As part of my new web series, The Role Model In You, here is my most recent interview. The Role Model In You series discusses how individuals were influenced as a child to lead a healthy lifestyle. It covers who influenced these individuals, the changes they made in their life to be healthy, and the message they would like to convey to the youth of today. Our guests include doctors, soccer stars, Super Bowl champions, NBA players, Olympic gold medalist, entrepreneurs, celebrities, and just regular people looking to share their story. I hope you enjoy it!
1. Your name, title, and age? What do you do (or did you do) for a living?
Pablo Solomon Artist & Designer
2. Who was the person that inspired you as a child to eat healthy and stay fit? What was their relationship to you?
A neighbor
3. What did they do to inspire you?
When I was 12 I read a book about how Theodore Roosevelt went from being a sissy to becoming a strong and confident man.Along his road to becoming stronger he actually studied jujitsu.As fate would have it a young man and his wife moved in next door at about this time. He had been stationed in Japan while in the military and got he me interested in jujitsu and in working out in general.
4. How did their lesson change your life?
It took years, but I eventually became very strong, fit and skillful. I eventually even taught jujitsu to cops, commandos and at the somewhat older age of 54 I even gave classes to the Queen’s Guard in the Netherlands.My interest in martial arts led me to study dance to improve my balance, timing and coordination. This led to me become a founding teacher at the Houston Contemporary Dance Theater. I eventually had 3 of my own exercise studios.My involvement with dance also led to my focusing my art on dance and my drawings and sculptures of dancers are collected around the world.
At 64, I am living a wonderful life. My wife Beverly and I run our successful international art & design business from our historic 1856 ranch north of Austin in the beautiful Texas Hill Country. We split our time between the ranch and doing art shows and promotions in the major cities of the world.
Beverly was formerly a model and then an account executive for Diane von Furstenberg, Revlon and Ralph Lauren. Fitness is a big part of our lives because we want to live long, healthy, productive lives. We plan to never retire as we love what we do.
5. Do you convey their message to kids in your life presently?
I want young people to know that with hard work with tenacity one can achieve a good life–fitness is a big part of having what it takes.
6. What would be your main message to children today to lead healthy lifestyles?
Your physical body is God’s hands on earth. To achieve your destiny you must be as fit, educated, disciplined and hard working as possible.
7. Do you have a web site you would like to promote….web address only?