Judy Backoff is rarely sitting still.
Even before she moved to Upper Arlington, 78-year-old Backoff had a problem deciding what exactly she wanted to do. In college, the Indianapolis native started out in pre-med at Beloit College, then switched to philosophy. Along the way she left Beloit for the University of Geneva in Switzerland, and again decided to switch her focus, this time to French, upon realizing she’d become fluent in the language.
She then went on to graduate school and took a job that landed her in Vienna, Austria, where she worked for a year. Backoff moved schools again to study at the Sorbonne in Paris. With three languages and various life experiences under her belt, she wasn’t done yet.
“There’s something wonderful about being in Europe because it doesn’t seem quite real,” says Backoff
Back in the U.S., she taught French at Carroll College until deciding she wanted to get her Ph.D. She moved to Indiana University, and served as a teaching assistant while earning her Ph.D. That all came to a halt when a student introduced Backoff to a man named Robert. Backoff and Robert fell in love, got married, and two months later, the newlyweds jetted off for London, where they lived for a year.
“Now, here I am with three kids, some grandkids, in Upper Arlington,” says Backoff. “And I never got my Ph.D.”
Between London and UA, the Backoffs had their first child, Kristin, and were living in Philadelphia. Backoff was working for a local newspaper, and Robert was teaching at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Robert got an offer from The Ohio State University, and upon discovering Upper Arlington’s excellent public schools and proximity to OSU and both of their parents, the Backoffs were thrilled. They knew it would be the perfect place to grow their family.
“There’s something wonderful about being in Europe because it doesn’t seem quite real,” says Backoff. “But I certainly was ready to settle down and have a family. … There’s just something really wholesome about the Midwest.”
Backoff decided to stay home full-time with Kristin, and before she knew it, she’d had two more children, Andy and Julie. Unsurprisingly, raising three children was still not active enough. That’s when Backoff found herself in what would become her passion for the next 30-plus years.
“One day, I saw an ad in the suburban news for an exercise class, and it sounded neat,” she says. “I would walk over dead bodies to get to this class. It was the moment of my day.”
She was so inspired by the jazz class teacher that, after a few years in the class, Backoff decided it was something she could do, too. Backoff began teaching in rented rooms at dance studios. Though she was hesitant at first – the majority of fitness instructors began teaching classes at the age of 25, and Backoff was 20 years older – her classes quickly became popular.
“You know that people walking in on any given day can be struggling with something, so the very fact that you are getting them up means that you are getting yourself up.” - Backoff
Walking into Backoff’s class was an energizing shot. Her boom box blasted so loud that neighboring businesses frequently complained (“They did not like the Pointer Sisters,” she says), but Backoff’s aerobics/flexibility/strength classes had students coming back time and time again.
UA’s Lifelong Learning soon contacted Backoff to teach classes at the senior center, and she added four night classes to her regular four morning classes. She soon found herself teaching 11 classes per week – far too many, she now admits, but saying no to students who wanted more classes proved difficult. Her students ranged from early 30-year-olds to 93, and kept coming back for one big reason: their teacher.
“It’s addictive,” she says. “You know that people walking in on any given day can be struggling with something, so the very fact that you are getting them up means that you are getting yourself up.”
Photo courtesy of Jeffrey S. Hall Photography
Backoff, with her warm personality and electric sense of humor, was a natural. She became not only a fitness instructor, but a friend and mentor as well. Following the death of her father, Backoff realized how alone he felt in the hospital in Indianapolis. She knew she wanted to become the supportive presence for others that her father was missing.
“It dovetailed very well with my exercise work, because it’s not just about physical exercise,” she says. “I knew I wanted to help people be healthy, physically, because that’s the basis for intellectual health, emotional health, everything else. If you’re sick, you don’t function well.”
After 32 years as a fitness instructor, Backoff learned that her daughter, Julie, was pregnant. This meant she would have her first local grandchild, as Kristin and her two children, Jack and Kait, live in Charlotte, N.C.
“I used to joke that, well, I’ll just teach until I pass out and die one day in class; that was the game plan,” Backoff says, laughing. “Then, when Julie told me she was expecting a baby, I thought, ‘Maybe it’s time to put away my shoes now.’”
She retired in August, a month before the baby was born, but frequently meets up with her former students. In fact, with guidance from a student from Bogotá, Colombia, Backoff is now learning Spanish—her fourth language. She loves having a grandchild close by and being able to help in any way she can, and still takes fitness classes with Robert – though, now, only as a student. She enjoys volunteering through Upper Arlington Lutheran Church and visiting community members who are sick or need extra assistance, still inspired by her father.
Having such a rich social and professional life, Backoff says she’s glad to live in Tri-Village, where activity, diversity and kindness are community cornerstones.
“This is a beautiful green space, we’re right here near the university and there are universities all around,” Backoff says. “I think we’re very blessed. … Here, to me, this is paradise.”
Amanda DePerro is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at jwise@cityscenemediagroup.com.
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