“Hosting the Evian Aerobics Championship. I remember thinking Evian is never going to make it, nobody is going to pay for a bottle of water…” –Bess Motta

I spent the Summer of 1983 with Bess Motta, the 80s aerobics instructor of 20-Minute Workout fame. Every morning, Monday through Friday, I watched the show on TV and followed Bess’s high-impact exercise moves. She was gorgeous with a wild mane of dark curly hair, super fun 80s aerobics outfits, and a spunky personality that palpitated throughout the show.

Bess was so encouraging to me, and honestly, it’s like she’s been in my heart ever since. I was a chubby teenager and she as well as the other girls on the show, specifically Holly Butler and Arlaine Wright, helped me drop 20 pounds that summer. It was a real bummer when school started back up in the fall and I couldn’t work out anymore. This was in the days before VCRs.

The Women of the 20-Minute Workout. Their coordinating outfits were so fun!

In May 1983, I finished my sophomore year of high school in Southeast Kansas. My parents moved to Bartlesville, Oklahoma where we rented a house in the Oak Park Addition. I was just 15 and still too young to get a job. Save for the 20-Minute Workout, babysitting jobs and whatever youth group activities might be going on at church, my entire existence was 100 percent Teenage Wasteland. All my friends were back in Kansas and so, Bess, Arlaine and Holly represented the totality of my human interaction outside of my parents.

A few years ago, I snagged a rather crude collection of the 20-minute workout from some eBay seller. The quality was low, but there it was in all its colorful leg-warmer glory. The aerobics outfits were one of the show’s best highlights as you can see from all these amazing pictures of Bess.

I caught up with Bess on Facebook recently. She graciously agreed to let me share these wonderful photos with you. Isn’t she beautiful? I’m glad she was with me all those years ago on Sooner Road. Be sure to check her out on Facebook. She’s just as fit and beautiful as ever. She encourages me, still!

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