Photo credit: University of South Carolina
The first president of the US National Coalition to Promote Physical Activity, Steven (“Steve”) Blair brought academic rigour in the 1980s and 1990s to the newly emerging specialism of exercise epidemiology. A passionate, charismatic ambassador renowned for his modesty and boundless energy, he played a leading part in defining the role of physical activity and body composition in cardiovascular disease and chronic disease.
Described as one of the “world’s most influential minds” by Thompson-Reuters in 2014 and 2015, Blair was the scientific editor for the first US surgeon general’s report on physical activity in 1996. He was also a driver in the development of “Exercise is Medicine,” a worldwide initiative to make physical activity and promotion a standard in clinical care, with evidence based resources for all people of all abilities. He spent a decade on the committee, stepping down in 2021.
Blair tackled the big exercise