Advocate Spotlight: Reagan Spomer

Healthy Generations is why

What brought you to be an advocate for the American Heart Association?

​There are many different things that brought me to be an advocate for the American Heart Association. One of the major ones was my grandfather died from a heart attack when I was in 6th grade. He was very close to me. Now I often advocate for many different things in memory of my grandfather. Another reason I am an advocate is because of my membership on the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. I was one of their Youth Advisory Board Members and traveled around the country to different places each year as part of my job. Some of the other members of the board introduced me to the American Heart Association and I have been advocating for them ever since.

What issues or policies are you most passionate about and why?

I am passionate about the issues of childhood obesity, healthier school lunches, teaching kids CPR in school, and helping people live healthier lives outdoors. These issues are of great importance to me because I have always thought school lunches could be a whole lot better, especially in my school. I also like teaching kids CPR because someone, somewhere might be able to save a life. But if they never learn CPR, then how are they supposed to save that person? I have learned that the smallest of ideas can have the greatest impact.

What is your favorite advocacy memory or experience so far and what made it great?

My favorite advocacy memory was when I was a 6​th ​grader and I traveled to Washington D.C. to lobby on Capitol Hill for healthier school lunches. It was an amazing experience because I spent an entire day on Capitol Hill talking to South Dakota’s most influential politicians. I still remember the day. I had a lot of fun and was given many nice compliments on how inspiring it was to have such a young person working for such big change. It meant a lot to me that people noticed and I was able to make such change even if only on one topic.

What is your favorite way to be active?

My favorite way to be active is to swim. I am on my local swim team and swim year round. It is a great way to keep active and healthy as it works all of the muscles in my body. I often swim for more than 2 hours a day in the wintertime. In the summer I also love to talk walks, fish, go camping, and ride my bike.

What is your favorite fruit or vegetable and any tips for how you serve or prepare it?

My favorite fruit is melon. I love cantaloupe, watermelon, muskmelon, and honeydew. I usually eat them straight from the rind in the summertime, but in the winter my family will buy one and snack on it for a couple days. My favorite vegetables are potatoes, sweet corn, and carrots. My family grows all of these on our farm in the summertime and they often go from the garden to the sink to my plate in less than an hour. All of these fruits and vegetables are best eaten fresh in my opinion and are even better when they come from your own garden.