Video – Richard Simmons: Tutu, Fairy Wings And All

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaCSlhaGbPk&list=PLQIikebAPmLWnoONVNCfK-ToC2YPeeNhq&index=2[/youtube]

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Meeting Richard Simmons for the first time was everything I expected it to be and more. His loving nature and silly eccentricities are infectious! I had never interviewed a man in a tutu, covered in crystals before. It really was quite an experience.

I first met Richard when I went to work out at his studio, Slimmons in Beverly Hills. There, I met so many fabulous people & one of his oldest members a 73 year old woman who was so alive with energy and excited to be there, maintaining her healthy body. The class was like a rock concert, or a “flash mob without the drugs,” as he likes to describe it.

For over 40 years, Richard Simmons has been transforming lives. He makes 50 calls a day, to coach, love and inspire people, some of which are over 500 pounds and house bound. He has a huge heart. Below is an excerpt from the introduction on his Slimmons site. If you’re in Los Angeles, I highly recommend going.

‘The year was 1974. My dream was to open up an exercise studio that was fun. I had taken classes all over the city of Los Angeles. Most of the classes were very serious. Everyone looked like they were pouting while they worked out. That is when I decided that I needed to open up a place where people smiled when they sweat and danced to the music. So in the summer of 1974 I opened my doors to Slimmons.

The truly inspiring part about Richard is not how he’s kept off 100+ pounds over decades or his fame and success, but the message that he so generously shares over and over again, from his own experience; love yourself no matter your size. In our interview, he spoke very candidly about how his battle with his weight began and how he struggles each day to fight to keep a healthy mind and body. He’s found success through his own method, The Richard Simmons Diet. If you clicked on that link, make sure to watch the video on the upper right hand corner called, Deception of Perception. It’s an interesting watch about digital re-imaging (the kind you find on every magazine and commercial ads) and the effects of that on our perception of beauty.

Don’t miss this exclusive interview Kirsty TV. One of my favorite moments was at the end of the interview, when he stood up and we all realized that he had stuffed the microphone backpack down his pants! The camera man’s face was priceless.

Stay tuned to www.KirstyTV.com for full episodes of our interviews, when our talk show launches in March 2013. We will be sharing inspirational stories from our interviews with everyday people, celebrities and experts.