Fifty, Fit and a Fierce Competitor

In 1973, two years before Saigon fell to communism, then 11 year-old, Mimi Zumwalt, M.D., was evacuated from Vietnam along with her mother and brother. Her biological father had been listed as missing in action while fighting in the Vietnamese Army.

“My mother met my foster father, George Zumwalt, who later adopted me and my brother,” Dr. Zumwalt said. “He helped my mother bring us to the U.S. during the Orphan Airlift mission in 1973. She wanted a better life for her children.”

Dr. Zumwalt, an orthopaedic surgeon with Texas Tech Physicians—Orthopaedics/Sports Medicine, said her foster father helped spark her interest in sports and fitness by introducing her to tennis.

“I began working out in my early 20s” Dr. Zumwalt said. "I was on a collegiate athletic scholarship and my tennis coach wanted me to be stronger with my upper body for a better net game."

Once she started medical school at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, Dr. Zumwalt picked up the fitness regime in her late 20s to relieve stress. She also had joined the U.S. Army after receiving a military scholarship and served during Desert Storm in the early 1990s.

“When I was in the military, you had to be competitive,” Dr. Zumwalt said. “I missed the endorphin rush when I was serving in the Army. We did obstacle courses, parachute jumping out of airplanes, repelling out of helicopters. I started competing in my mid 30s with bodybuilding/fitness shows before having children.”

During her time stationed with the U.S. Army in Columbus, Georgia, Dr. Zumwalt gave birth to two children. She worked out hard to lose her post-pregnancy weight returning to her bodybuilding diet and training program.

Years later in 2000 when she arrived at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, she was in her early 40s and began to compete more seriously. She discovered Tri-Fitness Challenge (TFC) 12 years ago and was hooked on this type of fitness show, which requires much more attention.

Dr. Zumwalt has done more than 25 competitions since 2002, and was inducted into the TFC Hall of Fame last year.

“I love working out for the health benefits, along with feeling stronger in both body and mind, enabling me to overcome personal plus professional obstacles,” Dr. Zumwalt said. “I compete to keep myself more motivated to workout; I also want to set an example for my children/family/relatives, acquaintances/friends, students/clients and patients by showing them the road to health/wellness is through fitness for the rest of their lives.”

Dr. Zumwalt’s workout takes only an hour a day and includes either teaching boot camp and toning (three days); the other four days, she lifts weights alternating upper with lower body exercises mixed with abdominal work for 45 minutes, and also adding 15 minutes of cardio.

Dr. Zumwalt, who turned 53 this year said she feels she is winning against Mother Nature as far as aging goes.

“Turning 50 a few years ago was a pivotal point in my fitness journey,” Dr. Zumwalt said. “Having had injuries and surgeries plus metabolism slowing down from menopause, I had to modify the way I workout along with changing my diet. Now I train smarter in terms of maximizing my time in the gym. I feel I am in the best shape of my life, both physically and mentally.

Dr. Zumwalt said working out everyday gives her more energy and makes her feel more empowered to wear all her hats as a mother, surgeon, teacher, speaker, writer, exercise instructor/trainer and fitness competitor.

“Most of my personal training clients are middle-aged women like me who have had children or are settled into their careers but have ‘let themselves go,’" Dr. Zumwalt said. “I tell them it’s never too late to start your journey into wellness. Begin now and make up your mind to do it. You must fight to preserve whatever you have left of your body, to change your attitude and your life for the better. Go for it and never stop."

Dr. Zumwalt’s Awards:

• No. 1 Arkansas State Women’s Tennis Champion (1983)


• Ms. Fort Benning Bodybuilding Champion (Lightweight 100lbs) 1999


• NASA Powerlifting Masters Champion (set National Bench Press Record of ~145lbs for Women’s Over 40 110lbs weight class) 2002


• TriFitness Challenge (TFC) World Record Bench Press (70 reps at 60 percent of her bodyweight) 2007


• TFC over 50 World Champion 3 years in a row 2012/2013/2014