Being a team player is in Jimmy Scott’s DNA.
“In junior high I did all three sports of football, basketball, and track. In college, I ran at Prairie View A & M outside of Houston and then transferred to run track at LeMoyne-Owen College where I graduated,” said Scott.
So, when his employer hosted a health fair about 10 years ago, the Nike manager stepped up to have his biometrics measured.
“I was doing it to be a team player. It’s a health fair, you’re in management; let your team see you participate,” said Scott.
His health screening revealed that a chronic condition on both sides of his family had caught up to him: high blood pressure. After college, years of slowly falling out of the habit of exercising and into a routine of raising a family led Scott to gain weight.
“The pounds started piling on in life,” said Scott.
Scott says that extra weight contributed to his high blood pressure diagnosis. He had to go on medication and he went straight to work exercising and watching his diet to lose those extra pounds. He made such an improvement in his health that he was able to stop taking his medicine for a time. But as time went on…
“The weight went back up,” said Scott.
He is currently back on blood pressure meds.
Scott is also the President of the Cordova YMCA Board of Members and a board member of the YMCA of Memphis and the Mid-South. At a recent fundraiser for the Y, he heard Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare chief of staff Cato Johnson explaining the Healthier 901 challenge. Led by Methodist Le Bonheur, Healthier 901 challenges Mid-Southerners to lose a million pounds in three years. A recent Community Health Needs Assessment conducted by Methodist Le Bonheur concluded that heart disease and cancer are the leading causes of death in our communities. A study by WalletHub shows Memphis is the second-heaviest city in the country. Obesity can be a contributing factor to both heart disease and cancer. Cato shared that by working together to lose a million pounds, we can create a healthier community for generations to come – a message that resonated with Jimmy.
“My first thought was: [The Healthier 901 challenge] is needed. To hear a large health system wants to help the city out, and really all of Shelby County; why not be part of it?” said Scott.
Scott’s inherent team spirit went into action. He joined the Healthier 901 challenge to help his community and see personal results. At the beginning of 2023, Scott set a New Year’s resolution to lose 20 pounds by the end of the year. Over the course of seven months through July, Scott lost three pounds. But after joining the Healthier 901 challenge and feeling inspired – he lost six pounds within the first month of joining.
“When I work out, I just feel better – mentally and physically,” said Scott. “Within this month of being a part of Healthier 901, I feel better and if I feel better, I want everyone else to feel better.”
To learn more about joining the Healthier 901 challenge, visit our home page.
