About Llee Sivitz
As a kid, I loved to write. In fact, when I was nine years old, I “published” a newspaper and my first headline heralded the arrival of a neighbor’s new batch of kittens. Sadly, the newspaper folded after only two editions because I had to hand print each copy and I suffered from a severe case of writer’s cramp.
Years later, as a student at the University of Florida, my college counselor advised me to major in something “I was good at.” So, although I had a passion for art, I decided to major in journalism. I learned a lot about writing, and a lot about what I didn’t know about life. One particular day, my News Writing class was cancelled because my professor had committed suicide. I heard later that he left a suicide note in his typewriter. I’m sure it was well written.
Eventually, I met my husband and we moved to his hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio, where we raised our two sons. On a lark, I submitted a story to our local newspaper about my misadventures in attempting to walk our local running marathon (evidently, walking solo was not allowed). To my delight and amazement, the newspaper picked up the story—and offered me a job. (And the next year, the marathon allowed individual walkers to participate!)
I loved being a news reporter, and tried to be an agent for change in a city that rarely saw people walking or running. I filed over two hundred stories as a fitness writer and covered exercise trends like hot yoga and race walking; interviewed national celebrities like Richard Simmons and Montel Williams; and had my readers follow along as I got “trained” by a local trainer. However, like many caregivers of aged parents, when Mom’s illnesses became the priority, my news writing career came to a grinding halt.
Today, I continue to pursue my interest in natural healing and I’m a certified nutrition coach. But whenever I can, I try to use my writing to help others feel empowered to help themselves.
Please reach out to me! I’d love to hear your story as well.
You may e-mail me at: speakingupformom [at] gmail.com
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