Friends’ Central star Avery Lewis’ Olympic dreams started in the sandpit. Now, she’s signed to USC.

Avery Lewis enjoys making TikTok dances, watching YouTube, and baking — her favorite recipe is macaroons.

Talking with the Friends’ Central senior, you’d never know that she’s ranked No. 5 in the nation among track and field recruits, excelling in the long jump and the 100- and 200-meter dashes.

“She’s always been completely humble,” said her father, Terrence Lewis. “You would never know what she’s capable of doing when you’re talking to her because she won’t bring anything up. She’s just a kid”

From an early age, Lewis displayed talent in sprinting and jumping. She has competed alongside the nation’s best in the AAU Junior Olympic Games while holding multiple state records.

She also won PAISAA titles in the 100, 200, and long jump last year.

The journey came with sacrifice and challenges and has led the 5-foot-9 Lewis to realize her dream of competing at the next level. She will run and jump next year at the University of Southern California and hopes to go professional one day.

Until then, Lewis is relishing her senior year.

On Thursday, she competed in her final Penn Relays as a high school athlete. Lewis won the long jump championship, leaping 19 feet, 8¾ inches. She also ran in the high school girls’ 4x100-meter relay as Friends’ Central finished in 51.06 seconds, placing eighth in the ninth heat.

“I’ve always been a really competitive person,” said Lewis, who moved from West Philadelphia to Parkesburg, Chester County, in second grade. “When I started traveling, I was really committed and focused. I’d say my commitment was out of the gate, from the start.”

At 6 years old, Lewis began competing in track and field with her church, Enon Tabernacle Baptist in Cheltenham. The church was starting a program, and Lewis’ mother, LaeDoan, decided to volunteer as a coach.

LaeDoan, a graduate of Notre Dame Academy, sprinted in high school, including the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes. The first day of practice at the church, she brought along her two children, Avery and TJ, who plays basketball at Neumann University.

“My son took an interest and a liking to it right away,” said LaeDoan, a lower-school teacher at Friends’ Central. “Avery, not so much. She kind of stayed by my side, stuck to my hip. She wouldn’t really do anything. She’s very shy.

“But one of the coaches took her to the side and took her over to the sandpit. That’s pretty much how she discovered the long jump. Next thing you know, she’s running.”

Lewis was fond of playing in the sandpit, which gravitated her toward the long jump. As for sprinting, her strides and swiftness came natural.

During her first formal meet, 6-year-old Lewis competed with the 8-year-olds in the 100, 200, and long jump. She finished in 16.30 seconds in the 100, her father said, while clocking in at 32 seconds in the 200 and nailing an 11-foot jump.

“A lot of folks would say to us that she has a lot of potential and she’s going to be a star,” LaeDoan said. “I was just relieved that she was out there running and enjoying it. Turns out she was really good at it.”

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Terrence added: “It was a God-given ability, it was something that you couldn’t teach. What stood out to me was her coordination and capacity to learn really fast. She picked things up so fast.”

Her parents weren’t aware of the track and field opportunities available for youth athletes. Avery’s times and jumps put her among the best in the country, and, through the guidance of other coaches, the Lewis family learned about the AAU Junior Olympic Games, one of the largest national amateur sporting events in the United States.

Lewis joined Infinity track club after one season of competing with her church. She started to travel to meets across the nation and has qualified for the Junior Olympic championship numerous times.

She set the fastest time (13.67) for the 100 in the 9-year-old age group in 2014. Then in 2018, she placed first in that event with a time of 12.29 seconds in the 14-year-old age group.

From 8-13 years old, Lewis won six consecutive titles in the long jump. In 2018, she jumped a winning 18 feet, 57 inches in the 13 age bracket.

“Winning makes me want to keep working,” Lewis said. “It helps me focus on my craft and perfecting techniques, just everything I need to do to get better.”

College coaches began reaching out to Lewis’ parents by ninth grade. But then the COVID-19 pandemic halted her from competing for about 10 months.

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With few facilities open in the area, Lewis trained in North Carolina with Run U Express, which is led by Olympic medalist Bershawn Jackson.

The club elevated Lewis’ abilities to another level.

“It was important to get that type of exposure,” Terrence said. “Up here, it was always Avery. She really got tested when she got national competition. She was never really pushed locally.”

LaeDoan added: “She embraced the workouts. It was a lot harder than what she had done previously, and being with individuals that are like minded with the same goals.”

Last summer, Lewis had the chance to represent her country in the Pan-American Under-20 Championship.

It’s LaeDoan’s favorite memory of watching her daughter compete. She recalled the awful weather: Thunderstorms led to a delay right when Avery stepped onto the runway to compete in the long jump.

However, it didn’t bother her. She looked unfazed, leaping 20-5 to win the competition.

“She then turned around and ran the relay,” LaeDoan said. “It was great to watch her among those college girls. It just gave me an eye-opener that she’s ready. She can compete at another level.”

Lewis announced her pledge to USC in December, becoming part of a recruiting class that is considered one of the best in Division I track and field.

She narrowed her list of schools to a final five that included Arkansas, Miami, Georgia, and Texas.

“I was looking for high-level academics and high-level athletics,” said Lewis, who plans to major in business. “USC checked all boxes. I’m looking forward to a new environment and being challenged by the athletes and coaches.”

Lewis has built quite the legacy. Last spring, she posted best times of 11.41 seconds in the 100 and 23.32 seconds in the 200. She also was named the Gatorade Pennsylvania girls’ track and field athlete of the year.

In February, she jumped a personal-best 21-6 in an indoor meet, which broke her own state record in the long jump.

“I believe that she’s in a situation right now where she can take this as far as she wants to,” Terrence said. “I do believe that she’ll be an Olympian one day. She can be the best in the world.”

While this has been Lewis’ journey, her parents have played a part in laying the foundation. For the last three years, Lewis has been coached by them.

She knows how much they have sacrificed to help her become successful. It motivates her to reach her goal of going professional and becoming an Olympian, especially on the days when training doesn’t feel like fun.

“My parents work full-time and are my coaches,” Lewis said. “They put a lot into it, so much time and effort — I just want to run until I can’t anymore.”