About Me

My name is Gary Simms and this is the short version of my story.  It begins in New Orleans in the mid-1950’s.  I was born the third and last child of my parents.   Described by my dad as showing early signs of being a natural athlete, I was actually the smallest of the Simms babies at birth.  I ultimately grew to become the largest and strongest of the Simms clan.  

In the early days, fueled by a big appetite, I had become a little porker by the time I was nine years old.  It was during that time that the nickname, “G-Fat” was given to me.  Though my days of heftiness were actually short lived, that nickname, or some form of it followed me into adulthood. 

By the time I celebrated my 12th birthday, I lost the childhood heft by running 2.5 miles a day.  It was during this time that I also discovered the wonders of weightlifting and almost magical benefits of jumping rope.

Well the results were awesome.  By my 14th birthday, I had earned quite a reputation for being one helluva athlete and stood 5’ 8”  tall while registering 156 pounds of athletic form.

Fast forward to the summer of my 15th year of life and you’ll find me as a member of the New Orleans Lakeshore District’s All-Star Baseball team that represented the southern region of the United States at that year’s Babe Ruth World Series.  I was the starting right-fielder and was one of the most feared base runners in the United States in tournament competition.  I was described by one reporter as ‘a man among boys’.

Well…who am I to argue.  By this time, I was 5’10” and weighed in at 180 muscular pounds.  Yep, no fat here; however, to my friends I was still ‘G-Fat’, and to my dad I was the little ‘Fat Man’.

When I graduated from high school, I stood 5’11” and weighed 205 pounds of muscle that I deftly moved around with relative quickness and speed.  Because speed was usually the domain of the little guys, most competitors would assume that my game was power based when in fact, I always relied on speed, quickness, and brains to out wit and out do my competitors.

 The College Years

Welcome to Grambling State University.  I chose to go to Grambling because I dreamed of playing there for years after having been seduced by the vaunted reputation of Grambling athletics.  As a little league grade schooler, my father would take me to semi-pro and Black college baseball games that were played within minutes of our home.  Growing up in an area that was rich with top shelf athletes didn’t hurt either.
 
Grambling's baseball team would make an annual pilgrimage to New Orleans to play many of the local college teams.  Wow...you would've thought that I was going to the World Series.  Fact was though, I had no idea of how fortunate I was for this exposure.  As a result, I really knew what top shelf athleticism looked like.  Grambling's talented teams would come through New Orleans and stomp on every team in their wake and take no prisoners.  Seduction complete...I knew exactly where I wanted to play my college ball.  I had to have that.
  
After passing on athletic scholarship offers from the University of Colorado, and the University of Mississippi and a scholastic scholarship offer from the University of New Orleans, I went to Grambling, walked on, made the team, and became a G-Man and one of only a few freshmen to suit up.

Well, four years later I had become a four-year letterman, a Kodak Academic All-American, Senior Man of the Year, and most importantly—a Summa Cum Laude graduate with a double degree (Journalism and Broadcasting). 

My reward for all of this, considering I suffered an injury following graduation that ended my dream of playing professionally, was becoming a very youthful, but well prepared replacement for Grambling’s legendary sports information/promotional guru Collie J. Nicholson.  At 21, I began my professional career as Grambling State University’s Sports Information Director.

...And then

From there, my life has continued with an assortment of firsts and ground breaking events that have enabled me to see and speak about the various experiences that form a fascinating tapestry that represents my story.

There has never been a dull moment.  From the arenas where some of the finest and most memorable athletic events have

The dream fulfilled. This is a picture of 21-year old, Gary     Simms. It hangs on the wall of fame at "Forum Private Fitness" in Los Angeles, Ca.

been witnessed to selling and conducting business as a representative for some of America’s best known companies, to starting and running several successful business pursuits, to having my voice heard by millions as a voice over artist and producer, to making history as possibly the only African American (certainly at the time) to represent a Fortune 100 company as their Environmental Communications Specialist, I fondly consider myself fortunate to have experienced life with all of my senses fully engaged.

Over the years, the stature that I was so proud of softened as my focus was sharpened in other areas.  As it is for many people, priorities and life’s challenges cause you to see with a different set of eyes.

As each year progresses (and having past the magical half century mark), in addition to having survived a major health challenge, the priority focus has shifted again.  Physicality is once again in vogue; however, this time my physicality desire has nothing to do with my ego and pursuit of athletic prowess.  This time, it has everything to do with health and the pursuit of wellness…the sustaining of life quality that serves to aide me as I get older.

Having observed and lived the phenomena, I can say for sure to those who haven’t seen the veil of their mortality before them, that it pays to maintain your physicality, but understand that to do so is to support your eventual enjoyment of everything that you have toiled for so diligently.   The enjoyment of your "stuff" and the acquisition thereof is one thing, but balance is truly the golden nugget. 

I’ve read the report that says that as a baby boomer, our parents are actually more healthy than we are.  Wow, that’s something to really consider.  So, where do you stand?  How is your health…really?  Is that answer in accordance with your skewed estimation or has that been quantified by the medical community? 

This website and associated blog, as well as my initial blog (http://fyi-healthandwellness.blogspot.com) is dedicated to causing you to consider those questions while providing an outlet to dispense information that you can actually use to be the best that you can be.  I know that I can assist you in your effort to ‘grow old gracefully.’ 

Additionally, you might even pick up a few things here and there that will help you along the way to acquiring a few chips or should I say, the all important stuff.  Anyway, I hope that we’ll become acquainted through this medium in a way that will become a beacon of light leading you to better decisions about your health and wellness. 

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