In this episode, we talk with HEAL United’s Christy Swaid, Founder and CEO, and Donna Hester, Curriculum Architect and Coordinator. HEAL United is a nonprofit focused on improving children’s health and reshaping health culture through education and real-world practice of healthy lifestyle habits. Their evidence-based, age-specific curriculum covers topics like nutrition, physical activity, sleep, self-esteem, and community involvement. Through engaging lessons, printed and digital tools, and ongoing assessments, HEAL supports students from elementary school through college. They also provide professional development for educators and extend their reach into homes, helping families build lasting, healthy routines. Learn more at healunited.org.

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Episode Transcript

Quick Navigation (click the linked text below to jump to a new section)

• Intro
• Christy Swaid discussing the identity of HEAL United
• What inspired the creation of HEAL United
• How NCHPAD and HEAL have collaborated
• How HEAL adapts its programs to individuals with mobility limitations
• The ways HEAL United’s curriculum is tailored to different education levels
• Why HEAL United is essential for children and communities
• HEAL’s growth in the United States
• Christy and Donna’s final thoughts

*Edited for clarity*

Host  00:04

This is Wellness, Health and Everything Else: a NCHPAD Podcast.

Welcome to Wellness, Health and Everything Else: a NCHPAD Podcast. NCHPAD is the National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability – the nation’s premier center dedicated to promoting the health and wellness of everyone. In each episode, we explore topics at the intersection of health, wellness and mobility limitations. If you have an idea for a topic, would like to learn more about a topic or are interested in our free resources, programs and partnership opportunities, email us at nchpad@uab.edu, give us a call at 866-866-8896 or check out our website at nchpad.org.

Music Interlude

Host 00:53

In this episode, we talk with HEAL United Founder and CEO Christy Swaid and Donna Hester, Curriculum Architect and Coordinator for HEAL United. HEAL United is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving children’s health and transforming health culture through education and practice of healthy lifestyle behaviors in schools and communities. They employ evidence-based, age-appropriate curricula spanning nutrition, physical activity, sleep, self-esteem and community engagement. This is accomplished through interactive lessons, workbooks, calendars, digital tools and year‑round assessments to support students from elementary through college. Additionally, HEAL equips teachers with professional development and extends its impact to families and home environments, ensuring sustainable, healthy routines beyond the classroom. Here is Christy Swaid discussing the identity of HEAL United.

Christy  01:45

HEAL United is a 501(c)3, non-profit organization that I started in 2002 as just a kitchen table prayer, a thought, an idea. I had just retired from a career of extreme sports and found the love of my life, who lived in Alabama. So, I retired from sports and then moved from California to Alabama to marry my husband, and then we started a family. In the waiting for children, which was something I always prayed for and wanted, I noticed that there [were] the highest statistics of obesity rates and chronic disease rates climbing in the area. And I thought, wow, if a child starts life early with those, let’s say distractions, that it’s, you know, hard enough without that. So, if we could do something to get in the way and do an intervention that would actually create PE (physical education) as being a personal health and wellness experience with measurable outcomes, in lieu of how PE was being conducted at the time, I thought that would be just transformative, and that was really early, before anyone was really jumping on the disease prevention trend. And so, I did a big research effort. I flew all over the country to see who might be doing something about this. There was only one school system back then, and it was in Naperville, Illinois. Funny enough, I was born and raised in Chicago, so I knew Naperville. I used to compete against them in soccer. So, I flew in, and my mom and I took a visit, and I met Dr. Brady, who also just began his research efforts, and how heart rate exercise affects brain performance, and just all these amazing health benefits, mental, physical, it was just undeniable. So, with great passion, I decided we’re going to introduce these health science concepts to physical education at public school system. And it wasn’t so easy to sell this idea of bringing heart rate technology into the public-school systems. So, I was sent back to attempt my idea in one school at a time. So, one school, then five schools, and Donna Hester was right there with me at the start with Donna Dunaway and other amazing leaders in nutrition, exercise and education. Together, we were able to pull together this comprehensive physical education experience for children – but also an amazing experience for teachers. And it grew based on its relevance and popular demand. So, what started as a prayer turned out to be a winning experiment in five, then 10, then 20 schools. Today, we’re in 220 schools – 45,000 students served – and [have] 350 educators, with a great demand that we’re trying to live up to. Our biggest thing is that we don’t ever want to grow at the risk of losing efficacy. Efficacy is everything. Outcomes are everything to us. And so, we have grown, and we’ve gone beyond the borders of Alabama. But again, very, very cautiously.

Host  05:07

Christy discussed what inspired the creation of HEAL United and how it has evolved since its inception.

Christy  05:14

Yeah, there’s a little piece of information I think that you might enjoy. When I was racing jet skis professionally and around the world, I had reached a point where I was racing with a lot of injuries. In fact, I was I had broken the tarsals in my foot and messed up my leg, and I had to actually be non-weight bearing and still race. So, in my period of injury, and then I also got beaten by my competitor for the first time after winning some championships, I learned what it takes to experience defeat, and it was heart rate technology and sports performance and rehab experts that helped me heal. I had to backtrack to heal and then start to train again in a very intelligent, deliberate way, using the health sciences, and it gave me back my career. So, I knew when I went into becoming a mother, and seeing children, and helping to give them the foundation of good health so that the rest of their life they can build on that and get the distraction of preventable diseases out of the way, I knew heart rate technology was going to be a critical piece of information. Not just for the student to see their progress, but for the teacher to humanely recognize what students are really working hard and what aren’t. And some of the students that are not fit but moving, maybe slower than the really fit students, the heart rate monitor reveals that they are physically working very hard, and they should be recognized as such. And that is the reward system that we created that turned out to be incredibly successful.

Host  06:54

Here is Donna Hester and Christy talking about the ways HEAL United and NCHPAD have collaborated.

Donna  07:00

Well, we started an after-school curriculum, and with that, we were writing it for people who didn’t have a background in education. Because oftentimes, after-school programs are led by people who may work in the school cafeteria, or they may be an aide or something like that in the school. So, we found it would be important for the people who were going to be implementing the program to have some understanding of inclusion. And so, Penny Edwards and Alex Martinez, who I’m sure you know there at NCHPAD, wrote an inclusion guide for us to accompany that curriculum. So that was one of the initial things that we became a partner with NCHPAD on. Also, they (Penny and Alex) participate in our HEAL Institute each year that we have for our teachers, and they do a session on inclusion, or some aspect of modifying activities for students with disabilities, and that kind of thing. Most recently, we received a grant from NCHPAD, and the purpose of that grant is to determine the extent to which our after-school curriculum would be appropriate or effective for students in self-contained, special education classrooms and inclusive after-school programs. So, with that grant we’ve been bringing in teachers to have them help us identify what aspects of our curriculum may need to be adjusted and modified to make them more appropriate for their students. Also, I believe Christy has worked with Bob Lujano, and I’ll let her talk about that experience.

Christy  08:59

That was incredible. So, actually, simultaneously, as Donna was picking up momentum with Penny and Alex on inclusion techniques and formalizing it, I was having a real-life experience, and it was so enriching for me. So last year, actually, in 2024, we started this thing. I had just written a book called Turning Frowns Upside Down. And Turning Frowns Upside Down is a mental health focus, and it’s really all about inclusion and compassion, and empathy and humanity, and that everyone has a place in HEAL United. We are all connected because we all have the same needs. We just go about it uniquely, and that’s what makes it really fun and interesting and exciting.

So, I decided I want to do this Walk and Talk challenge, and Bob got involved, and I said, “Hey, let’s, let’s make the prize really awesome.” In fact, Pepperdine University in California wanted to partner with me on it, and my son goes there, so they were kind of consulting with me on how do we get this HEAL type of culture across our campus? And I’m like, well, jump in on our Walk and Talkathon, because what we could do is like gauge steps, and maybe we could all walk from Alabama, “AL,” to LA and back. Maybe we’ll see how far we get with this challenge. So, Bob shows up, and I’m like, “Hey, you want to be in on this?” He’s like, “Yes! But you’ve got to change the title.” I said, “What?” He goes, “I want it to say Walk, Talk and Roll.” I’m like, “You got it. Done! Boom!” So, we got our shirts, our campaign, everything built around Walk, Talk and Roll. He got this really cool Apple device to count. So did I – we’re matching. We were partners in this. And, well, he’s like, “It’s not fair because I think that my pushes deserve more distance than your steps.” I’m like, “Okay, we’ll figure it out.” So, he did the math, and anyway, long story short, we did the Walk, Talk and Roll challenge, and we ended up going to LA and back and halfway back to LA or something. It was tremendously good and a lot of fun.

Host  11:28

Donna provided how HEAL adapts its programs to children and young adults with disabilities or mobility limitations.

Donna  11:35

Well, I think I have a couple of points that I want to make about that. First of all, our curricula are very flexible in terms of which materials are most appropriate for each student, because we know each student’s needs, whether they have an identified disability or not, are going to be different. So, our curriculum is flexible in terms of the materials, in terms of presentation, that sort of thing. So, I think that’s, that’s one, one of the things, um, also, it’s the teachers. Really. We rely on the teachers to make the adaptations to the curriculum, because they know best what their students need. So, we provide the professional development that I mentioned in our HEAL Institute. We provide the resources, such as the inclusion guide. And then, of course, we are always there to provide one-on-one personal support to them if they need it, in terms of making their classrooms more inclusive and that type of thing. And then with our grant, that’s where we are really getting down to some real nitty gritty specifics in terms of looking at the materials, the teachers we brought in. We laid it all out on the table and said, “Okay, how about this handout?” And they’re like, “Oh, wow, that’s just, that’d be way too much for my students.” And so, we’ve learned how to pull out the most important pieces and make that the appropriate format for different students with different abilities.

Host  13:12

Donna and Christy discussed some of the ways HEAL United’s curriculum is tailored to different education levels.

Donna  13:19

Well, as Christy indicated, we started out in the elementary school. So, in the physical education program, K-12. We have a different curriculum for each level. So, for example, in the elementary school, we actually have four different levels for grades two through five. And then our middle school program is actually a three-tier curriculum. So, it’s appropriate for sixth, seventh and eighth grade. And then we have our high school curriculum that meets the standards for the required kinesiology course, and that I’m going to kind of back up to say, all of our curriculum meet the standards set forth by the State Department of Education, and that’s really important in terms of blending in what the what the teachers need to be doing in their classrooms. So, we address all levels. Christy referred to the books that she has been writing, and those are being used in kindergarten and first grade classrooms by the teachers. And then we’re also at the higher ed level, and Christy has worked with Harding University in Arkansas.

Christy  14:35

So, Harding is doing exceptionally [well]. And what I’ve learned, and I think we’ve learned this along the way with every school. It takes a champion, it takes a teacher to say, “Wow, I see the vision, I see the potential, I see the inclusion.” Because really, the magic of what HEAL can do is central to inclusion, and that’s wonderful. So, at Harding, we’ve got the professor of Kinesiology, Brittany Finley, and she’s spearheading champions! But they’ve made HEAL as part of their undergrad required health course, and so through that connection, she formed like a HEAL hub office, which is in their main gym, where all the students can go and exercise, and a bunch of competitive sports take place. And in there, students can become captains of different ways of expressing HEAL. So, if you’re a foodie, you could lead off like a HEAL meal experience or a challenge. And if you love outdoor activities, you could be the leader of a HEAL outdoors club experience. And they do have clubs that you have to try out for, but the one club that you don’t have to try out for, that you automatically are included in, is HEAL. So, it’s a wonderful place for kids who get there and feel lonely. They don’t know where they belong. It’s a great way to throw your arm around and say, “Get over here. This is where you belong.” And we’ve seen frowns turned upside down. We put smiles on faces. But even more important than that, I mean, I guess that’s the heart of it, because that keeps kids in school. But we also have lit the flame for career paths, and it’s amazing how students have jumped on and said, “Wow, I love this health and wellness thing. If I could make it my career, then I would get paid for doing what I love.” That’s turning your passion into a job. You know, that’s the best of all worlds for an adult kind of life, right?

Host  16:41

We asked Christy why HEAL United is essential for children and communities.

Christy  16:46

See the shirt I’m wearing? Can you read it? It says, “Got caught doing something healthy.” Whoo! That’s our 2025 campaign. It’s similar to what we did last year, where we connected the entire community, at the Walk @ Lunch in Birmingham. Literally, every employee of the city, including the first responders, everybody, showed up because they’re all part of this together. Because the more unity we can attract, the more success we will experience as a whole. And then we can start to see the needle move in the areas of the things that our country needs the most. So, it starts in the family, and then it goes to the community. Then it goes bigger and bigger and bigger. The more that we’re all in on this commitment to health and wellness and giving one another encouragement and ideas for how to enjoy it, we all win.

Host  17:44

HEAL United is located in Alabama, but Christy and Donna talked about how the organization has grown to include work in other states as well.

Christy  17:52

Well, I know Donna could speak to several professors and ASAHPERD and then the Southeast organization of physical education teachers. There are many connections that go beyond Alabama. In fact, we had 13 states take resources from our website, which they’re all free, so we welcome that, and they also participate in our year-end appeal if we’re able to keep them going digitally. We did that through the pandemic and everything like everybody else, which showed a silver lining of inclusion on a digital scale. Now the question is, how can we further grow partnerships? And I know that we successfully have done that with Harding University. I think if there is a champion or someone who wants to passionately spearhead across their campus, reach out to us at healunited.org, and we will definitely review what your options are and try to get you started.

Donna  18:53

Yeah, Christy said that well. We have interacted with colleagues across the Southeast and nationwide, actually, through our professional organizations. Those of us working in other groups, and many, many people, would love to have HEAL, but they just haven’t found their way to the hurdle in terms of their expenses involved. Which, you know, depending on where you want to go with it, there doesn’t have to be that much expense involved. But if you’re trying to implement it the way we would love for you to implement it, there is an expense for the materials. So that’s been the only hurdle. But many people certainly utilize the HEAL concept, the HEAL mission.

Host  19:37

Here are Donna and Christy’s final thoughts.

Donna  19:41

We certainly would encourage anyone who is interested, for their school, for their community, we have an ambassador’s program which reaches out to more communities in the area. So, as Christy said, go to healunited.org and let us know how we can help.

Christy  19:58

I would like to just expand on exactly what Donna Hester just said is first. Thank you all of you for teaching us how to better serve you, and please join us, because we can only do better when we unite together.

Host  20:16

Thanks for listening to Wellness, Health and Everything Else. For a full episode transcript, visit our website and find the episode in the podcasts and videos section. You can also find helpful links mentioned in the episode in the episode description on streaming platforms and the episode page on our website.

If you would like to learn more about HEAL United, including upcoming and annual events, educational materials for teachers, healthy resources and more, visit healunited.org.

If you have questions about NCHPAD’s free resources, programs and partnership opportunities, email us at nchpad@uab.edu, call us at 866-866-8896 or check out our website at nchpad.org.