Brad Roy has always understood the importance of exercise when it comes to health. After 30 years of serving as the executive director of the Logan Health Medical Fitness Center, he has integrated that philosophy into day-to-day care.  

“Exercise isn’t all about taking care of your heart and your lungs and your muscles, there’s a lot of benefits to your brain as well,” Roy said.  

Born in San Diego, Roy attended Carlsbad High School and made his mark. He fell in love with track and cross country, leading him to break a slate of school records and win athlete of the year his senior year. After graduating, Roy competed at the collegiate level, following his favorite coaches, while studying exercise science and physical education.  

After his time as an undergraduate, Roy returned to Carlsbad as a substitute teacher and coach, expanding the cross-country and track programs.  

“To me success is, if I find you 50 years from now and you’re still running, then I did a good job coaching … They’re all still running,” he said of his former students, a smile across his face.  

It was the beginning of what would become a career in fitness and eventually led him to the top position at what was formally known as The Summit. The fitness center offers aquatics, tennis, youth programs, fitness training opportunities and compressive programming for wellness.  

Marking three decades, Roy recently retired from his position leading the facility. 

Earning his master’s in exercise physiology at San Diego State University, Roy ran his first marathon about that time, placing third. Determined as always, Roy ran it again the following year and took gold. He later finished both the Boston Marathon and Nike Marathon in under 2-and-a-half hours.  

As his passion for running grew, so did his interest in the physiology behind it.  

He conducted his thesis at Mammoth Lakes in California in 1980 where he looked at the effects of altitude on long-term endurance training. After earning his master’s, he worked for a cardiologist in Bishop, California before taking a job with Athletes in Action, a Christian sports ministry. When the company moved its headquarters to Eugene, Oregon, Roy moved with it.  

Soon after moving, he met his wife and joined the staff at Sacred Heart Medical Center, the start of his time working in hospitals. He spent 13 years at the Oregon Heart Center in Eugene, where he started the cardiopulmonary exercise testing lab. 

Roy graduated with his doctorate in clinical exercise physiology from Columbia Pacific University during that time. 

In 1995, Roy and his family were looking for a change when he saw an advertisement for a job at what is now Logan Health for a director position for a new medical fitness center. Encouraged by conversations with cardiologists at the hospital system, Roy applied. He was hired in October, helped open The Summit in January 1996 and never looked back.  

“I think the vision really was an athletic club with a wellness twist to it,” he said, referencing the Rochester Athletic Club, a large multi-use facility in Minnesota, as an inspiration. 

At the time, creating a fitness center was a dream of former CEO Bill Diers and Second Wind — a preexisting, but smaller fitness center — manager Don Author.  

Throughout his tenure, Roy delved into cardiopulmonary rehabilitation practices. While at Logan, Roy relocated the rehab program onto the fitness center floor to better integrate patients back into fitness areas they could continue in after rehab. He developed a children’s program, received grant funding for research projects and initiated a health coaching-based program for athletes and patients.  

While what the fitness center does is cool, it’s truly the staff that make it great, Roy said.  

“The Summit was a ministry of people, right? It’s about taking care of patients, having opportunities for kids to not get into trouble and do something really constructive and exercise, and helping other people with their health and wellbeing,” he said. “So, it’s really all about people, and I’m hoping that that continues.” 

Jonnette Sibson, who has been with the facility for nearly 20 years, is taking over as director of the medical fitness facility. Sibson is a good leader, Roy said.  

As for Roy, he looks forward to spending more time with his grandchildren, coaching youth sports and visiting the gym every now and then. He’s not going anywhere, he said with a laugh.  

Reporter Kate Heston may be reached at 758-4459 or kheston@dailyinterlake.com.