Theresa Roemer finds solace in fitness after a life of tragedy
Theresa Roemer’s determination towards fitness helped her overcome a childhood illness and a life of tragedy and struggles. Despite personal setbacks and losses, she never fell prey to pessimism and continuously kept striving to motivate the world to stay fit and healthy.
A Sickly Child Who Should Have Stayed Indoors
Roemer was diagnosed with a heart murmur as a child, and so her doctors advised her to stay indoors for most of her life. Not living by the advice, the socialite dreamt of bigger things and defied all odds to work towards her dream of being a fitness expert.
She participated in every physically competitive sport she came across, fell in love with aerobics, and even became a gymnastic teacher. Passing all the physical hurdles, the sickly child who should have stayed indoors was taking on the world, one step at a time.
Deaths in the Family
While Roemer was fighting her own struggles, her younger brother died of a heart attack at the young age of 23. This sudden tragedy made her push herself to aim for higher goals.
Losing a brother and best friend wasn’t the only loss she had to cope with; her son Michael was killed in a car accident when he was 19. This array of tragedies could’ve made her fall into a pit of grief and depression, but she came out stronger every time.
Theresa Roemer with her son and daughter (Photo: theadvertiser.com)
She says that she almost committed suicide because of the grief of her son’s loss, but the love and support from her husband and family helped her get out of it. Fitness and taking care of her body further aided her as a recuperative means to fight the mental strain.
She added that while diet and exercise do not make you forget all pains and struggles, being healthy makes one feel better.
The Closet of Her Dreams
Sudden loss of loved family members was not the only loss Roemer had to go through her life, but their souvenirs were lost to tragedies too.
In 2012, she moved into Woodlands, Houston, and built a 3,000 sq ft closet, which she called the closet of her dreams. The "world's biggest closet" was not just for show. It held regular charity events and was Roemer's sanctuary. However, another tragedy struck her as burglars swiped jewelry worth millions of dollars.
An invaluable asset lost in the burglary was a locket containing a tuft of her deceased son Michael's hair.
The Miraculos Climb to Mt. Kilimanjaro
As a tribute to Michael's legacy, the CEO of Theresa Roemer, LLC decided to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro to benefit Child Legacy International—a nonprofit that provides access to clean water, healthcare, and education to children in Africa. A supporter of many local and national charities, she is also a board member of the organization.
On her way to the top, Roemer found that she had been infected with a dangerous parasite and was very close to death due to infection and altitude sickness. However, she miraculously survived the 19,000 feet climb because of her fitness and faith in the cause.
Theresa Roemer during one of her philanthropic visits to Malawi (Photo: Lioness Magazine)
A noted philanthropist, Roemer emphasizes that we don’t have to be rich to help. Despite being a millionaire, she stays loyal to her humble roots and takes nothing for granted. She is an inspiration to everyone going through a rough phase in life to remain patient and have faith.
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