American Lung Association Honors University of Tennessee Women's Basketball Coach as Woman of Distinction

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Holly Warlick

NASHVILLE, TN (03/24/2017) (readMedia)-- The American Lung Association will honor University of Tennessee Women's Basketball coach Holly Warlick in the annual Women of Distinction Luncheon on May 2 at the Chattanooga Convention Center.

Warlick, a Knoxville native, has dedicated her life to achieving success on and off the court. In addition to holding seventh-highest victory total ever recorded during the first four years on the job by an NCAA Division I women's basketball coach, she has steadfastly worked to continue the Lady Vols' 100-percent graduation rate for players.

In her life away from the court, Warlick enjoys a passion for motorcycles. To commemorate her induction into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, a number of Warlick's friends got together and presented her with a Harley-Davidson "Sportster" bike. Just six years later, Warlick was already using her love of the bike towards a greater cause, establishing the Champions For A Cause Foundation and Cruisin' For A Cause – a 3,000 mile long motorcycle ride that raises funds and awareness for breast cancer – a disease that took her grandmother when Warlick was 21 years old.

"She was the type of woman, you know how grandmas are, they've been through everything," Warlick said. "I always thought she was invincible; I thought she'd beat it. ... To see her succumb to this was difficult. That's when I saw firsthand what it was all about. It's everywhere. Cancer is everywhere."

As the American Lung Association's 2017 Woman of Distinction, Warlick will be helping to raise funds and awareness for lung diseases such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema and lung cancer, which affect more than 814,000 children and adults in Tennessee alone. Alongside 11 other outstanding Tennesseans who have distinguished themselves within their family, career and community volunteer work, Warlick will be honored for her achievements as an outstanding leader in the community.

Individual and table reservations for the event are available at www.TNwomenofdistinction.org as well as various sponsorship packages. For more information visit www.TNwomenofdistinction.org or contact Development Director Shirley Cudabac at Shirley.Cudabac@lung.org.