Carrie Heilman, the University of Virginia Faculty Athletics Representative and mother to Olympian Thomas Heilman, has died after a battle with cancer.
Heilman’s death was posted on social media by Virginia’s athletics department, the McIntire School of Commerce, and the University of Virginia official accounts, showing her reach within the school. She was a Professor in the McIntire School of Commerce and also served as the liaison between the academic administration and the athletics department, ensuring academic integrity and student-athlete welfare.
Her sons Thomas Heilman and Matthew Heilman both swim collegiately for the University of Virginia. Matthew Heilman is a senior while Thomas is a freshman who is qualified to swim at the NCAA Championships in just under a month.
Thomas Heilman has a World Championship gold medal from 2023 and an Olympic silver medal from 2024, both in the men’s 400 medley relay.
Their older brother Jason didn’t swim in college, but was a Virginia state champion for Western Albermarle High School, and sister Katherine also swam as an age grouper before shifting her focus to softball.
Carrie Heilman held a number of roles in the university. Besides her teaching and athletics department liaison roles, she was the faculty adviser to the students who compete annually in the National Student Advertising Competition. Those teams won national titles in 2016, 2020, and 2021.
In 2018, she was recognized by Poets&Quants as one of the top 50 undergraduate professors in the country, and in 2020 she was awarded the UVA All-University Teaching Award.
Her research has been published in journals such as Journal of Marketing Research; Journal of Marketing; Journal of Retailing; and International Journal of Research in Marketing. She has reviewed papers for Journal of Marketing Research; Marketing Science; Journal of Marketing; Journal of Retailing; and Journal of Business Research.
After the news was posted on social media, tributes to Carrie Heilman pored out – both from swimming people and others. One person, Amanda Hazlett Easton, said that the Heilman family are “wonderful humans, each one of them.”
Jill Rockwell, Virginia’s Senior Assistant Dean of Career Advancement and Alumni Engagement, wrote “We should all aspire to live our lives like Carrie—whose talents and intelligence were only eclipsed by her humility and kindness. The remarkable children she raised with her husband are a testament to her goodness. All of us who knew her are better for it.”
Owen Rankin, a Virginia alum who lives in Charlottesville, wrote this of Carrie Heilman: “Carrie was a force and a compassionate and intelligent driver of the great marketing program at McIntire. She was a great friend, an amazing person and teacher. I will always remember her energy, her passion for the students and their work and her drive to create good humans who could do great work coming out of her class. She will be missed but more than that she will be remembered and her name will live on in all of her students and in every future Promo class.”
Services have not yet been announced.
I had the opportunity to meet Thomas and Matthew and have lunch with them at the end of January during my son’s recruiting visits. I was truly surprised by the humble and mature demeanor of these two brothers and young athletes, who have achieved great (even worldwide) success at such a young age. It’s clear that this kind of behavior comes from a happy family that values a good education. I haven’t met Carrie, but I have no doubt she’s was a wonderful mother for raising two such wonderful children. I would like to extend my deepest condolences to the entire Heilman family. May she rest in peace
Carrie and I became “swim mom” friends when my son Ahmad joined Matthew and Thomas’ club team in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2019. Over nearly a decade, we shared the unique bond that comes with early morning practices, long meets, and the shared nerves of watching our boys compete.
Even as Matthew and Ahmad graduated from high school and swam in the same conference together in 2022, they moved on to different colleges. Carrie and I remained “swim moms forever,” staying connected through texts and supportive voice messages during every fall semester, championship season, and the Olympic trials for Thomas.
My last memory of her is one I will always cherish. We exchanged texts during Matthew’s Senior Day at… Read more »
I was in her very first marketing class at UVA. This is so sad for her family and the entire community; she will be greatly missed.
Carrie was wonderful. We will all miss her. Braden, thank you for your well-written and sincere tribute.
The entire swim community is heartbroken for the family. May she rest in peace
Devastating news to be sure, but what a life she packed into her limited years — a life of service, kindness, and success professionally and clearly as a parent. My best to her family, friends and UVA colleagues.
It was always a pleasure running into Brad and Carrie in the stands over the years. She was always so incredibly kind and down to earth. I’ll never forget her.
My deepest, most sincere condolences to the Hellmans during this unimaginably devastating time.
How heartbreaking. We met Carrie and her husband on a recruiting trip for Thomas. She was so poised, yet warm, genuine, unassuming- you would never know how accomplished she or her sons were. Prayers to the whole Heilman family.