    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1991, Book I)]
    [May 1, 1991]
    [Pages 447-448]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on National Physical Fitness and Sports Month
    May 1, 1991

        Bright and early. Thank you all very much. Please be seated. We want
    to see all of you go one-on-one with Arnold here in a minute. [Laughter]
        But we're out here for a very special reason this early. No one
    wanted to tell Mr. Schwarzenegger it was too early, so here we are.
    [Laughter] I want to salute our Secretary of Education, Lamar Alexander,
    who's leading us on a new crusade for educational excellence. And in my
    view, that includes education of the mind and also a fit body. And I see
    General Colin Powell here, and I think of the fitness of those who serve
    under him. And believe me, there's a good example for our whole country
    in that. Those young people performed superbly abroad, and they were
    fit, and they were kept fit. So, Colin, thank you sir.
        So, what we're doing today is to kick off the National Fitness and
    Sports Month with the Great American Workout. And here to lead us is our
    chairman, the Chairman of the President's Counsel on Fitness, Arnold
    Schwarzenegger. A while back Arnold was up at Camp David with us, with
    Barbara and me. And we play a great game up there called wallyball--it's
    volleyball inside of a racquetball court, marvelous exercise. And our
    granddaughter's 6-year-old friend Abigail looked through that little
    window you know they have on the racquetball court and ran into the
    gymnasium where the Marines were all working out up there. And she said,
    ``Guess who's in there. Kindergarten cop. He's wearing flowered shorts.
    It's weird.'' [Laughter] You remember that, Maria.
        Well, Arnold's doing a great job. He's already been--get this now--
    on his own out there because he believes--to 24 States, and his steps
    are leading the way for fitness.
        Let me welcome the many other celebrities and guests with us,
    especially the team

    [[Page 448]]

    I just greeted, Northern Michigan University's hockey team, NCAA champs.
    And I understand that eight members of this team were named to their All
    American All Academic team, proving you can excel in the classroom as
    well as on the ice. These young men do serve as a wonderful example to
    us all.
        And as you know, our administration has proposed this bold new
    education strategy which we call America 2000--our Secretary of
    Education, Lamar Alexander, leading the way. What it does, it challenges
    our young people to excel in English, history, math, science, and
    geography. But it also encourages Americans to develop habits that lead
    to fuller and richer lives, to make learning a process that never ends.
        And so, we're here this morning because we want to emphasize another
    important habit. And I'm not just talking about getting up early. We
    want to emphasize the importance of healthy bodies, bodies free from
    drugs, bodies charged with the vigor that exercise brings. No matter how
    old you are or what kind of shape you're in, exercise helps every one of
    us live longer, healthier, more enjoyable lives. And for many of us
    fitness is already a part of our daily routine. But too many people
    still look at exercise optional. And one in four adults don't exercise--
    one in four don't exercise at all. For the sake of our nation's health,
    that simply has to change.
        And exercise is important for every American. But the focus this
    year is on youth fitness. And if we want our children to grow up strong
    and healthy, we've got work to do. Right now, only one State requires
    daily phys ed from the kindergarten through 12th. And across the country
    only one in three students of all ages take gym every day. If we care
    about our kids' future, we'll make room for fitness.
        We start by teaching our kids that phys ed is just like any other
    class--to get ahead you've got to do homework. And the good news is, is
    that fitness is fun. So on the weekends, after school stay away from the
    junk food, get up off that couch, unplug the Nintendo and turn off the
    TV, and go out and get some exercise. And that's what we're about to do,
    with varying degrees of enthusiasm, right here this morning. [Laughter]
        Before we begin, let me recognize one girl who symbolizes the 10
    million American children who are on the right track to good health. The
    10 millionth recipient of the President's Physical Fitness Award, Andrea
    Stafford. You won't believe this one, but it's the truth. Andrea is from
    Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Where is Andrea? Right there. You come up here,
    Andrea. Andrea will now take on Pam Shriver in tennis. She told me
    that's her favorite sport. [Laughter]
        But listen, it is my pleasure to declare the month of May National
    Fitness and Sports Month. And now, without further delay, the czar here
    and I will attack these workout stations. Thank you all very much for
    coming.

                        Note: The President spoke at 7:22 a.m. on the South
                            Lawn at the White House. In his remarks, he
                            referred to Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chairman of
                            the President's Council on Physical Fitness and
                            Sports, and his wife, Maria Shriver; Secretary
                            of Education Lamar Alexander; Gen. Colin L.
                            Powell, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff;
                            student Andrea Stafford; and Pam Shriver, a
                            professional tennis player.