Joan Lunden

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Joan Lunden – Life, Career, and Memorable Quotes

Discover the inspiring journey of Joan Lunden (born 1950) — American television journalist, author, and advocate. Explore her biography, career highlights, personal challenges, philosophies, and famous quotes.

Introduction

Joan Lunden (born September 19, 1950) is a US television journalist, author, and broadcaster who became a familiar face in American homes as co-host of Good Morning America from 1980 to 1997. Over her long career she has navigated journalism, authorship, public health advocacy, and personal challenges with resilience and warmth. Her life offers lessons in perseverance, balance, reinvention, and speaking truth in public life.

In this article, we’ll trace her early years, broadcasting career, major achievements, personal life and challenges, legacy, and some of her most enduring quotes.

Early Life and Education

Joan Elise Blunden (later Lunden) was born on September 19, 1950, in Fair Oaks, California (in Sacramento County).

Tragedy struck early: in 1964, when Joan was about 14, her father and his fellow pilot Dr. Byron Hall died in a plane crash over Malibu Canyon while returning from an American Cancer Society meeting.

Lunden graduated from Bella Vista High School in Fair Oaks at the age of 16 (in 1967) and went on to earn a liberal arts degree from California State University, Sacramento.

These educational foundations set her on a path into broadcasting and journalism.

Broadcasting Career & Achievements

Entry into Television

Lunden began working in television in 1973 at Sacramento’s KCRA-TV. WABC-TV as a reporter and eventually as anchor.

In the fall of 1976, she joined Good Morning America (GMA) as a feature news / consumer reporter and sometimes fill-in co-host.

Good Morning America Years & Public Presence

From 1980 through 1997, Joan Lunden was a principal co-host of GMA, working with David Hartman initially and later extensively with Charlie Gibson. Over these 17 years she became one of the most recognizable faces in American morning television.

During her GMA tenure, she covered a wide variety of stories:

• She reported from 26 countries and covered five U.S. presidents.

• She reported on major historical events like the 50th anniversaries of VE Day and D-Day.

• She took on more adventurous assignments: rappelling a glacier in Alaska, bungee jumping, whitewater rafting, paragliding, etc., to push herself and bring unique stories to viewers.

Her style combined professionalism, empathy, and a willingness to engage with both serious issues and lighter stories.

Later Roles & Projects

After stepping away from the full-time co-host role, Lunden continued to remain active:

• She became a special correspondent for NBC’s Today program.

• In 2021, she became host of the public television health show Second Opinion.

• She has authored more than ten books, spanning memoir, health, aging, motherhood, and resilience.

• She also served as a spokesperson and advocate in public health campaigns, particularly in breast cancer awareness, as well as senior care and caregiving.

She also launched Camp Reveille, a retreat for women, and has been involved in boards and health advocacy organizations.

Awards & Recognition

Over the years, Lunden has received numerous honors:

• She has been recognized by groups like the New York Women in Communications (Matrix Award) for her contributions to broadcasting.

• She was awarded the Warrior Award by the WWE Hall of Fame in 2016, honoring her work as a breast cancer survivor and advocate.

• Among her many awards are distinctions for women, communications, broadcasting excellence, and her public advocacy roles.

Personal Life, Challenges & Advocacy

Family & Relationships

Joan Lunden has had a complex personal life alongside her public career:

• She was married to Michael A. Krauss from 1978 until their divorce in 1992.

• With Krauss, she had three daughters: Jamie Beryl (born July 4, 1980), Lindsay Leigh, and Sarah Emily.

• In April 2000, she married Jeff Konigsberg, owner of Camp Takajo.

• With Konigsberg, she had four more children, including twins, some of whom were born via surrogacy.

Notably, during her time at GMA, Lunden negotiated maternity support: she had a contract provision allowing her to bring her baby to work, and breastfeeding facilities were made available on set while she resumed work early postpartum. She has often spoken about balancing motherhood and a demanding public career.

Health & Public Challenges

Joan Lunden is also known for her public battle with breast cancer:

• In 2014, she revealed that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer, publicly sharing her journey and raising awareness.

• She has spoken candidly about hair loss, self-image, and the emotional impact of cancer, offering support and advocacy for others facing similar struggles.

• Her advocacy in health and caregiving has become a significant part of her public identity.

She has also served as a caregiver for her mother, who had dementia, and from that experience has become an advocate for senior care and assisted living awareness.

Legacy & Influence

Joan Lunden’s legacy spans multiple domains:

1. Pioneering for working mothers in media
   Her insistence on maternity accommodation on set and balance of family + career was not common in her era; she pushed boundaries for women in broadcast media.

2. Trust and longevity in journalism
   Holding a prominent morning television role for nearly two decades gave her a strong platform and public trust. Many American viewers grew up seeing her as a dependable presence.

3. Advocacy through experience
   Her willingness to share personal challenges (cancer, caregiving, aging) has helped humanize public health issues and connect with audiences beyond news headlines.

4. Voice on aging and health
   Her recent works and hosting Second Opinion reflect her commitment to issues of aging, health, and quality of life for older adults.

5. Inspiration to reinvention
   Her career shifts, from co-host to correspondent, author, health advocate, show adaptability and resilience in a changing media landscape.

Famous Quotes of Joan Lunden

Here are some of Joan Lunden’s memorable and widely cited quotes, illustrating her outlook on attitude, forgiveness, growth, and resilience:

1. “A positive attitude is something everyone can work on, and everyone can learn how to employ it.”

2. “Holding on to anger, resentment and hurt only gives you tense muscles, a headache and a sore jaw from clenching your teeth. Forgiveness gives you back the laughter and the lightness in your life.”

3. “A heart filled with anger has no room for love.”

4. “Remove failure as an option and your chances for success become infinitely better.”

5. “Exude happiness and you will feel it back a thousand times.”

6. “It is reassuring to know that I can control how I feel and what I do on any given day. The way I choose to see the world creates the world I see.”

7. “I had three children while doing a show, as demanding as ‘Good Morning America,’ … I am less daunted about motherhood, and parenting at this point in time.”

8. “The only thing to really be afraid of is if you don’t go get your mammograms … that’s the thing that’s going to trip you up.”

These quotes reflect her belief in active agency (choosing attitude), letting go (forgiveness), and speaking openly about health and identity.

Lessons from Joan Lunden’s Life

From her journey, we can draw meaningful lessons:

• Speak honestly from experience. Lunden turned personal challenges (cancer, aging, caregiving) into platforms for connection and advocacy.

• Balance matters, but it’s not perfect. Her negotiation for bringing her baby to work and integrating family into her career demonstrates the possibility (and limits) of balance in demanding professions.

• Resilience and reinvention are powerful. Rather than fading after her GMA years, she reinvented her public role through writing, health advocacy, and new broadcasting roles.

• Positivity is active. Her many quotes emphasize that attitude isn’t passive—it’s a choice, a practice.

• Use your platform for good. She has used her visibility to raise awareness (breast cancer, caregiving, aging), touching lives beyond entertainment or news.