High school basketball coach fights cancer while leading undefeated team
By Alyssa Munoz
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BERNALILLO, New Mexico (KOAT) — Bernalillo High School girls basketball head coach Ashley Duran is chasing a state championship while fighting breast cancer, showing up for her team even on the hardest days.
Duran, now in her third year as head coach, was diagnosed in April with stage 2 breast cancer. At first, doctors believed it wasn’t aggressive. But a second opinion in Arizona revealed it was more serious and needed quicker treatment.
“Death goes through your mind a lot, but I just didn’t let it beat me. Right. Like, alright, what am I going to do to keep going, to keep fighting?” Duran said.
Duran had surgery in September and is now in preventative treatment.
“I didn’t miss a game. I didn’t miss the practice. My role changed a little bit. Like, I sat on the sidelines kind of coaching, barking my orders from the chair instead of being as physical on the court,” she said.
Her players say her determination has pushed them, too. Junior Samaria Brown says seeing their coach keep showing up changed the way they approach every day.
“She’s been the best coach since freshman year for all of us. She pushed us through all of our ups and downs. She helped us through all of our plays and hearing from her having like cancer, it helped us play harder,” Brown said.
That bond has only grown stronger through Duran’s treatment. She says her team became part of what kept her going.
“They’ve gotten me through this more than anything because the mental battles is a struggle. Their positive attitude and their drive to succeed has really carried me,” Duran said. “They make me cards. They make me posters, they come to my house, they bring my son coloring books. They hang out with our family. I don’t know if they plan this, but no matter what, like, every day, I was getting a text from one of the girls on the team.”
And on the court, the Spartans are proving it. They’re 16-0 this season, and a state championship now feels within reach, powered by a team playing for more than just wins.
Duran hopes her story reminds others to trust their instincts when it comes to their health.
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