Robin Roberts Tearfully Reveals How Pat Summitt Helped Her Through Cancer — ‘We Were Able to Help Each Other’ in Their Toughest Battles

Robin Roberts is paying an emotional tribute to one of the most influential people in her life, revealing how legendary basketball coach Pat Summitt became a source of strength during one of her darkest moments—and how their friendship only deepened as they faced life-changing health battles together.

Speaking exclusively about the newly released documentary Breaking Glass: The Pat Summitt Story, Roberts reflected on the extraordinary bond she shared with the late University of Tennessee coaching icon, describing Summitt as much more than a basketball legend.

“She was a very dear friend,” the Good Morning America co-anchor said ahead of the documentary’s March 25 debut. Roberts serves as an executive producer on the project alongside award-winning filmmaker Dawn Porter.

The documentary offers an intimate portrait of Summitt’s remarkable life, chronicling her journey from growing up on a Tennessee dairy farm to becoming one of the greatest coaches in NCAA history. During her 38 seasons leading the Tennessee Lady Volunteers, Summitt captured eight national championships and retired as the winningest coach in NCAA basketball history.

For Roberts, however, Summitt’s greatest legacy extended well beyond the basketball court.

The two first met nearly four decades ago when Roberts was beginning her broadcasting career in Nashville. At the time, the Lady Vols had just claimed their first NCAA national championship under Summitt’s leadership in 1987.

Roberts recalled driving to Knoxville for an interview, expecting to focus entirely on the celebrated coach. Instead, Summitt immediately began encouraging the young reporter.

“I drove to Knoxville to interview her, and she was pouring into me because it was rare to see a woman doing sports on television,” Roberts remembered. “She wanted to be my champion, but I was like, ‘I’m here to talk to you, Coach Pat.’ And so a friendship started there.”

Looking back, Roberts says that generosity perfectly captured who Summitt was.

“She was always about uplifting others.”

Years later, that support became deeply personal when Roberts was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007.

Although Summitt was still at the height of her coaching career, Roberts said she never stopped checking in.

“When I went through breast cancer in 2007, she was still at the height of her career and everything, and she would take the time to reach out to me on a regular basis,” Roberts recalled.

One message from Summitt became a daily source of motivation.

“She would say, ‘Left foot, right foot, breathe — left foot, right foot, breathe.'”

Roberts says those simple words carried her through some of her most difficult days.

“The motivational mantra helped me get out of bed,” she explained. “Her quotes and things like that were extremely helpful.”

As the years passed, their roles reversed.

When Summitt was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, Roberts became one of the people encouraging her to keep fighting, offering back the same strength her friend had once given her.

“I kept telling her to focus on the fight and not the fright,” Roberts said. “That’s something she had told me.”

Watching someone so strong battle Alzheimer’s was heartbreaking, Roberts admitted.

“Of all the diseases for her to face, we have so many who loved her, have so many memories that she gave us—to know that she was being robbed of hers really was very painful. It was very painful to watch.”

Even so, Roberts said Summitt refused to seek sympathy.

“But like she said, she didn’t want a pity party.”

Their shared experiences ultimately brought them even closer.

“We were able to help each other,” Roberts said emotionally.

The documentary features never-before-seen archival footage alongside interviews with family members, former players and colleagues, highlighting Summitt’s lasting impact both on and off the court.

Roberts believes that influence reached far beyond athletics.

“She gave me confidence,” Roberts explained.

At just 26 years old, she had moved away from home for the first time and was beginning her career in sports broadcasting—a field with very few women at the time.

“I was having a little bit of imposter syndrome. ‘Am I good enough?'”

Without many female role models in sports television, Roberts often felt isolated.

“There was no other woman to look to who was in sports broadcasting at the time. I was blazing a trail, and it gets lonely.”

She says Summitt stepped in exactly when she needed someone to believe in her.

“She just poured into me. She made me believe that I was worthy, that I was good enough.”

Reflecting on their friendship, Roberts believes Summitt entered her life at exactly the right moment—both personally and professionally.

“It can be very frightening and scary,” she said. “To have someone of her stature believe in me… even though I didn’t put on the orange uniform at the University of Tennessee.”

For Roberts, there has never been any doubt about the role Summitt played in her life.

“She was my coach.”

Source: PEOPLE