Ruth Bader Ginsburg's Trainer Says She's Still 'Tough As Nails.'
'Apart from her actual doctors, few people know the state of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s fitness better than Bryant Johnson, a veteran of the Army Special Forces Airborne Unit who has been her personal trainer for the past 20 years. (I first met him when writing a biography of the justice, Notorious RBG.) When news broke Thursday that Ginsburg had been hospitalized after falling and fracturing some ribs, Johnson was among my first calls. Johnson is also the author of The RBG Workout: How She Stays Strong … and You Can Too!, for which the justice wrote the foreword.
We spoke Thursday night about what he has to tell the panicked progressives of America, and why RBG has been willing to work out on camera. Later that night, the justice’s nephew, Daniel Stiepleman, told reporters some encouraging news about her condition: “The last I heard she was up and working, of course, because what else would she be doing, and cracking jokes.” By the next day, she had been released from the hospital.
When was the last time you saw RBG, and how was she?
I saw her Tuesday night. She was fine. We trained Tuesday night, but you know as well as anybody else that during sitting [when the Court hears cases], she really focuses on a lot. You know her: She doesn’t get much sleep because she’s always getting ready for the cases and everything, and the hearings.
I’m sure you’ve been getting at least as many panicked messages as I have. Can you say anything to reassure all of the stressed out people of America?
To all the stressed out people in America, remember that the justice is TAN. Now, I always use that acronym: TAN. She’s tough as nails. You think three ribs are going to stop Justice?
We probably won’t train at least for another week or so just to give the ribs a chance to heal because the ribs are just very sensitive areas that you just gotta give them a chance to heal. And then we’ll pick back up just like we usually do, and I’ll take in account for the ribs and we’ll just kinda ease and move in a little bit easier around ‘em. . .
Most public figures wouldn’t be comfortable with everyone knowing their workout details. Why do you think Justice Ginsburg is so open about it?
Her lifting weights: How empowering is that for women? How empowering is that for older women? How empowering is that for women that have been diagnosed with cancer? How important is it for women who have been diagnosed with cancer to realize that weight-bearing exercise is so important for your recovery before, during, and after? This is another way of empowering women.'
https://www.thecut.com/2018/11/ruth-bader-ginsburg-trainer-interview-broken-ribs-recovery.html?
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