Sam Lewis
Assistant Camp Director / Lead Tent Coach
Steens nickname: Samba
First year at Steens: 2009
Role at camp: Assistant Camp Director – Lead Tent Coach
Current Location: Boulder, CO
Occupation: Professional trail and mountain runner, PhD from the Center for ETHICS* at University of Idaho: philosophy of sports/sport ethics
High School: Boulder High School, CO
College: Oregon State University (B.S.), University of Idaho (M.S., PhD)
Degrees: B.S. Exercise and Sport Science, Minor: Spanish; M.S. Movement and Leisure Sciences; PhD Philosophy of Sport/Sport Ethics
USATF Level One Certified Coach
Athletic/Academic Honors:
Sam is a professional trail and mountain runner competing on the world stage. Sam has represented Team USA three times: 2022 World and Trail Running Championships, 2019 World Mountain Running Championships, and 2019 NACAC Mountain Running Championships. Sam has multiple Top 10 finishes at USATF Championship races, including a 2nd place finish at the 2021 USATF Trail Marathon Championships and she won the 2019 USATF Trail Half Marathon Championships. Sam was named the 2019 USATF Sub-Ultra Runner of the Year. Sam finished 17th at the 2024 UTMB World Series Finals: OCC.
Career/Professional/Coaching Highlights:
Sam received her PhD from The Center for ETHICS* at University of Idaho in the philosophy of sports and sport ethics. Sam is the host and producer of the podcast, “The Coach’s Dilemma: What Will You do to Win?” which is designed to support coaches and the athletic community in balancing the objective and subjective aspects of sports so that athletes regain and maintain why they love to play. Sam has presented her research on the lived experience at national and international conferences across the United States.
Sam spent seven years as the Assistant Distance Coach with University of Idaho’s Track & Field/Cross Country working with the Head Distance Coach, Travis Floeck. During Sam’s time at UI, she worked with NCAA All-American Lorenz Hermann in the 800m, multiple Big Sky Conference Champions, and school record holders (Lorenz Hermann: 800m & Mile, and Kelsey Swenson: 5,000m, and the Men’s Distance Medley Relay). UI’s women’s cross country team also finished second at the Big Sky Conference Cross Country Championships in 2019 and 2022.
Why Sam continues to return to Steens Mountain Running Camp each summer:
One of the greatest honors of my life is being a part of the Steens Mountain Running Camp. For all of us staff members, camp changed our lives. And I continue to return to camp each summer to help share the “Magic on the Mountain” to the 400 high school runners that venture up to the mountain because I want to give others what I found there, the opportunity to truly become the human, coach, and runner that I am meant to be.
Three fun facts:
- Halloween is my favorite holiday!
- I always drink hot coffee regardless of the outside temperature.
- I am a 3x National Snowshoeing Champion (ha yes we run with snowshoes on our feet through the snow)