When Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away earlier this month, the United States lost a true pioneer and titan of the judicial system. There are many memorable things that Justice Ginsburg achieved in her lifetime, but the inscription on her headstone will commemorate the one that the deceased judge valued the most: Ginsburg’s headstone says nothing but “GYM RAT” on it.
This is deeply moving. Even in death, her commitment to fitness remains.
The headstone, which was unveiled in a private ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery yesterday afternoon, does not include standard details such as Ginsburg’s name, birth date, or death date. Instead, it just says “GYM RAT” with no additional information. For years we have seen photographs and video footage of Ginsburg hitting the gym and lifting weights, and now her famous dedication to working out and building muscle will be the enduring legacy of this incredible woman.
“More than a lawyer and more than a judge, Ruth was a gym rat, a muscular zealot who worshipped at the altar of the Iron Church of Fitness,” said Ginsburg’s family in a statement. “One hundred years from now, when future generations of little girls see this headstone, they will say, ‘I have no idea who is buried here, but they must have lifted weights constantly.’ We can think of no message more fitting to be inscribed upon our beloved Ruth’s headstone.”
Absolutely beautiful!
Although RBG’s name and legal achievements may one day be forgotten, her strict regimen of weightlifting, push-ups, and sit-ups will live eternally in the hearts and minds of all Americans. May she always be remembered as exactly what she was: a gym rat in life and in death.
