Like many babies, Alexis Steptoe was born with a heart murmur that her doctors believed would resolve itself as she grew older. However, shortly after her first birthday, Steptoe’s parents continued to notice odd symptoms.

“My mom said I would go to bend over and I would make a sound. At first she thought I was just imitating something on TV, like ‘Oh, my back!’” Steptoe said. “She started paying attention to that, but she also started noticing a blue tint around my lips and times during the day when I seemed to just shut down like my battery was drained. One minute I was this energetic little tot running around and playing, and then I would just sort of power down.”

Steptoe’s parents decided there must be something more going on, so they took her to the doctor in her hometown of Bluefield, Virginia. That’s when she was diagnosed with an atrial septal defect and a patent ductus arteriosus. “I basically had a hole in my heart,” Steptoe said. “A valve that was supposed to close off at birth did not, and it was slowly leaking blood into my lungs.” 

From there, Steptoe was scheduled for surgery at Duke University Hospital, where a surgeon was able to use her existing tissue to recreate the valve so that it would open and close properly. 

“The cool thing about me being there was that I had a team of 22 doctors and future doctors who got to observe and learn from the primary surgeon doing the surgery,” Steptoe said. “They were students who got to watch, ask questions and observe a pediatric open-heart surgery, so I always think that that’s really cool that, you know, I was being a health educator before I was a health educator.”

Keeping Up the Momentum

Steptoe thrived after the surgery. The early challenges she overcame in life inspired her to dedicate her career to health and wellness education. 

She earned a Bachelor of Science in health education from Radford University and a master’s degree in public health from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She also became a nationally board-certified health and wellness coach.

Now as assistant director of Wellness and Recreation at NC State, Steptoe has helped develop and lead the Wolfpack Wellness initiative, a concerted effort to educate the community about physical and mental health resources on campus. She also oversees programming for employees and regularly teaches group fitness classes such as indoor cycling, mobility training and strength-based classes that use bodyweight training and small pieces of equipment that are accessible to a wide audience.

“It’s so inspiring and unique to work on a college campus because you can’t stay stagnant,” Steptoe said. “The students, research and climate are all going to push you to keep changing and making things better, and being in higher ed requires us to keep up the momentum.”

One of Steptoe’s greatest challenges — but also greatest joys — in her role is helping employees of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to be healthier versions of themselves. She believes that one size does not fit all when it comes to wellness.

“Sometimes we think about health issues as being black and white, but there is so much gray area because there are so many factors that go into it,” Steptoe said. “Genetics, environment, exposures, lifestyles — these are all different pieces. So, my goal in all programs is to make it about the individual person.”

Finding a Wellness Community

While everyone’s wellness journey might look different, that doesn’t mean they have to go it alone. Steptoe strives to make Wellness and Recreation facilities welcoming to both lifelong fitness enthusiasts as well as people coming to the gym for the first time. For the latter, Steptoe recommends checking out group fitness classes where participants can join at any time and simply follow along with an instructor. Another way to ease into a fitness routine is by visiting the Wellness and Recreation Center’s indoor Climbing Center.

“The climbing wall is great for team building or small groups of friends who want to try something new,” Steptoe said. “You don’t have to have any skill level or equipment. Once you come in, we will teach you all you need to know so that you can try something new and get a fun workout.”

Besides the Climbing Center, one of Steptoe’s favorite amenities in the Wellness and Recreation Center is its private fitness studios. Five rooms can be reserved for up to one hour and contain all the equipment needed for a full-body workout with free weights. Some of them include the ability to cast videos on a screen so users can follow along with recorded routines, and a larger room with a squat rack can accommodate up to three people for those who prefer to work out with a small group.

The facility also includes accessible accommodations for those with limited mobility. 

“If you have lower body limitations, for example, we have these machines called arm ergometers that are like a treadmill or a bike but for your arms,” Steptoe said. “I always encourage people that if you think you’re the best runner or the best walker, try the arm ergometer because it gives you one heck of a cardiovascular workout. I can make it maybe a little over two minutes before getting tanked because it’s just a different way of using your body but still gets the heart and lungs going.”

Finally, for employees who want to get their steps in, Steptoe recommends taking a walk across campus to admire the latest exhibitions at the Gregg Museum of Art & Design or joining colleagues in the faculty and staff walking or running groups. If the weather isn’t ideal outside, Steptoe suggests employees who haven’t already done so activate their free 30-day pass from Wellness and Recreation and use the indoor track there. 

While Steptoe acknowledges that she doesn’t have all the answers, her teaching philosophy and primary goal are to speak from the heart and encourage people to take small steps now in order to help prevent or reduce risk for future health issues.

“Our physical health is impacted by not just movement but also by how we eat and sleep, which in turn help us manage our emotions and stress,” Steptoe said. “All of these pieces are interconnected, and so being able to inspire and hopefully encourage people to take small steps to improve their health is one of the things that brings me the most joy in my work.”