As part of Xpress‘ annual Wellness Issue series, we reached out to the members of Asheville City Council and the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners to share their approaches to managing their physical and mental health. Not all elected officials were available.
Below is our conversation with Commissioner Drew Ball.
Xpress: What is your go-to exercise? And, if applicable, where in Buncombe County do you like to do it?
Ball: With so many great trails in our region, I enjoy mountain biking and trail running. I mostly run a section of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST) near my home that I help care for as a section maintainer with the Carolina Mountain Club (CMC). I’m just one of hundreds of CMC volunteers, and it’s inspiring that so many miles of trails in our area are maintained by volunteers from great groups like CMC and Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association (SORBA).
On days when you need to mentally unwind, is there a spot in our city that you gravitate to?
Alongside the French Broad River. Prior to the storm, I would have said the French Broad River Park, but the importance of our public parks to our physical and mental health is exactly why we have to be committed to getting our parks and public lands restored as quickly as possible.
What song gets you most energized (whether it’s for a workout session or a commission meeting)?
“All Along the Watchtower,” the Jimi Hendrix version — but it was written by Bob Dylan. Years ago, I saw Steve Earle and his band cover it at The Orange Peel, and they absolutely crushed it.
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