No Longer Blind - There's Always Clarity in Changing A Life

Suit jackets. CEO’s, VPs, and executives. Briefcases.

These all were in attendance at the 13th annual United Way Miami’s Women’s Leadership Breakfast. There were also some killer heels walking the floors, amazing speeches, and even more incredible female leaders of the community. Keynoting the event was Leigh Anne Tuohy, the real matriarch behind the 2009 film “The Blind Side” of which Sandra Bullock won an Oscar for Tuohy’s portrayal.

She was loud, she was engaged, and she was kick-ass. Truly inspirational for such an awe-inspiring room of inspired women. Say what?

Tuohy reminded this powerhouse group that changing a life is indeed life changing. Her story is of course powerfully moving, but it was truly the woman on the stage that stole the room.

According to Hannah Sampson of the Miami Herald, “She barely paused to breathe as she jumped from topics including how much food you can get for $80 at Taco Bell (“a lot”) to her idea of a home-cooked meal (restaurant food that she pays for) to the lack of a resemblance between her husband and Tim McGraw, who played him in the hit movie The Blind Side (“Tim McGraw is smoking hot”). 

But when it came to talking about her son Michael Oher, Leigh Anne took her time. She paused. She smiled. She almost cried. When it comes to her family, this woman is the mama bear. Nobody messes with her cubs. It doesn’t matter that one of her children has much darker skin, had never had his own bed, and is almost 300 pounds. She takes this man’s life as her responsibility, and she is quick to say he’s changed her just as much.

The twinkle in her eye hardens, and she’s as focused as Michael is on the football field. Tuhoy implores this room of amazing leaders to continue doing what they’re doing, but to make sure to check between the cracks.

“If someone that is as immensely valuable as my son Michael almost falls thru the cracks, can you imagine who gets left behind?”

She wrapped up to a standing ovation from some of the most powerful women in Miami-Dade, reminding them that the power of one is greater than we often give credit for.

Sign up here to join Therafit’s Exclusive Women’s Leadership Circle Perks Program. For every sign up, we donate $1 to United Way (which they convert into $2.16 - real-life magic :)  and all the amazing work they do.

Believe in the power of one and walk your walk – it can always be multiplied.