Mountain Hawk Heroes: TFXC Alum Shannon Wright

Every Wednesday, Lehigh Athletics, Lehigh Valley Health Network and Coordinated Health is proud to recognize a Mountain Hawk Hero - someone associated with Lehigh Athletics who is making a difference in the medical field. We continue today with track and field/cross country alum Shannon Wright '16.

Previous Mountain Hawk Heroes
October 14: Darren Saks (Men's Soccer Alum)
October 7: Jenny Warner Southard (Track and Field Alum)
September 30: Taylor Wise (Swimming and Diving Alum)
September 23: Matt Christman (Track and Field Alum)
September 16: Steph Fratoni (Field Hockey Alum)
September 9: Mike Price (Swimming and Diving Alum)
September 2: Yasmin Deliz (Track and Field Alum)
August 26: Evan Guerrero (Men's Lacrosse Alum)
August 19: Ross Biggs (Baseball Alum)
August 12: Cynthia Izuno Macri (Soccer Alum)
August 5: Susan Westman (Rowing Student-Athlete)
July 29: Megan Hetzel (Track and Field/Cross Country Alum)
July 22: Lexi Martins (Women's Basketball Alum)
July 15: Nii Daako-Darko (Track and Field/Cross Country Alum)
July 8: Ali Linsk Butash (Softball Alum)
July 1: Kimberly Scotto-Wetzel & Jonathan Wetzel (Track and Field/Cross Country Alums)
June 24: Robert Bonow (Men's Basketball Alum)
June 17: Morgan Decker (Softball Alum)
June 10: Jim Guzzo (Former Quarterback)
June 3: Amina Affini (Women's Basketball Alum)
May 27: Natalie Krane (Women's Soccer Alum)
May 20: Tricia Klein (Women's Golf Assistant Coach)

By: Justin Lafleur, Lehigh Sports Communications

The journey for emergency medicine resident physician Shannon Wright has come full circle.

When Wright was at Lehigh, the cross country and track and field student-athlete collapsed during an August, 2012 practice. That began a challenging journey towards the diagnosis and treatment of what was eventually found to be a benign brain mass. The word benign doesn't do justice to the medical challenges Wright (and her doctors) would face since it was an uncommonly large size, and the location of the mass affected her quality of life and made surgery challenging and risky. (Click here to read 2014 story: Long Road Back to the Start Line.)

"Shannon impressed me immediately in the recruiting process during her official visit," said Lehigh head coach Debbie Utesch. "I could tell Shannon possessed an uncommon level of toughness and I was anxious to have her join our teams. Well, Shannon's toughness was soon tested.
Shannon Wright Grad Photo

"I remember sitting in our track and field team banquet anxiously awaiting a call from Shannon's mom telling us how she came through surgery," Utesch continued. "The team had rallied around her as she prepared for this surgery and everyone was so relieved to get that message that surgery had gone well."

Wright came through the ordeal an even stronger student, athlete and person. Flash forward seven years and she's now on the other side of the medical field. And because of what she went through, she is able to relate to her patients in a way very few can understand.

"I'm in my first year of residency at Temple University Hospital," said Wright. "I'm a physician, but still in training for my specialty to be board certified in emergency medicine. I actually graduated from medical school and moved to Philadelphia in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic. I predominantly work in the emergency department, then also do some other rotations, including in the ICU (intensive care unit)."

Wright graduated – virtually – from medical school at the University of Virginia in May, then jumped right into the emergency room in June… in a city greatly affected by the pandemic.

With it brought plenty of challenges.

"I actually started in the ICU and did my first rotation there," said Wright. "It's always hard in situations when patients are critically ill. Then, when you're in situations where you have to get special permissions to get one visitor in for a critically ill patient… that can be really challenging."

Another challenge for Wright was forming connections in a new city with social distancing protocols.

"Starting in the middle of everything, there's a lot of uncertainty," she said. "When you work in health care, you may feel a lot of uncertainty, but you can't display that to your patients. The goal is to find the best and safest ways to advocate for patients, trying to get the best care plans for patients."

Wright felt drawn specifically to emergency medicine because of her access to care during her own medical emergency.

"I've seen other people not recover just because they didn't have the same support I had in place," said Wright. "What I really like about emergency medicine is that we take care of anyone and everyone who comes through the door."

Wright's medical ordeal played a role in leading her to medicine today.

"Ultimately, I believe running got me to Lehigh and Lehigh got me to medicine," she said. "I was always interested in science and math, and it was what I did well, but medicine never really seemed real to me until it was real to me as a patient. After that, it took a long time to feel like I was recovered enough to be in a good spot to be making long-term decisions.
Shannon Wright

"It definitely made me consider the role that doctors play in people's lives, and in caring for people," Wright continued. "It made me think seriously about working in the medical field. I'm not glad I had those experiences, but it led me down a path that I've really enjoyed and found worthwhile thus far."

It's been rewarding for Wright to help others, and to be in a fast-paced environment.

"I believe emergency medicine is well-suited to an athlete," she said. "You're on your feet and thinking all the time. You always have to be ready for whatever's going to come next and that's a mindset you can be trained into, and are trained into if you've been an athlete your whole life."

Wright's student-athlete experience has helped her in countless ways, both in medical school and the first few months of residency.

"I remember when I had my first weekend off in medical school and didn't have a track or cross country meet," she said. "Some of my classmates were talking about how they had no free time. Medical school was tough, but the attitude of getting stuff done as a student-athlete helps you manage the challenges."

What Wright went through during her time at Lehigh further emphasized the importance of community. From the initial symptoms to the diagnosis, surgery and recovery, Wright's Lehigh teammates were there for her every step of the way.

"Lehigh gave me a strong appreciation for community and supporting each other throughout," she said. "That was also extremely valuable to me throughout medical school. I'm grateful I developed that attitude and developed a lot of friendships… and the skill set to develop more community.
Shannon Wright

"That's probably been most important to my success in medical school, and hopefully my eventual success in residency."

Medicine is a team sport, especially emergency medicine, and Wright has come in with all the tools to thrive, due in large part to her time at Lehigh.

"It's important to know how to form relationships with your coworkers and always be working together and defining goals," she said. "Whether it's a difficult case or just having a really difficult day with a lot of volume coming through the department, communicating effectively with all the members of your team is essential."

Being in the emergency room, Wright's team sees a wide variety of patients.

"We see all different types of pathology, ranging from people who are very medically complex to ankle sprains and everything in between," she said. "It's one of the broadest specialties in terms of the scope of your practice, who you see and what you treat."

One area Wright and her team has treated is COVID-19.

"We at Temple do have separate inpatient services for our patients who are diagnosed with COVID," she said. "I have definitely seen patients who have been diagnosed with COVID. The pandemic has also affected how people seek care. We see people who just don't want to be in the hospital because they're scared of getting it, even with all the precautions we take.

"It's a real fear."

As a medical professional, Wright is very cautious, but not fearful of being around patients with COVID. She isn't fearful due in large part to the precautions taken at the hospital.

"I wear my protective equipment all the time," said Wright. "The next person who comes through the door could have COVID. We have masks on our patients, too.

"I am grateful I have a lot more sense of normalcy than a lot of people because I still am going to work."

That statement by Wright shows the heroic, selfless nature of medical professionals. Instead of focusing on the fears a lot of people (especially those not in the medical field) would have on the front lines, Wright is grateful for what she does have – an ability to work and make a difference in others' lives.

"There aren't a whole lot of things more rewarding than having good outcomes and getting people connected to appropriate resources," she said.

Wright's mind often focuses on an important word… healing.

"What I went through as a patient did teach me a lot about healing, which is something I try to communicate to patients," she said. "It can be a really difficult and long process [in the hospital] and setting those expectations for patients is really important. Being able to communicate and understand what that process looks like is something I learned through my own experience.
Shannon Wright

"We routinely see patients on the worst days of their lives, and ultimately having an awesome outcome might not look awesome for quite a long time," Wright continued.

"It was a long process for Shannon to obtain a diagnosis and treatment plan, but she adapted to face every twist and turn along the way," said Utesch. "Her self-confidence and resolve brought her back to the track and she went on to be a top steeplechaser and 5,000 meter runner for the team.

"It's no wonder that Shannon is excelling in emergency medicine."

No matter what her future brings and where she ends up working long-term, Wright will look at each and every patient the same, with empathy, remembering the emotions she went through in a hospital bed years earlier.

"I've often reminded myself that there are people on the end of every single interaction," she said. "I try to remember what it was like to be on the other side of things, especially working in an emergency department which can be a difficult place to be. In the best of times and best of processes, sometimes, you just want a drink of water and everyone is busy somewhere else because there are critically ill patients.

"But I've also been that patient who just wanted a sip of water."

In year one of her residency, Wright is undecided on the exact direction she'll take afterwards, but admits she's still very early in her medical career.

"I could see myself practicing community emergency medicine and would like to get involved in rural or wilderness medicine," she said. "Three years is long, but I'm sure it will go by faster than I think.

"Right now, I'm just trying to get my bearings, do a good job and take good care of people."

Seven years later, Wright's journey has come full circle.

Lehigh University Athletics

Upcoming Event: Women's Cross Country at Ted Owen Invitational on September 20, 2025 at 11:45 AM

Upcoming Event: Women's Cross Country versus Paul Short Run on October 3, 2025 at 9:30 AM

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Upcoming Event: Women's Cross Country versus Patriot League Championships on October 31, 2025 at TBA

Upcoming Event: Women's Cross Country versus NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional on November 14, 2025 at TBA

Upcoming Event: Women's Cross Country at NCAA Championships on November 22, 2025 at TBA

Completed Event: Women's Cross Country versus Lafayette College on September 13, 2025 , Win , 22, to, 33

Completed Event: Women's Cross Country versus Lehigh Invitational on August 29, 2025 , , 3rd of 7

Completed Event: Women's Cross Country versus NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional on November 15, 2024 , , 14th of 30

Completed Event: Women's Cross Country versus Patriot League Championships on November 2, 2024 , , 5th of 10

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Completed Event: Women's Cross Country versus Paul Short Run on October 5, 2024 , , 25th of 42

Completed Event: Women's Cross Country at Lafayette College on September 21, 2024 , Win , 15, to, 47

Mountain Hawk Heroes: TFXC Alum Shannon Wright

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Shannon Wright

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