leigh-anne-tuohy

Leigh Anne Tuohy

Dubbed a “warrior princess” by author Michael Lewis in his best-selling book “The Blind Side,” Leigh Anne Tuohy is the inspirational matriarch of the Tuohy family. A Memphis, Tennessee native, she attended Briarcrest Christian School and went on to graduate from the University of Mississippi, “Ole Miss,” with a B.S. in interior design. There she met Sean Tuohy, her husband of 27 years. Both were active and ambitious college students: She was a cheerleader, campus favorite, homecoming maid and active member of her sorority; he became a record-breaking SEC basketball champion and still holds several SEC assist records. They are the proud parents of daughter Collins (23) and sons Michael Oher (23) and Sean, Jr. (16).

Tuohy owns “Flair I,” an interior design firm with her mother and partner, Virginia Roberts. Her work has been featured on HGTV, in numerous publications, and she has designed for such clients as Peyton Manning, Scottie Pippin, Isaac Bruce and OJ Mayo. The Tuohy family is actively involved in many civic and faith-based organizations, including Grace Evangelical Church, of which they are founding members. The Tuohy family’s life, as chronicled in Lewis’ New York Times number one best-seller “The Blind Side,” went on to become a record-breaking Hollywood blockbuster that earned more than $260 million at the box office and became the number-one opening weekend for a sports film in history.

At the podium, Tuohy inspires audiences to recognize the full potential of individuals in their community?and to find value in those who society has deemed valueless. She shares her personal “Blind Side” observations, from seeing Michael Oher for the first time to how the experience changed her as a person-and the Tuohys as a family. “He had a much greater impact on our lives than we did on his life,” says Tuohy.