'The journey begins with one step!"

Beloved Today weatherman and TV personality AI Roker, 69, is known for brightening the days of his millions of viewers-even when there are clouds looming. But how has AI made it through his life's greatest storms, including cancer and a life-threatening blood clot? Here, he shares how family, his fans, a positive attitude and prioritizing his health kept him shining through it all

- Deborah Evans Price

Known for his huge, always-present smile and a personality that fills any room with joy, Al Roker is as busy as busy comes these days. And as a doting grandfather to his granddaughter Sky, and with his newly released book, the fourth in his Morning Show Murders series, titled Murder on Demand, he’s loving every busy second.

“The main character in my book, Billy Blessing, is a former morning show host and restaurant owner who happens to be bald and Black and chunky, but very good-looking…sound familiar?” Al shares with Woman’s World with a laugh. “In this installment, Blessing finds himself back on his heels, struggling to get back to the life he knew, and somebody offers him a ticket back…but it’s a dangerous one.”

For Al, life may imitate art a bit—he too was set back on his heels after a prostate cancer diagnosis in 2020. But after a successful procedure, Al’s surgeon gave him one task: to be up and walking by the end of the week.

“I started doing that, and enjoyed it,” Al shares of the moment that birthed a movement: the Start TODAY program, which Al unwittingly began after sharing his walking journey on Instagram.

Now, it’s a platform that encourages thousands to join him on a journey to better health (including Detricia WoodsMeadows, who lost 65 pounds— read her story on page 26). “Walking is easy, accessible and feels great,” Al smiles. Here, his keys to healthy and happy.

It’s okay to give yourself a break