Hurricanes and marathons – both all in a week’s work for meteorologist Jennifer Broome
By Kelly A. Goff
Some might say Jennifer Broome has the inside track on planning her outdoor workouts days in advance. As WOAI 4 Warn Storm Team’s chief meteorologist, Broome can consult her menagerie of computers, do a few calculations and decide if she wants to commit to cycling 50 miles this weekend or, instead, play it safe with some indoor strength training.
It’s a nice perk of hard work — to combine her two passions for weather and fitness. “Just like weather, exercise is a daily part of my life,” shares Broome. Although she works in the evenings, doing three newscasts each weeknight, that doesn’t mean she stays in bed until noon. “Most days I’m exercising by 8:30 a.m. I do strength training twice a week and the rest of my mornings are spent walking, running or cycling.”
That untiring dedication to daily fitness is what so many of us are searching for these days. What motivates her toward a continuous whirlwind of activity? “Starbucks,” she replies without taking a breath. “I know it’s silly, but my morning coffee is my little treat. I use it as an incentive — it’s my last stop before I walk home and cool down.” A run followed by a triple grande soy latte energizes Broome for whatever blows her way.
It’s not just java that keeps her fit. “I just love to move!” exclaims Broome, who is also a certified aerobics instructor. She grew up in Greenville, South Carolina, with active parents and a brother. She set the stage for a lifetime of fitness with cheerleading and running cross country in high school. Also, she witnessed her parents’ daily walking routine throughout her formative years.
“Walking is the easiest thing for someone to do. For me it’s a daily part of life. It’s my time to turn the phone off, get away from the computer and escape for 45 minutes. I call it my ‘Jen time,'” laughs Broome.
Broome credits her mother for her love of walking. “One of the sheer joys of my life is going on walks with my mom because we talk and reconnect.” She is also especially proud of her dad who continues walking in spite of various heart-related illnesses.
Diverting the doldrums
Broome is never bored with her workouts because she enjoys so many different activities. “My first love is definitely running,” says the two-time marathon finisher. However, she doubts she’ll do another marathon because of knee surgery she had a few years ago. “I may do more half marathons though. They’re just long enough that you feel like you’ve accomplished something.”
Broome mixes up her fitness fun with cycling in the Hill Country. “The cycling community in San Antonio is welcoming to all different levels and they definitely adhere to the ‘leave no one behind’ credo,” attests Broome. “A couple of years ago, I decided to do the MS150 Bike to the Beach event and went out with a training group for a 25-mile ride. It was the greatest number of miles I’d attempted on a road bike, and it was on the very hilly Toutant-Beauregard route. I got a flat tire at the bottom of one of those hills, and I had no tools or inner tube. I can’t tell you how thankful I was for the riders who kindly stopped to help me. I quickly learned what I needed to take with me after that!”
Strength training with her trainer, Gregg Bell, rounds out Broome’s fitness regimen. “I enjoy strength training, in spite of all my complaining and grinding of teeth,” she laughs. “Sometimes after a particularly hard workout, I’ll leave Gregg a message telling him he’s the reason I couldn’t lift my arms to point out the weather system coming our way.” Broome thinks many women get intimidated by strength training or think they’ll get too bulky if they lift weights. “I’ve found it to be good cross-training for me — it’s such a great way to strengthen you core and build lean muscle. Plus, I feel like ‘he-woman’ after doing 10 pull-ups!”
Healthy inside and out
Broome isn’t just focused on exercise as a means to good health. Soon after she moved to San Antonio, she was diagnosed as a sport-induced asthmatic. “I’m adamant about not taking medication, so I went looking for an alternative,” she stresses. She found relief with Dr. John D. Hernandez, an internist who’s training and experience blends Western and alternative medicine. “It didn’t take long before I was off all medication and able to workout without a problem,” Broome says thankfully.
Although Broome isn’t a calorie counter, she does make healthy choices about what she eats and drinks. “It’s rare that you’ll find me without a water bottle in hand,” she notes. She makes a conscious effort to put her health first, grabbing a fresh meal from Central Market or Whole Foods before going for fast food. That’s not to say she deprives herself or eats like a bird. “Because I run and workout a lot, I feel like when there’s something I really want, like chilaquiles tacos at Café Salsita or a cheddar cheesy burger from Chris Madrid’s, I’ll order it and enjoy it.” Broome subscribes to the European philosophy of eating — making it a daily priority to enjoy good food, friends and conversation.
“I grew up eating dinner most nights with my family — even in high school when my brother and I were really busy, my mom made dinner and we talked about our day. Food isn’t something to be scarfed down. It’s to be savored and enjoyed!”
Broome does watch her sugar intake because she says it suppresses the immune system. “I’ll occasionally have a few bites of dessert,” she admits, “but I avoid soda for the most part.” If she does have a soda, she goes for the real thing – sugar and all, “because aspartame zaps your energy.” The bottom line for Broome is water, water, water. “It’s an easy way to cut out a lot of calories, and you can add so many things to flavor it!”
Fitness opens doors
Broome’s physical fitness and willingness to try anything has helped her enjoy some once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, like sky diving with the Army’s Golden Knights and pulling 9 G’s while flying with the Air Force Thunderbirds.
It’s not just those “made for the movies” memories that keep Broome running and doing push ups. She does a television segment called Jen’s Kids that works with Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Texas. The events are all sports-related activities, so she has to stay in shape to participate with the kids and not embarrass herself.
“It takes a lot of energy to keep up with them!” she says. From jumping on trampolines to going one-on-one with a power kicker, Broome is forced to stay on her toes. “It’s fun stuff, and I want to be able to enjoy it.”
The same is true with her other community service activities, such as her yearly participation in the MS150 ride and Komen Race for the Cure‚ the San Antonio Sports Foundation’s Go Girls Go program. “I especially enjoy supporting sports-related charity events because everyone benefits,” says Broome.
Subliminal messages
Now that you know where this on-air weather guru gets her energy and enthusiasm, her comments during forecasts, such as, “It’s a beautiful day to walk the dog or shoot some hoops with the kids!” are not exactly subtle. “O.K., I admit it,” she says with a sly grin. “In my own little way, it’s my little campaign for fitness.” And you thought you were just tuning in for the seven-day forecast! Well, tune in for more motivation at five, six and 10 p.m.!
