“There was a new force in Michael Oher’s life: a woman paying extremely close attention to him who had an eye for detail, a nose for trouble, the heart of a lion and the will of a storm trooper.”
— from The Blind Side
Dubbed a “warrior princess” by author Michael Lewis in his best-selling book The Blind Side, Leigh Anne is the inspirational matriarch of the Tuohy family. A Memphis, Tennessee native, Leigh Anne attended Briarcrest Christian School and went on to graduate from the University of Mississippi, “Ole Miss,” with a Bachelor’s of Science in Interior Design. There Leigh Anne met Sean Tuohy, her husband of 30 years. Both were active and ambitious college students: Leigh Anne was a cheerleader, campus favorite, homecoming maid and active member of her sorority; Sean became a record-breaking SEC basketball champion and still holds several SEC assist records. They are the proud parents of daughter Collins (26) and sons Michael Oher (26) and Sean, Jr. (19). In February 2013, Leigh Anne and the whole Tuohy family were on the sidelines cheering Michael and the Baltimore Ravens on to his first Super bowl victory.
Leigh Anne owns “Flair I,” an interior design firm with her mother and partner, Virginia Roberts. Her work has been featured on HGTV and in numerous publications. She has designed for such clients as Peyton Manning, Scottie Pippen, Isaac Bruce, and OJ Mayo and was a member of the design team for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Season 8 during the 2010-11 season.
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 $300 million at the box office and became the number one opening weekend sports film in history.
Years after The Blind Side burst onto the scene, breaking box office records and inspiring individuals nationwide, Leigh Anne continues to make an impact. In July 2010, she and her husband, Sean, released the New York Times best-seller, In a Heartbeat: Sharing the Power of Cheerful Giving, and established their charity, The Making it Happen Foundation, which promotes awareness, provides hope, and improves standards of living for all the children fighting to survive in the invisible cracks in society. A fun element of their charity is the weekly Tuohy Trivia which offers a lucky winner a $25 gift to the charity of his or her choice. Leigh Anne’s newest book, Making it Happen: Just Turn Around, details concrete action steps people can take to becoming more involved and giving—in both their community and in their one on one interactions with others. Through all of her projects, Leigh Anne continues her mission to inspire hope, ignite generosity, and make it happen for the deserving, but underserved youth.
The Tuohy family’s inspirational story has been covered all over the national media including Good Morning America, The Today Show, 20/20, and Huckabee to name a few.
Currently, Leigh Anne can be seen in Family Addition with Leigh Anne Tuohy on UP, the network dedicated to uplifting entertainment. The new television show features families as they go through the practical, physical, and emotional process of adding a new family member and also facilitates a makeover of part of their homes to accommodate the new addition.
Leigh Anne has been a contributing writer to the AARP weekly blog and More.com, offering advice through personal stories of determination and charitable giving. She is one of the most sought after motivational speakers, has appeared on CNN, Katie, Fox and Friends, Dr. Drew, Sean Hannity, and Huffington Post Live and has given lectures to a broad spectrum of audiences from religious groups and town halls to some of the country’s largest corporations.
At the podium, Leigh Anne 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 Leigh Anne.
