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Features for Senior Citizens
Senior Citizen Needs Your Vote in ABC News Contest
for Healthiest Woman
BJ Reed, 66, oldest of five finalists has most
online votes so far
 May 20, 2007 When ABC News and Prevention
Magazine set out to use a national contest to find the "healthiest woman
in America," they probably never dreamed that the winner could be a
senior citizen. But, former English teacher, senior citizen and petite
firecracker BJ Reed is one of the five finalists and you can vote for
her online.
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UPDATE
Congratulations SeniorJournal.com
Readers
June
13, 2007 - Our contestant has won "The Picture of Health"
award from ABC News and Prevention Magazine. Your online
votes for BJ Reed, 66, the only senior citizen contestant
pushed her to the top. The former English teacher from
Medford, Oregon won going away over four younger finalists.
Congratulations to you, too, BJ!
Click here to see BJ on Good Morning
America when she was announced as the winner!
Watch BJ win on Good Morning America (Wait through the
commercial)
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After the five contest finalists were profiled on
ABC's Good Morning America, over 16,000 online voters are saying
66-year-old grandma BJ Reed could be the woman who is today's
unique "Picture of Health."
Is the definition of "healthy woman" finally
changing in this country? Is our younger equals better culture on the
verge of change?
BJ is decidedly the oldest finalist in the contest
and leads the online voting by over 5,000 votes (as of Friday).
Voting closes on May 25, 2007. To vote for BJ now,
click here, or see links below this story.
BJ has worked for 25 years as a teacher in southern
Oregon. Believing that good health is not just a physical attribute, but
a mental, spiritual and emotional aptitude BJ is not only a survivor
of devastating loss, but she is a role model.
In her younger days, she survived a debilitating
car crash that claimed the life of her young son, but found the courage
to fight the diagnosis that she would be unable to give birth to more
children and had two more boys (joining the daughter she had
previously).
After a year of being bed-ridden, she embraced life
and relied upon support of family and friends, regular exercise and
healthy eating. She also woke up each day to document her appreciation
for being alive in a gratitude journal.
She went on to become a tri-athlete and even a
community organizer who bicycled across the country as part of a program
designed to improve the self-esteem of girls in this country.
BJ is known for being one of those rare teachers
who students don't forget one of those who makes a difference. On the
contest website, comments from former students show the impact she has
had on young people over the years:
"She
really allowed the opportunity to open up and
explore an assignment -whether it was to write a song or a poem about a
book we read or pursue something for our senior project that we always
wanted to try - for me, it was rock climbing. I remember listening to
her stories about skydiving back in the day when you had to pack your
own army parachute
. She cared about her students and the way she took
care of herself helped us to know that she meant it."
"She
has always stood out as one of my favorite and
most inspiring teachers. She never gives up on her students and you
could always tell she genuinely cared about everyone. I'm so glad she is
getting recognition for being the wonderful woman that she is!"
"She was the highlight of my time at South Medford
High School. She
was always there to find out how your day was."
Even though she is admired for being an
accomplished teacher, athlete and super-grandma, BJ remains extremely
proud of being a dedicated wife who remains madly in love with her
husband of 44 years, Bob Reed.
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Click to vote for Reed and read more of her story.
>>
Click to home page on the healthy women at ABC.
>> Home Page -
http://www.abcnewsnow.com
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