Good People doing Good Stuff

I’m going to start a new thread to my space here.  I’m going to start throwing in a piece on local heroes.  Not every week but from time to time.

Maybe it should be called Good Folks doing Good Things. It isn’t likely to be celebrities or sports stars or that sort of thing. I just want to see where it takes me. This community has a lot of really good people that don’t get much recognition.

Yes, I know this is the sports page and I can’t get away from sports, fitness, or being healthy, and this is likely to be an underlying theme to all that. Or maybe not. Like I said, I’m just going to throw it out there and see where it takes me.

It all started with my friend, Kenny Wiggins. I was just thinking what a great guy Kenny is, what a good friend he is to many, and what his journey has been. And it came to me that he was an unsung hero in our community. 

Let me tell you about Kenny.  Not too long ago he retired as Public Services Director for the city of Alcoa. That’s maybe not a really flashy job but believe me that you would know it if Kenny didn’t do his job.

I had met Kenny through the years but really didn’t know him well. Then his son-in-law, who worked in our fitness center, suggested that I invite him to work out with an early morning crew that I led.

Kenny had no trouble with the early hour (5 AM) and such began a several year stretch of working out three days a week. Along the way, he invited a church-mate that I knew well, David Henderson. 

David, who is a Detective with the Sherriff’s Department had played football at Maryville High in my early days in serving MHS.  Throw in my original workout partner David Spence and you had a quartet of dedicated early morning exercisers. And Peggy Bratt.  Can’t forget Peggy.

I’m not sure Kenny was ever an athlete but his daughter Katie was.  She played softball in high school and later coached softball at Alcoa High.  His son-in-law Caleb was an outstanding wrestler at MHS and later brought CrossFit to east Tennessee. 

I think it was Katie that convinced her dad that he needed to exercise regularly. That was years ago. We sweated and struggled and chased this thing called fitness together without interruption for a very long time.

I stepped away from that group about three years ago to workout with my son at noon but that hasn’t stopped Kenny. Now retired, he’s just as dedicated to his fitness as he ever was. I often find him already at the gym when I arrive. He’s here just about every day.

Through these years, Kenny has become very fit and then has maintained an excellent level of fitness. His dedication and perseverance are worthy.

He hikes. He bikes. He maintains an active lifestyle. And because of his exercise habits, he is likely to do so for many, many years.

But back to who Kenny is, not what he’s done.  Kenny is simply a good man. A good friend. A doting grandfather. A man of Faith. You might call him ordinary but he is anything but.

He’s quiet, definitely never loud or flashy. He’s likely to be embarrassed by this.  But he’s just one really great guy that makes up the fabric of Blount County.  An unsung hero that helps make this a great place to be.