The 2026 Harvey G. Foster Award: Lori Miller '97

In recognition of her athletic achievements and advocacy for improving access to athletics for the blind and visually impaired, Lori Miller ’97 is honored with the 2026 Harvey G. Foster Award.

Totally blind since age two because of retinoblastoma, Miller has spent her life challenging expectations through athletics and advocacy. After earning dual bachelor’s degrees in history and American studies from the University of Notre Dame, she earned master’s degrees in orientation and mobility, vision rehabilitation, and education from Western Michigan University and San Francisco State University.

Overcoming multiple subsequent cancer diagnoses, Miller built a remarkable athletic career. She became a Junior Olympic regional champion in roller skating, an alternate for the 1992 United States Paralympic goalball team, and a US Disabled Skiing slalom champion. Transitioning to tandem cycling, she represented the US at the 2000 Paralympic Games in Sydney, Australia. She has also ridden and shown horses in English equitation and competed in entry-level dressage.

At Notre Dame and throughout her career, Miller has used sports and technology as bridges for inclusion. She became deeply involved in promoting disability awareness on campus and found that participating in recreational activities was a powerful way to break down attitudinal barriers and build friendships. Later, she was a member of the design team for AdapTap—an innovative device assisting blind swimmers featured in Notre Dame’s “What Would You Fight For?” campaign—and inspired the creation of BicyclingBlind.org. She has also served on the board of the Michigan Blind Athletic Association and spearheaded regional events promoting accessible voting and STEM education.

Today, Miller lives in her hometown of Warsaw, Indiana, and her son, Khareus, is a junior at Purdue University in West Lafayette. Her diagnosis of bladder cancer has strengthened her fight and commitment to encouraging others to pursue opportunities without allowing disability or adversity to determine the limits of their dreams.

“Receiving the Harvey G. Foster Award fills my heart with gratitude. I am humbled by the recognition of my efforts to make a positive difference and the award motivates me to continue the work of encouraging others to overcome obstacles and pursue their dreams.”