By Brooke Kelly
(JACKSON, Miss.) – At 83 years old, Jackson State University History professor and alumnus Hilliard Lackey, Ph.D., is still running marathons.
Recently, Lackey ran in the in the ½ marathon at the 19th annual Mississippi Blues Marathon and placed 2nd in his age division. He served as the event’s grand marshal and was one of the oldest runners. Now, he’s preparing to run the full marathon at the 4th annual “Run the Rainbow for Children’s” running event.
Lackey and his wife practice healthy habits and have participated in 5K runs together. Both are in their 80s and will soon celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary.
You may wonder, what are the health habits of one of JSU’s most energetic, spirited and distinguished alums? Where does the desire to be a self-described health fanatic come from?
Lackey’s healthy living is directly tied to his faith and religious convictions that led him not to drink or smoke.
Additionally, Lackey wanted to follow his dad’s example.
“My daddy didn’t drink, they told me, and so I said, ‘I won’t either.’”
As an adult, two other pivotal life events drove Lackey to take his health seriously.
One was a health scare in the late 70s. The other was being a part of the Jackson Heart Study over the past two and a half decades.
Health Scare
In 1977, Lackey was leading the coordination of several events for JSU’s centennial celebration. In fact, he remembers there being 82 events, one for every Mississippi county.
During this busy work period, he developed stomach ulcers, the illness that had led to his father’s death and long suffering of an uncle. Lackey saw it as a wake up call to adopt healthier habits. He stopped to attend to his health and was led to a familiar place. He went to a hospital in St. Louis, one where his uncle had found support, and he underwent surgery and had a consultation about nutrition.
Since then, he has worked to follow the bland diet and been more intentional about staying healthy.
“My wife is my nutritionist,” he says. Through her participation in Weight Watchers and other health forums, Mrs. Lackey has led the way in the family’s healthy eating journey.
They avoid red meat, salt, fried foods and sugar, aside from sometimes enjoying “a cookie or two.”
Today, two of their children are also vegans, so sometimes the whole family eats meals to accommodate everyone’s diet.
Sharing what they have learned about healthy living is a passion for the couple, and they like to inform others of tips and tricks they’ve adopted. “We like to share whenever possible. I’m just bubbling over with enthusiasm that somebody may listen,” said Lackey.
Jackson Heart Study, Continuing Education
Another influential event in his health journey was joining the Jackson Heart Study, a pioneering health study that was initiated by JSU researchers in 1998 and has grown to be multi-institional and the largest investigation of cardiovascular diseases in African Americans.
“They ask questions during our checkups about our lifestyles.The questions themselves lead me to do an introspection as to what am I really doing and what are other folks probably doing,” he says.
“And going to these seminars associated with the heart study I find out different things.”
For instance, he recalls finding out at a seminar that Hinds County has the 5th largest concentration of people with Alzheimer’s in the United States.
He has since become an ambassador for the University of Mississippi Medical Center’s MIND Center that works to better understand Alzheimer’s disease and provide education about it. He regularly attends meetings the center hosts.
Living a Faithful, Active Life and Saving Money
Aside from eating healthy and staying active, Lackey says avoiding unhealthy levels of stress is something he prioritizes.
“Relax and don’t worry. Live a stress-free lifestyle,” he recommends.
While that might not seem easy to do for some, Lackey says leaning on faith to do so is what makes it possible for him.
“Live your religion,” he recommends. “Every religion stresses trust in a superior being.”
And for those not religious, Lackey suggests finding coursework or a philosophy you can adopt about the benefits of reducing stress.
By taking this holistic approach to his healthcare, Lackey says the results show up at the doctor and at his Jackson Heart Study check-ins.
“The doctors just marvel at it,” he says of his and his wife’s blood pressures and heart rates and other health metrics when they have medical appointments.
And if feeling good and being active isn’t motivating enough – Lackey encourages people to consider how much money they can save in the long run by adopting healthier habits.
From the cost of medicine, to the costs associated with smoking and drinking alcohol, the expenses can multiply.
“My lifestyle is very cost-effective,” says Lackey.
Whatever changes a person makes to become healthier can all add up, he says, and care for others is core to his message.
“I’m interested in anything that contributes or adds to the health of folks,” says Lackey. “Especially African Americans, especially folks in the Jackson-Metro area, and especially Mississippians, and of course my fellow Americans and fellow citizens of the world.”
“I want to encourage all folks to take care of themselves by doing things that will enhance their mind, body and spirit.”
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