Member Spotlight: Kathy Herbig

For the first time ever we have had someone finish the 100 Workout Challenge in October! And for the second year in a row Kathy Herbig has been the first member to finish the challenge.  So it seemed like a good time to feature Kathy as our Member Spotlight.  Kathy shared with us a little about her life before joining Forward Fitness. 

“I am from Wood River, Illinois but have been in St. Louis since starting college at SLU in 1977. In 1981, I graduated with a Fine Arts degree, started working for a law firm in East St. Louis, joined the St. Francis Xavier (College) Church choir (where the St. Louis Jesuits started), and met my future husband, Pete, in said choir. Pete and I were married in 1983 at College Church on New Year’s Eve morning. (One of the partners at my law firm showed up at midnight – we weren’t there!) 

Our lives pretty much revolved around College Church (we were even named Church Nerd Couple of the Year once) until our boys started arriving and I became a stay at home mom – which is really all I ever wanted to be. We had three boys, who are all now grown up and living nearby. In 2016, my husband died of complications from heart valve surgery – the hardest time I have ever gone through – am still going through. In 2017, my only sibling, my brother, took his life, and I was diagnosed with Stage 3 Colon Cancer. I am a Cancer Survivor and am a self-appointed “Poster Child” for Colonoscopies! Get One!!!! 

Music/singing are part of my being. If you’ve been to a workout I’m at you might hear me singing (sorry, I can’t stop myself!) or commenting about the “bad” language in some of the songs. I also garden, play sudoku like a fiend, love doing puzzles especially with Alicia, and try to keep our 121 year old house in working order.  One fun fact that Kathy shared about herself is that she once ate 10 ears of corn in one sitting.  

We asked Kathy why her health was important to her and she shared, “My health wasn’t a priority before Pete died. The boys and he came first – I really put myself on the back burner. After he died I wasn’t eating or sleeping. It took about a year and then I said to myself “Hey, there are some things going on now and you have to do something.”

I now am trying to take care of myself. I don’t “feel good” when I don’t work out and that’s one of the reasons I go to the gym every day they’re open, Sundays being my day of rest.”

I enjoyed Kathy’s response to the question of why she joined Forward Fitness. “Doesn’t everybody know why I joined Forward Fitness?! I was Marty Delaney’s VIP INVITE Square last year so he could get his Bingo Card fully covered. I’m Marty and Alicia’s aunt – my brother was Marty’s dad. I did the 14 day VIP Experience in April of 2023 and joined up right after.”

Kathy shared this when we asked how she makes health and fitness a priority in her life. “I’m still pretty new to this fitness thing. A little over a year and a half of really trying to keep it a part of my life. Trying to be fit for the people I love, especially my grandson, Ben (who calls me Taffy) is a big motivator.”

When we asked Kathy what accomplishments she is most proud she replies, “It’s funny, any time I do anything for the first time I get pretty excited. Jumping jacks – woot. Jump rope – woot. Sled pull 135lbs – woot (that was last year – still working my way back up there – dang hip!). Rope climb – woot. While I wasn’t trying to be the first in the gym to reach 100 workouts in the 100 Workout Challenge– I did! Twice! Going every day that the gym is open it just happened. I am proud of myself. And I haven’t stopped going because I’ve reached it – I’m still going. So far this year I have missed only 9 days at the gym – when I was in Ireland – I’m pretty proud of that, too!”

Kathy would tell someone thinking about adding a fitness routine to their lives to , “Do it!! It doesn’t matter what age you are when you start – you can do it!!”

Thank you Kathy for your dedication to your workouts and for sharing your story with us!