Kathy Smith (born December 11, 1951)
[2] is a
personal trainer who became well known for her workout vi
deos during the late-1980s and 1990s. She has sold over 16 million workout
videos since 1980.
[3
] Her exercise and nutrition program
Project:You! Type
2 was created in association with the
America
n Diabetes Association as a complete lifestyle system to help ma
nage
Type 2 diabetes.
[4] Early life
Smith was born
Ari
zona,
USA. She's the daughter of an Air Force pilot, and
grew up in
Brazil,
Alabama
,
Hawaii<
/font>,
Texas and
Illin
ois.
[1] When Smith was 17, her father died of a hear
t attack, and a year and a half later her mother died in a plane crash. Fol
lowing the loss of her parents, Smith began exercising to combat depression
. Smith enrolled at the
University of Hawaii, and gradua
ted with a degree in business administration.
[5]
Smith has stated that following the lo
ss of her parents, and her sister's descent into substance abuse, she devel
oped a wild lifestyle and feared her athlete boyfriend might leave her; she
took up running to be near him, and found it to be a life-changing experie
nce. Smith was one of a few women to complete the Honolulu marathon in 1975
, and Runner's World magazine listed her as one of the top 100 marathon run
ners in the country. Her fitness videos made her a multi-millionaire by her
mid thirties, and she has been awarded numerous accolades, including induc
tion into the Video Hall of Fame.
[
6]
Smith has two daughters.