I've been interviewing leaders in our new campaign to reform phys-ed, and will be posting their stories in various ways over the coming months. For now, here is a composite portrait. This absorbs points I've heard from parents, teachers, principals and researchers. I put it in first-person because everyone who shared these points made a personal connection between the use of physical activity in education and the balance of their own lives. For more stories and to share your own, Tweet this and come to our next meeting on February 13 at 4 pm at 161 East 110th Street.

I have a pretty ordinary build- sometimes I need to remind myself to stay active- and you won't see my face on an infomercial. I got into this work because I grew up believing that daily exercise was a basic part of life, and later I saw avoidable disease in my community that could only come from a lack of physical activity. I have seen children in my community show early signs of a life of diabetes and heart problems, and I want to help prevent it.

Nobody can tell me that a six-year-old reaches 165 pounds by choice. I want to make my own health more stable and create a healthy range of choices for kids. So I find ways to make activity part of my family life. There are plenty of parks, playgrounds, leagues and waterfronts in the Big Apple. It just takes focus to find the spaces that fit into your day and find the physical activity you enjoy doing.

That focus is something you learn in physical education- and more kids will learn it more deeply when more phys-ed teachers in this city get more time with students.

The system that connects food, sedentary living and consumer culture shows up everywhere. You can fix this trap only by attacking it at all points along the system. Only talking about food falls short.

Physical activity has changed my power to handle stress. It has changed who says hi to me at school and who trusts me to lead. Physical activity and physical education can change the outlook of kids who feel hopeless or tired. It can only help academic performance, once we change its roel. We - the community-based organizations, health professionals, parents and educators- can amass the power to define this change.

The state mandate is worth meeting, whatever it is, but it’s time to define our own goals and meet those.

Schools should work with partners and a range of educators to deliver minutes of phys ed to children.