Cheering Them On
Photo: Sloan Breeden
The University of Texas at Austin’s tagline — What starts here changes the world — are words to live by for Lisa Hannusch, B.S. ’86, who adds her personal twist to the sentiment. “It’s what starts here,” she says, with her hand over her heart.
Lisa Hannusch and her wife, Lisa Richardson, MPA ’15 — collectively known as “The Lisas” — both put their whole heart into UT and always have their philanthropic endeavors for the University top of mind. As a couple for nearly 30 years, they are thoughtful legacy donors for Texas Athletics. In addition to including UT in their estate plan, they support women’s sports at UT with their annual donations and capital projects. With a how-can-we-help attitude, The Lisas are giving female athletes opportunities that start here, setting them up while at UT and after to discover new ways to change the world.
To Learn and Grow
Although Lisa Hannusch and Lisa Richardson came to be part of Longhorn Nation in different ways, they both possess a fierce dedication to UT. Lisa H. is a native Austinite who began her love affair with Longhorn sports as a child, making memories of pep rallies and bonfires and thrilling to the sight of the lit Tower. “My dad went to UT, and it was just instilled in us to be Longhorn fans,” she says. “As a kid, I looked forward to getting autographs from the players. Those athletes were my heroes.”
She made ends meet as an EMT, taking on 24-hour shifts while balancing classes and homework on her days off. “She is one of these super-driven, motivated people,” says Lisa Richardson of her wife. “Nobody was going to tell her she couldn’t do something.”
Lisa H. professes that putting herself through school helped make her what she is today. It was a tough path that gives her insight into the rigorous demands on UT’s hardworking student-athletes, which motivates her giving today. “It was a challenge for me to balance working while going to school,” she says. “These athletes already have a full-time job — to be elite.”
Lisa Richardson didn’t spend her undergraduate years on the Forty Acres, but she was born in Texas and has long been a Longhorn fan. She came to UT for her master’s degree in public affairs as a member of the inaugural class of the executive leadership program at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs.
“Being part of that class was a life-changing experience and made me a much better person and a much better leader,” she says.
Lisa H. oozes with pride, both for her wife’s achievements and for the University. “She was a leader among leaders, and I could just see her gaining confidence,” she says. “After she graduated, I bought her a coffee cup that says ‘You’ve earned your horns.’ Becoming a Longhorn makes everyone a better person,” she says with a knowing grin.
In 1972, Title IX opened many doors for girls and women to participate in sports in high school and beyond, but now, more than 50 years later, opportunities for female athletes still lag far behind those of their male counterparts.
“As women, we have to fight harder, to push harder,” adds Lisa H. “There is a glass ceiling out there. The only way we can break through it is by holding each other up.”
Leveling the Playing Field
“Many people think student-athletes get a full ride, but the NCAA doesn’t allow enough scholarships to cover all of our athletes,” says Lisa R. “And for those who do have a scholarship, not everything is paid for, especially when you consider how the student-athletes train year-round. Our goal is to provide them with the extra support they need.”
One of the ways The Lisas provide that extra support is through gifts of money and time to Texas One Fund, UT’s official NIL collective. Since July 2021, student-athletes have been able to monetize their name, image and likeness, better known as their NIL. As a board advisor and executive of Texas One Fund, Lisa H. helps identify NIL opportunities that engage student-athletes in activities aligned with their personal brand. “NIL is an opportunity for student-athletes to better position themselves — both in the present and for the future — as they earn money, expand their personal brands and learn new skills.” she says.
Working closely with the student-athletes, Lisa H. sees firsthand how they strive to be #1 in their sports — in every game, every tournament, every season. The Lisas believe supporting UT’s student-athletes is a way to repay them for the incredible energy they bring to the city of Austin. Longhorn spirit and pride extend far beyond the campus, creating a sense of community that elevates us all, as evidenced by changes Lisa H. has witnessed on campus and throughout her hometown.
“UT has a medical school now,” she says. “A medical school! Think about all the things UT does that help this whole city. Our medical school isn’t just training doctors. It’s bringing world-renowned medical professionals to Austin for the betterment of the entire community. In the same way, student-athletes give us something to cheer for and get behind. They’re providing camaraderie for us to build a community of fans.”
As Austin and the University flourish, The Lisas will continue to provide resources needed for Texas Athletics to do the same.
Pathway to the Podium
Chasing down an Olympic dream takes more than exceptional talent. It takes time and money — and large quantities of both. A high-performing student-athlete can spend about 20 hours a week training, not including the hours spent in physical therapy and recovery. Add in a minimum of three hours a day for classes and even 90 minutes for homework and studying, and a student-athlete is facing a 42+-hour week just for day-to-day performing, even before travel and competitions.
Donors play an enormous role in fueling a student-athlete’s future. “All athletes are looking to further their dreams,” says Edrick Floréal — better known as “Coach Flo” — who represented Canada in the 1988 and 1992 Summer Olympics and joined Texas Athletics in 2018. “Student-athletes consider the quality of life that a university can afford them. They are looking for top-notch facilities and resources to help them perform at the highest level.”
Beyond scholarships, donor support helps cover many costs, such as travel expenses, providing safe, comfortable accommodations, and resources like counseling, tutors and mentors to fulfill student-athletes’ psychological, emotional and academic needs.
At UT, the investment in student-athletes has paid off royally. In 2024, seven coaches and 30 former and current Longhorns (11 men, 19 women) went to the Olympic Summer Games in Paris, where they earned 16 medals: six gold, seven silver and three bronze.
Among those 19 women Longhorn-Olympians were two of Coach Flo’s trainees: Tara Davis-Woodhall, B.S. ’21, gold medalist in long jump, and Julien Alfred, B.S. ’23, gold medalist in the women’s 100m and silver medalist in the 200m. Julien’s achievements make her the first Texas track and field athlete to win a pair of individual medals since 1992. Tara, Julien and all the other Longhorn Olympians have brought great pride to the Forty Acres, and the benefits of being UT alumni will take them far.
“Gifts like those provided by The Lisas give student-athletes access to UT that might not otherwise be available,” says Christine Plonsky, executive senior associate athletics director/chief of staff, “and a UT degree will change the arc of their lives long after their days of competing are behind them. That is the essence of what donors like The Lisas believe in and are inspired by. They pay their personal success and philanthropy forward to help young people realize their academic and athletics dreams.”
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