By Joanie Cox-Henry
I am devastated that Richard Simmons is gone but the positive impact he had during his time on earth will live forever. The old adage "never meet your heroes" might ring true for some celebrities but not for Richard Simmons. I grew up "Sweatin' To The Oldies." I did the Deal A Meal weight loss program throughout the eighties. I was an awkward, very tall, and extremely overweight naturally redheaded kid. This gave bullies an endless list to work with and trust me, I was reminded of all of those "flaws" on a daily basis. Those who know me today would never describe me as shy, but when I was a tween, I wished to be invisible at times. Richard Simmons always gave me hope. I faithfully followed his workout routines on VHS, and it felt safe because the people in his videos looked like me. They didn't have washboard abs or slender frames. I remember doing his workouts on my aunt's living room TV and in my granny's bedroom.
His workouts were fun, and I enjoyed the music in his workout videos! "Locomotion," "Big Girls Don't Cry," "Jailhouse Rock," and "Dancing in the Street" were just a few of the hits he would play.
About a decade ago, I went to Beverly Hills, Calif., to visit my BFF Melody, and she took me to Richard Simmons' workout studio...Slimmons! I had no idea what to expect except that I would be checking off a childhood dream that day of working out with the one and only Richard Simmons!
He was everything I hoped he would be and more. He donned a sequin evening gown for part of the workout class, and he was a firecracker of inspiration and energy. The class was completely full so there wasn't a ton of room between me and those exercising around me so it was a bit challenging to keep my 5-foot-11 body contained in a fairly small section of workout studio space.
When I took his class I was very overweight, out of breath, and struggling to keep up. I was wearing a size 18 clothes and XXL shirts and it was snug on me. My eating and alcohol consumption were equally out of control. Out of all the people in the room that day, Richard Simmons singled ME out. At first, I was terrified. "You!" he shouted as he pointed at me. I immediately looked behind me, assuming he was calling out the person behind me. "I'm talking to you!" he smiled. And then he came over and grabbed both of my hands in the middle of the class. "There's something special about you," Richard said. "There's a thin girl in side of you waiting to come out. She's in there. Just find the courage to let her out!" He hugged me and took his silver glasses off, and put them on my face. "I want you to take these and remember me. Remember this moment," he said. "You can do this. I believe in you."
In that single moment, it's as if all the other moments I had been rejected had been suddenly canceled out. I was finally able to let go of every awful thing that was ever said to me about my body.
While it literally took TEN more years after that moment to finally lose all the weight, on the days I felt like giving up, I remembered what Richard Simmons said to me that day. And it's something I will hold in my heart forever. I have lost 140 pounds since then, and my Peloton is now my daily thrill ride. Meditating twice a day is also now part of my daily routine along with an insane amount of H2O consumption and a limited carb intake. Losing weight and keeping it off is a lifelong commitment. It takes constant discipline, perpetual self-awareness, and inner reality checks. The cravings for food and beverages I'm not supposed to indulge in never really subside but I manage this by occasionally letting myself have a treat and not eating "bad" two days in a row. I know if I let myself slip back into my bad habits, I can kiss my hard work and healthier body goodbye. And sadly the weight comes back on way faster than the time it takes to lose it. I won't do it to myself. Not this time. Not ever again.
Richard Simmons was more than a pop culture icon to me. He was always a figure of hope. I never saw Richard in person after that day. Shortly after I worked out with him, he disappeared from the public eye completely. But I absolutely know I was meant to meet him. That moment was mine, and I can finally tell him now in my own special way...Richard I did it. And I'm going to keep doing it! When life gets a little too tough, I'm going to put on the glasses he gave me and remember to look beyond this outer shell and continue to do the inner work to be healthy and happy.
For those out there right now who are currently struggling with maintaining a healthy weight, I now want to pass Richard's words onto you. He would absolutely want that. You can do this. I believe in you.
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