COURAGE AWARD RECIPIENT
Peggy Michaels, PE teacher and chair of the Physical Education Department at Girls Preparatory School
Ms. Michaels is recognized across the state and the Southeast for the SHAPE (Starting Habits to Attain Physical Excellence) fitness and wellness program that she designed to use in PE classes at the Girls Preparatory School in Chattanooga, TN. It has been recognized as one of the top high school physical education programs in the Southeast.
Lettering in two sports, volleyball and basketball, at Tyner High School in the 1960s, Ms. Michaels attended Tennessee Tech University, from which she received the Flavious Smith Distinguished Alumnus of the Year Award.
Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis over 25 years ago, Ms. Michaels has adapted her teaching style due to her physical limitations, but her interaction with students is ongoing and personal. She is a member of the Tennessee Multiple Sclerosis Hall of Fame.