Meet YMCA Member: Chris J.

Chris Johns likes to immerse himself in his surroundings. And, thanks to his career as a journalist, he’s had some neat opportunities to do so.

Chris grew up outside of Medford, Oregon, where he went to his local YMCA to take judo lessons and to play basketball.

“I’ve always loved the Y,” he said. “YMCAs are an integral part to healthy communities.”

After graduating from high school, Chris headed to Oregon State University with his sights set on becoming a large animal vet.

“I was a pre-vet major. I was taking all the classes, and then I took a journalism class that changed my life,” said Chris. “It sounds a little corny, but I felt that journalism itself was a calling. You don’t do it for the money. You do it because you want to give people accurate, unbiased information.”

Chris graduated from Oregon State University with a degree in journalism and a minor in agriculture. He later studied photojournalism at the University of Minnesota and worked at several newspapers before landing at a medium-sized newspaper in Topeka, Kansas. While in Kansas, Chris had an opportunity to freelance for National Geographic.

“I’ve had a long interest in the forest,” explained Chris. “Some of my best friends were firefighters, so I pitched a story to National Geographic on forest fires.”

Chris took a leave of absence from his job to embed himself in an Oregon hotshot crew in the Rogue River area. He spent four months as the crew’s 21st member, following them through fires and documenting along the way.

After briefly returning to Kansas, Chris found himself missing the west and accepted a job with the Seattle Times. He continued freelancing for National Geographic, though, and eventually went to work for the magazine full time.

As a photojournalist for National Geographic, Chris travelled throughout the world, spending the later part of his photojournalism career in east and southern Africa. Constant travelling became more challenging as his family grew, and so Chris accepted a job at the National Geographic headquarters in Washington, D.C. Over the next 10-plus years, Chris would be responsible for the visual part of the magazine, eventually becoming National Geographic’s editor-in-chief (2005–2015) and, later, its chief content officer.

“Financially, journalism has been hit hard, especially print journalism,” said Chris. “However, journalists now have many more tools to tell stories than they used to, which is pretty cool.”

Under Chris, National Geographic expanded its visual storytelling by embracing cartography, video, audio, and social media. One of his proudest professional moments was producing Beyond Yellowstone, an in-depth look at our nation’s oldest park. The magazine dedicated a full issue to the park, diving deep into the Yellowstone’s history and biological landscape.

In preparation for Beyond Yellowstone, Chris and his wife, Elizabeth, relocated to Missoula in 2017 to be closer to the park.

“I have a real affinity for Missoula,” said Chris. “I grew up vacationing here as a child, and, when my children were small, I’d done an assignment on Highway 93 for National Geographic.”

Just as he wrapped up Beyond Yellowstone, Chris was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. A non-smoker and regular exerciser, Chris suddenly found himself in intensive chemotherapy and radiation, completing 30 radiation treatments and losing 33 pounds.

“I went from running an eight-and-a-half-minute mile to taking 30 minutes to walk half a mile,” said Chris. “I had to rethink what fitness looked like in my life.”

“Before cancer, my routine was running, cycling, and lifting weights. I’d never used a personal trainer before. I’d just exercise hard until I’d injure myself, then I’d start over again.”

As Chris recovered from the effects of chemotherapy and radiation, his mother-in-law introduced him to her YMCA personal trainer, Missy Adams. Chris joined the Missoula YMCA and, at his wife’s suggestion, he started training with Missy.

“My balance and flexibility were all messed up after chemo. I had to reestablish my fitness routine,” explained Chris. “Missy is delightful to work with and she really knows her stuff. I’ve learned so much about fitness from her.”

Today, Chris works with Missy to maintain a healthy, well-rounded exercise routine. He comes to the Y every Tuesday and Thursday to work out, occasionally throwing in a bonus workout on Fridays.

“The Y’s got everything you need,” Chris said. “I love coming to the Y for the social aspects. I want to work out alongside all different kinds of people, and the Y lets you do that.”