Tim Mead, associate professor of health and physical education, is not just a professor to his students – he is a perfect example of what an athlete should be. Ever since Mead was a child, he has participated in numerous athletic competitions across the United States. Mead grew up in Grand Rapids, Mich. and was a high school tennis champion in New York. He also excelled in other sports including football, soccer, baseball and golf.
After graduating high school, Mead attended Michigan State University where he participated in various intramural sports. He then went on to achieve a Master’s degree at Ohio State University.
After completing graduate school, Mead taught in secondary education and coached softball for three years and then obtained a Doctorate at the University of Toledo.
Mead moved from sports to participating in athletic competitions featuring activities such as running, swimming, bicycling, hiking, kayaking and rowing.
Mead has competed in the full Ironman Triathlon in Wisconsin featuring endurance races including a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and a 26-mile run. The Ironman Triathlon is one of the most famous fitness competitions in the world, and the championship is featured annually on ESPN. He also competed in various half Triathlons in Michigan, each featuring a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike and a 13-mile run.
Besides competing in the famous Ironman Triathlons, he also competed in over 50 triathlons in the Midwest and South, over 50 running road races in the Midwest and South, a 400-mile run across the state of Tennessee, a 410-mile bicycling trip from Jackson, Miss. to Nashville, Tenn., a hike across the Grand Canyon Mountain Range and a bicycling excursion across the Colorado Rockies.
Mead decided to go a different route recently and started competing in stair climbing competitions. Three weeks ago, Mead made his debut at the Bop to the Top Race up the OneAmerican Tower in Indianapolis and finished in the top three percent, 30th out of 1,000 participants.
“I was just looking for something different. When I run or when I bike, I never get passed going uphill, and I have always been good at climbing,” Mead said. “I knew that I would do well in the competitions if I tried it. It felt good placing in the top three percent. I had hoped to finish in five minutes, and I finished in 5:08, so I was pleased.”
Based on his previous fitness accomplishments, Mead was seeded 12th out of the first 800 registrants in the Bop to the Top Race.
The Championship of Stair Climbing takes place in the Empire State Building (86 floors) and is annually featured on ESPN.
Mead said he plans on participating in more stair climbing competitions in future.
“Next season I would like to compete in the Sears Tower race, which is 103 floors, and some other small races,” Mead said. “I would like to compete in the Empire State Building Race, but you either have to qualify or be invited.”
Mead said the health benefits of competing in these fitness contests are great.
“Competing in these events greatly improves the cardiovascular system, body fat index, increases strength, and improves the overall quality of life,” Mead said. “I want to live as long as I can and as healthy as I can.”
As part of his normal fitness routine, Mead rows Bayou Lafourche twice a week with the Bayou Rowing Club, bikes to campus every day, runs four times a week, lifts weights twice a week, stair trains twice a week and bicycles 25-40 miles on the weekend.
Mead played an instrumental role in receiving the grant to establish the walking track around the south end of the campus, which he uses almost every day.
