Girls wielding field-hockey sticks and running like thoroughbreds probably have no sense that their mothers-even those like the one on this week’s cover-grew up in a wildly different time. It’s not so different for boys: Baseball bats have become lighter, basketball shoes have been Jordan-ized. But for women a generation ago, health and fitness were limited to the phys-ed class with polyester tunics and Keds.
Weightlifters might be challenged by the heft of books explaining this transformation, but with the sticky wicket of advice about how women should deal with all the new knowledge, we figured we would take a stab at sorting it out. We started with two pioneering Tribune women. Judy Peres, nationally recognized for her stories on breast cancer, brings us essential insights and advice about menopause. Health and Fitness reporter Julie Deardorff, seen frequently in our corridors with bike helmet in hand, profiles a shining example of good health.
At the center of this week’s issue is a powerful story by reporter Barbara Mahany, who takes on her toughest subject yet-herself. It’s not that Bam (Barbara Ann Mahany) hasn’t written before about herself in her 25 years at the Tribune, but rather that the candor demanded by this story was unique. A former nurse, she draws on her understanding of biochemistry-in this case, the interplay of hormones and bones. By revealing her own story, she imbues the science with even more power.
In this tabloid, celebrity-driven world-one where even memoirs are fictionalized-deep honesty is increasingly rare. “I have always asked my subjects to entrust their hearts and souls to my careful writing-even my own very private mother, in her battle with breast cancer,” says Bam. “In the name of saving someone else with this story, I take the leap of faith and hope and pray that the power of pure honesty is a redemptive one.”
For everyone you think you know, look deeper, listen harder.
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etaylor@tribune.com
