Pacific's Noah Lewis '22 is an Underdog Inspiration Story

Noah Lewis ’22 has known adversity.

But that’s OK, because it’s given him a chance to rise above it.

Lewis recently was featured in a story on JokerMag, a digital media platform devoted to telling inspiring underdog stories in sports.

“The only thing that eliminates you from being successful and reaching your goals is quitting,” he told the magazine. “Keep fighting that battle no matter how steep the hill gets.”

Sometimes, it has been steep.

Lewis attended Legends High School in Colorado. It’s not a school known for sending basketball players to big-name programs, but he made the most of it, playing on traveling teams in the summer and competing around the country.

He started his collegiate career at Earlham College in eastern Indiana but struggled with the transition to a new level and new part of the country. By the end of 2018-2019, though, he was named the team’s Most Improved Player.

That summer, he played for the Jewish National Team at the Maccabi Games in Mexico City. He was one of the youngest players in the tournament but ranked third in total three-pointers and led Team USA to a gold medal — further cementing his dream of playing basketball professionally in Israel, where his family is from.

But then, he transferred to Pacific University, where he's studying business. As the basketball season started, he immediately tore three ligaments in his left ankle. He was out the full season — and just when he was ready to return, students were sent home due to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A year later, Lewis is finally ready to get back on the court, as the Boxers resume an intensive spring season. His goal is not only to play at the level he was before his injury — or better, but also to be a leader on the team. No matter what’s ahead, he’s not giving up:

“I have been told so many times that I am too small and not athletic enough, and here I am,” Lewis told JokerMag. “The marathon continues. Keep going, never stop working, and don’t let anyone on this planet tell you that you can’t.”