Accomplished world-class athlete, entrepreneur, and advocate for children’s health—Christy Swaid’s journey is a testament to the power of resilience, while highlighting the importance of following your heart.
“When you're engaged in things that are important to you, that adds greatly to your quality of life,” says Swaid, founder and CEO of HEAL (Healthy Eating Active Living) United, an organization dedicated to improving children’s health.
Born and raised on the south side of Chicago, Swaid, 54, experienced the pain of struggle and poverty early on. After her parents divorced, Swaid and her two older brothers moved with their mother into their maternal grandfather’s house.
“[My grandfather] was all about farm-to-table food, so we lived a life of eating natural foods,” she says. “We also played outside a lot as kids.” This experience inspired the creation of HEAL United.
A purposeful life
People who have a stronger sense of purpose live longer than those who don’t. A recent study found that purpose turned out to be more important for longevity than life satisfaction.
Racing to life
Meanwhile, her father reinvented himself in Florida, opening a jet ski rental business where she and her brothers worked during the summers.
“In our spare time, we’d play on the company equipment as hard as humanly possible,” says Swaid. Then, “at age 13, my dad let me participate in a [jet] race,” she says. This caught the attention of one of the team managers and Swaid began racing as an amateur, winning her first championship two years later.
In 1989, after graduating early from high school, she entered her first professional race in California. “I won and shocked the world,” she says, “including myself.”
By the end of her decade-long career, Swaid was a six-time world champion professional jet ski racer and the “winningest female” in the history of the sport.
“During those 10 years, there were wins, but also horrible setbacks and losses,” she admits. However, “some of the worst things I had to deal with ended up becoming my greatest lessons.”
Advocating for children
After Swaid stopped racing professionally, she pivoted in new directions, including volunteering with the US Coast Guard Auxiliary where she advocated for jet ski and boating safety. “That taught me about advocating, giving back, and helping people,” she says.
When she moved from California to Alabama with her husband, Swaid started looking for a way to do “something that matters.” Given the high rates of obesity among young people, she decided to focus on teaching children healthy lifestyle behaviors—which led to HEAL United.
From the start, science was at the heart of the curriculum. HEAL equipped children with heart rate monitors, which provided individual feedback on how hard they were exercising.
“Immediately, the kids loved the heart monitors,” says Swaid. “They were running in place, showing me their heart rate, and then bringing it back down.”
HEAL United started with 10 schools, focusing on nine-year-olds, says Swaid. Today, it serves over 45,000 Alabama students in more than 200 K-to-12 schools.
Swaid says the skills that HEAL United teaches apply to all seasons of life, and helps people continue to do the things they love as they age
“I think about the things I really want to do, like riding my jet ski fast with my boys,” she says. “If I have something fun to train for, I'll do the work.”
Health through helping
Volunteering is not only good for your community, but also for your own health, no matter your age.
- Heart health - A study found that middle-aged volunteers were less likely to have high blood glucose and abdominal fat compared to non-volunteers.
- Lower mortality - People who volunteered at least 100 hours per year had a reduced risk of dying during the next four years compared with non-volunteers, other research shows.
- Mental health - A study found that people reported an increase in feelings of well-being after volunteering.
Aging gracefully
Swaid continues to grow and thrive, not just through HEAL but also through her other business, Checkered Flag Living LLC (CFL), which allows her to share stories of resilience.
CFL grew out of Swaid’s struggles in recent years, including the death of her mother in 2020. “I never realized how much I relied on her until she wasn’t there anymore,” she says. “I'm still dealing with that grief.”
This was followed by the deaths of her father and her racing coach. After that, “I felt almost dysfunctional, like I was devoid of joy,” says Swaid, whose middle name happens to be Joy. “I didn't know how to get out of that dark space.”
“When I finally took some time to get therapy, what I learned was you can’t avoid the pain,” she says. “You have to walk through it. This takes courage and loving support.”
Swaid continues to rediscover and reinvent herself, and encourages others to do the same by focusing on what they have to offer—whether it is organizing events, baking, or being a good listener.
“The key is to find a place to share your gifts, because that's when you'll come alive,” she says.
Supplements for staying active
In addition to a healthy diet, the following supplements may help you stay active.
- Vitamin D may reduce risk of heart disease and support immune health.
- Omega-3s may promote heart health and improve mood.
- Magnesium is involved in energy creation and protein formation, and may improve exercise performance.
- Collagen may prevent bone loss and boost muscle mass.
- Vitamin B complex supports energy levels and muscle tone.
- Vitamin C may lower blood pressure and boost immunity.
This article was originally published in the May 2025 issue of alive magazine.
Carime Lane
Kenny Bodanis