By: Gary Dove
WN Sports Writer
BRADSHAW River View senior Demi Lester is the third Lady Raider girls’ basketball player to sign to play college round ball next season. Lester, a three year starter at point guard for the View, will play collegiately for the Bluefield State College Lady Big Blues.

A four year letter winner for the Lady Raiders, Lester will pursue a nursing degree at BSC.
After signing with the Lady Blues, Lester spoke of the process of transitioning from high school to college on the hardwood, “I really didn’t think about playing in college until my senior year. On Senior Night it hit me that this could be the end of me playing basketball…I’m glad it has worked out so I can go to college and play basketball too.”
“I would have gone to college even if I wasn’t going to play, but this makes it better because I’m going to do something I really love to do,” Demi continued.
A young lady with her priorities in place, she plans to get her degree, work as an RN and plans to become a Nurse Practicioner after gaining experience as an RN.
Fitting right in with her academic plans, Lester named Biology, Chemistry, Anatomy and Health as some of her favorite subjects at River View.
Demi is a member of the National Honor Society and the National English Honor Society at River View and has participated in the HSTA program while a student at River View.
She has also been a four year participant in the Scholars Banquet.
When asked about her most memorable moment as a basketball player, Lester quickly replied, “Going to the state tournament (when I was) in the ninth grade.”
That trip marked the Lady Raiders initial appearance in the girls’ state tourney.
She quickly followed up that thought with a recap of the Lady Raider teams over the past four campaigns, “We had some great teams. We (players and coaches) were all just like family.”
Demi cited just being with her friends and having fun as memories she cherishes from being a student.
Gehrig Justice, her girls’ basketball coach offered some insight into Lester, “She loves to play. Everybody thinks of her as a basketball player.”
Demi’s Mother, Chrissy Dawn Lester, passed away two years ago when Demi was a sophomore. She has worked through that heartbreak to forge success in the classroom and on the basketball court.
She lives with her maternal grandparents Charles (Peanut) and Patsy Lester in Iaeger. Her Dad, Denny Lester, lives out-of-state.
Continued Coach Justice, “I told (BSC girls’ head coach) Ryan Bailey Demi’s story and he said Demi is the type girl he wants, one who works hard and is willing to work through difficulties.”
Lester wanted to give a “shout-out” to three people she said were instrumental in her playing basketball.
She related Northfork Postmaster Charles Walker, a Iaeger native who built a park in Iaeger to honor his late Mother on the site of their former home, was the one who first got her interested in basketball and encouraged her.
Next she spoke of Ella Kelly, her middle school coach at Sandy River Middle School and lastly she cited Coach Justice.
Lester finished her Lady Raider career with 223 assists (third all-time at RV), 157 steals (9th all-time), 654 points (8th) and 253 rebounds (14th).
Lester was named the 2019 Homecoming Queen at River View High School.
Demi attends the Iaeger Church of God and ended by relating, “I just want to thank God for without Him I wouldn’t be the person I am today.”