ABOUT THIS EPISODE
On this episode of Straight Lines Eastern Pennsylvania, presented by the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, host Tim Neiman welcomes John Graham, Senior Network Administrator for Lifestyle Health and Wellness, Fitness and Sports Performance at St. Luke's University Health Network, and recipient of the 2026 Boyd Epley Award for NSCA Lifetime Contributions. John traces his path from a football player at the University of Pittsburgh who planned to become a physical therapist, to a career-changing conversation with strength coach Buddy Morris that pushed him into exercise science just as the profession was taking shape. He reflects on how much the field has changed, from the old three-days-a-week gym guidance to today's push for daily movement, and how St. Luke's lets his team focus on patient and athlete care rather than insurance protocols. John also shares his approach to youth sports and parenting: skip the car ride critique, wait twenty-four hours, and treat the last player on the roster with the same attention as the star, because you never know who will surprise you. He closes with the standard he lives by: it's not what you do when everybody's watching that matters, it's what you do when nobody is.
A must-listen for young people considering a career in exercise science and sports performance, parents and coaches looking to keep youth sports fun, and anyone who believes the little things done consistently, and without recognition, are what make a difference.
