Meet an IDEA Team Member: Judy Minich

It was little surprise to anyone when, asked to pick her “favorite punctuation mark” for a photo shoot of the IDEA editors, Judy Minich picked the exclamation point. She approaches every situation with the thought that she can spice it up with an extra dash of excitement.

Not that she doesn’t take her work seriously. As the fact-checker and production editor for Fitness Journal, Judy has an unwavering commitment to upholding the “gold standard” of IDEA publications. She’s also become a bit of the tribe “mom,” planning parties, singing specially written songs and cheerleading IDEA activity classes.

She started running in her mid-40s, “on a whim,” she says. “I just felt like I wanted to cross ‘run a marathon’ off my list.” Today, one marathon and 80 half-marathons later, running is an integral part of her life. She created the Sole to Soul Running group in San Diego to provide a supportive training environment for runners at any level. “Our motto is ‘At Peace With My Pace.’ It’s not about how fast you go—it’s about the fact that you’re out there challenging yourself. I want my members to know that every step is important.”

“Judy has a magical energy about her that lights up whatever space she occupies,” says editor in chief Sandy Todd Webster. “She is both a steadfast professional who approaches editorial work with curiosity and a kind, caring individual who thrives on elevating others. I can’t imagine our team without her.”

About Judy: Did You Know . . . ?

• She and her husband, Hoss (right), have camped in Tuolumne Meadows (in Yosemite) every year for the past 20 years. That’s where Hoss proposed, giving her a pine cone because he said it “represents new life.” Her wedding ring has gold pine cones on it, she has a pine cone tattoo, and “we have an embarrassing number of pine cone decorations in our house.”

• Her six grandchildren—ages 2 months to 12 years—are a constant source of hope and joy.

• She began painting in watercolors about 4 years ago, part of her recovery from a concussion. “I still have post-concussive symptoms,” she says. “But never when I paint.”