that others were facing even greater challenges. Her story teaches us that we, too, can lean on the people around us and shift our mindset to discover hope and motivation, even in our most difficult moments.

Second, she never gave up. Her resilience and unwavering attitude became her greatest assets. When facing challenges, it’s that same mindset—refusing to quit—that can carry us through. Her story reminds us that while we may not be able to control every obstacle, we can control how we respond. And often, that makes all the difference.

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