Who was Pat Summitt?

On Aug. 23, 2011, Pat Summitt bravely revealed the toughest opponent she ever battled, early onset dementia, "Alzheimer's Type," after the doctors at the Mayo Clinic diagnosed her at the age of 59. To be sure, Summitt took on this invisible opponent with her signature game plan.

Patricia Sue Head Summitt – known as “Trish” to her family and friends – was born in Henrietta, Tenn. where she grew up harvesting tobacco, milking cows, cutting hay on a tractor, and loading bales into the barn on the family’s farm.

Basketball would take her to The University of Tennessee at Martin, the U.S. Olympic team as a player in 1976 and head coach at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Summitt coached for 38 seasons at the University of Tennessee with an overall record of 1,098-208 and won eight national championships in 1987, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2007 and 2008.

When Summitt was diagnosed with early onset dementia, she didn’t retreat into the shadows. She boldly coached another season, continuing her lifelong practice of being an open book, even knowing the scrutiny that would come. All season long, all eyes were on Summitt and her team. They were greeted in arenas nationwide with standing-ovation tributes to Summitt, as she guided her team through the nation's toughest schedule. Pat formally announced her retirement on April 19, 2012.

Summitt, along with her son, Tyler Summitt, formed the Pat Summitt Foundation in the fall of 2011, just a few weeks after the Aug. 23, 2011, public announcement that she had Alzheimer’s disease. As she told her Tennessee players about the diagnosis, they reacted with shock, confusion, and tears. Lady Vol senior Vicki Baugh stood up and said: “Pat, we’ve got your back.” And with those words, “We Back Pat” became a movement.

In announcing her diagnosis in August of 2011, Pat was being just Pat, but a number of organizations hailed her courage to come forward. On July 11, 2012 she was honored as the recipient of the Arthur Ashe Courage Award, which was presented to her by former Vol and former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning after a poignant video tribute at the 2012 ESPYs in Los Angeles.

The incomparable Summitt built collegiate basketball's "hoopdom" at Tennessee. A program developed tirelessly, diligently, and successfully by Summitt, her staff and the 161 student-athletes who were fortunate enough to don the orange and white jerseys of the Tennessee Lady Volunteers during her tenure.

Pat Summitt and her son, Tyler Summitt, founded the Pat Summitt Foundation in 2011 with the hope that one day, no family has to hear that a loved one has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. The Pat Summitt Foundation continues Pat’s mission today by working to advance research for treatment and a cure, provide support for patients and caregivers, and promote education and awareness.