The love of teaching & the game: Lori Henry

Lori Henry

Lori Henry is extremely personable and enthusiastic. It was amazing to see how effortlessly the ‘85ers synched back together like no time had passed, and Lori was a part of that integration. It was funny to hear about how many connections she had to the ‘85ers before they were teammates, many of them competed as rivals through highschool and college and then finally together representing the USA. 

Lori brought her ‘91 World Cup championship ring to the celebration weekend in Asheville. She met adoring fans who were in awe of the ‘85ers and she let many of them even try on the ring! I could tell how special that moment was for them. 

While preparing for the episode on Lori, I had the pleasure of chatting with two of Lori’s colleagues, Bill and Nancy. Bill, Lori’s co-PE teacher, who he refers to as his work “wife” have shared many good memories over the years. Bill shared a hilarious photo of them in green matching Irish outfits. Nancy described a “tunnel of love” Lori created as a real tunnel and metaphor in how Lori creates space for all students of any ability to feel included. What an incredible role model Lori is, and how lucky are the students who have felt her warmth and inclusive spirit?