GA0509_20_23_NancyODell.qxp:GA03_xx_xxFeature 4/22/09 2:25 PM Page 21
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eliveringcelebrityjuicesincejoiningthehitTV-newsmagazine
“AccessHollywood”in1996,unstoppablemulti-hyphenate
NancyO’Dellfinallytookmorethanshecoulddishoutlast
March.Daysshyofwaltzingontotheseasondebutof“Dancing
WiththeStars,”the43-year-oldjournalist-turned-emcee-turned-author
twistedherkneewhilerehearsingthesalsa.Atornmeniscussidelined
O’Dell,butonlyfromthedisco-ball-illuminatedparquetfloor.Whiletrying
tosqueezesurgeryand6–8weeksofrehabintoherairtightschedule,the
perenniallysunnyyetuber-competitiveTV-starkeptjugglingherdayjob
withotherhostingdutieswhilepromotinghernewbookof“mom-to-mom
tips”called Full of Life,andremainingproudlyattentivetoherdaughter,
AshbyGrace,whoturns2inJune.
Thetelegenicandaward-winningreportergraciouslyturnedhernational
spotlighttoacauseclosetoherhearttwoweeksafterher“Dancing”dreams
weredashed.O’Dell’smother,BarbaraHumphries,wasdiagnosedwith
amyotrophiclateralsclerosis(morecommonly,ALS,orLouGehrig’sdisease)
inNovember2007,andsadlydiedthreedaysshyofAshbyGrace’sfirstbirthday
lastyear.OnMarch18,O’Dellhosted“Augie’sQuest,”anannualbash
celebratingfitnesspioneerandALSsurvivorAugieNieto’shugelysuccessful
acc
researchinitiative
e
fortheMuscularDy
s
strophyAssociatio
s
n’sALSdivision.
happiness
BY CHRIS MANN
Todate,Nieto’seffortshavenettedmorethan$18millionforALSresearch,
andO’Dell,whoco-hostedlastyear’sMDATelethon,couldn’tbehappierto
lendhernameandher“AccessHollywood”airtime.Dayspriortoherdancing
injury,theomnipresentTV-host—shealsoco-emceesannualMissUSA
It looks harmless enough, andMissUniversepageants,theRoseBowlParadeandendlessred-carpet
but O’Dell,here with Tony arrivalsforawardsshows—talkedwith Get Active! abouthercareerasa
Dovolani,soon took a fall.
TV-personalityandactivist,hereffortstoshedpregnancypounds,hernew
book,andtheeternalbondbetweenmothersanddaughters.
SUMMER 2009 | GET ACTIVE! 21
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