Purposeful, intentional, supportive, influential, data driven and kind were how Dr Steven Noel Blair (4 July 1939–6 October 2023) lived his life. Previous tributes have already described his numerous accomplishments, awards and publications, but few have spoken about the full spectrum of his personal life, professional career, and service efforts towards physical activity and public health. He not only advocated for healthier living, but, true to his principles (and the data), he lived it daily. In the quiet spaces of a humble work spreadsheet, where he meticulously tracked his time and effort on projects, service commitments and administration, he also tracked his physical activity for decades weaving a personal narrative into the fabric of scientific inquiry. This was more than a numerical record; it was a testament to his dedication. The records start with tracking his daily miles run and strength training, then transitioning to tracking his daily steps in 2009. He began simply using a pedometer strapped to his waist and never transitioned to higher tech wearables in later years as the pedometer was most effective for him. In this Spotlight, we invite you to glimpse where one scientist’s commitment to physical activity and fitness transcended the boundaries of academia and resonates as a poignant reminder of the importance of living the principles we espouse.

Steve Blair was a pioneer… in so many ways. He laid the groundwork upon which the highly regarded exercise science programme at the University of South Carolina. He was instrumental in establishing the University of South Carolina as an institution that conducted research funded by the National Institutes of Health. He developed the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study into a truly iconic contributor to the body of knowledge on physical activity and health. His service contributions also remained distinctive and extend beyond the recognition of fellow status from eight different organisations. He served as senior scientific editor of the US Surgeon General’s Report on Physical Activity and Health. He served on the editorial board for over 25 different academic journals to which being the co-founding editor for the Journal of Physical Activity and Health. He was revered by the worldwide exercise science community for his contributions to establishing a role for physical activity in public health. And in recognition of these amazing accomplishments, he was recognised with awards from innumerable organisations and academic institutions by receiving four honorary doctorates. This is the ‘public pioneer’ that is known to so many. But some of Steve’s friends and close colleagues were fortunate to know the ‘private pioneer’. He was the cherished mentor who helped so many students and young scientists gain focus in their research careers. Specifically, he was the primary mentor to over 30+ graduate students who follow in his footsteps. He was the dedicated professional who worked tirelessly and without recognition to support the missions of scientific societies while serving as president for the American College of Medicine, American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education, and the National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity. He was the skilled communicator who never said no when asked to speak with media representatives, often ‘off the record’. He was the friend who generously gave his time to help those in need. He was the consummate role model who lived the life he endorsed. Therefore, Steve’s early adoption of and long-term adherence to device-based monitoring of his own physical activity were fully consistent with both his amazing, and well-known, professional stature and his less well-known personal commitment to living a life of the highest quality.

The evolution of measuring physical activity with device-based measures continues to be popular in research and personal use. Steve Blair in particular enjoyed measuring physical activity with different device-based measures across his different investigations. He is considered by some to be one of the first investigators in the exercise science field to use pedometers and accelerometers. Pedometers, accelerometers and consumer wearables (ie, Apple Watch, Fitbit, Garmin) can be used in a variety of ways which include step tracking, distance taking, heart rate monitoring, caloric expenditure, meeting physical activity guidelines, altering physical activity and sedentary behaviours, sleep tracking and so much more. Based on Steve’s computer records, he personally recorded and tracked his physical activity beginning on 1 January 2001 until 10 February 2023. He may have recorded his activity prior to 2001 in a non-computerised format but this remains unknown. At the age of 71 years old, he set a personal total step goal of 5 000 000 steps (equating to 13 699 steps per day) annually. According to figure 1A, Steve met his goal 11 out of 13 years and as displayed in figure 1B, Steve’s total step data varied throughout the year. Currently, Steve’s total step data extend beyond most users owning a consumer wearable device to date. For example, the first Apple Watch was introduced on 24 April 2015 and even if owners would upgrade their device every year would still not have enough step data to match Steve’s. Measuring physical activity can provide unique opportunities to understand human health for anyone but in this case, Steve did ‘talk the talk and walk the walk’. As Steve wanted, he would always recommend getting more steps during our day.

Steve Blair pedometer step data by age (A) and months of the year (B).

The legacy of Steve Blair will always be remembered for being the premier gold standard with his vocation and avocation efforts in physical activity and public health. Because of these endeavours, his prescription for us to exercise and increase our physical activity will always be prescribed to us and the generations to come.

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