Miami University

B.J. Reed

(Photo provided by Prevention magazine)

B.J. Reed ‘63 made fitness a way of life following a tragic accident, and her story has inspired thousands of Americans.  But what about the average person?  We know we should be exercising more and eating better, so why don’t we?  We asked Jay Kimiecik, associate professor in the department of kinesiology and health (formerly physical education, health and sport studies) and director of Miami’s Employee Health & Well Being program, that question.  Read on

Coming back from personal tragedy is never easy, but 1963 Miami education graduate B.J. (Gerdes) Reed is sharing her story with a national audience in order to inspire others to become fit

Accomplishing whatever she sets her mind to is B.J. Reed’s specialty. She’s been doing it for decades.

The 1963 Miami graduate and retired English teacher was one of five individuals profiled this spring by Prevention magazine and ABC News Now as part of a “Picture of Health” contest, designed to demonstrate that a happy, healthy life is possible no matter what the challenges.

In Reed’s case, a head-on car crash on her way to the store three days before Christmas in 1971 took the life of her 3 ½-year-old-son and left her in a three-day coma, her body broken and battered.  Physicians told her she would never bend her knee again.  Or have another child.

But she and her husband Bob had two more children, and she started running.  First, it was just a mile, then two, then marathons, including the Boston Marathon in 1996 when she was 56.  In 2000, she biked from Portland, Oregon to New York City with her oldest child Robyn, who had also been in the 1971 collision, but had escaped serious injuries. Today, Reed at 66 is into triathlons. She also runs, bikes or swims each day for about 90 minutes and makes sure she has seven to 10 helpings of fruits and vegetables daily, drinks plenty of water and gets eight hours of sleep each night.

Nor does she ignore the  emotional and spiritual aspects of health.  For the past 11 years, she has tried to start each day by reading a passage from Simple Abundance, Daily Word or Intellectual Devotions.

“If you have the right attitude and right preparation I believe you can do anything,” she says.

Reed’s fighting spirit apparently hit a chord with readers of Prevention and ABC viewers.  She was the overwhelming winner of the “Picture of Health” competition with 25,847 votes out of 54,000 cast.   As a result, she was interviewed on Good Morning America and will be featured in the October issue of Prevention magazine, which is due to hit newsstands Sept. 4.

After leaving a 25-year career in the high school classroom, Reed finds herself still educating, only now her stage is national and her topic isn’t grammar or To Kill a Mockingbird, it’s inspiring others to take their first tentative steps toward fitness.

“You don’t know how good you can become, how dedicated you can become until you actually do something,” she says.

Fitness is a process, she says, and she recommends starting out by doing something you enjoy, be it walking, running, biking or yoga.  It’s important to then stick to the activity every other day for at least a month until it becomes a habit, says Reed. She also recommends scheduling exercise on your calendar so you don’t put it off.

As for herself, her next challenge is launching a new career as a life coach so she can share the hard-won wisdom she’s acquired on her life’s journey with others.  You can check out her plans here.