Bloomington Resident Celebrates 50 Years of Mountain Climbing, Community Sports
Leanne Hansen has called the same Bloomington house home for 50 years, drawn by the city's walkable neighborhoods and proximity to nature centers that fuel her passion for outdoor activities.
The longtime resident has climbed 33 mountains in Colorado and reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro at 19,000 feet. Hansen said mountain climbing energizes her and provides a sense of freedom away from crowds.
It's like you're free when you're up there because there's hardly anybody with you," Hansen said during a recent community spotlight. "It really energizes me. You could be feeling bad, you don't feel bad anymore.
Hansen's athletic pursuits extend beyond mountain climbing to include triathlons, adventure races and racquetball. She joined a men's racquetball league due to the absence of a women's league and made the playoffs. Despite admitting she "really hated the swim" portion of triathlons and worried about drowning, Hansen compensated by becoming a faster cyclist and runner.
The active resident also participates in Bloomington's walking club, plays piano since age five, and recently traveled to Las Vegas to qualify for a senior racquetball tournament. Though a knee injury will prevent her from competing, Hansen plans to attend and cheer for fellow players she considers friends.
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- The decline of senior-specific athletic tournament opportunities in Minnesota.
- The long-term benefits of accessible urban nature trails on senior resident health.
Minnesota doesn't have a racquetball tournament for seniors anymore.
Source document
[0:00] - This is something that my
grandson, Noah, he's saying,
[0:04] my grandma climbs mountains.
[0:08] I'm Leanne Hansen
[0:09] and I've lived in Bloomington
[0:11] for about the last 50
years in the same house.
[0:15] And the reason for that is
because it's near nature centers
[0:20] and you can walk anywhere here safely.
[0:22] Oh, we've climbed a lot of
mountains in Colorado, 33 times,
[0:28] 33 mountains.
[0:30] Just love climbing mountains.
[0:32] It's like you're free when you're up there
[0:34] because there's hardly anybody with you.
[0:36] It really energizes me.
[0:38] You could be feeling bad,
you don't feel bad anymore.
[0:42] Just keep walking. The highest
mountain I've climbed is
[0:46] Kilimanjaro, which is 19,000
feet. Mostly triathlons,
[0:50] and there's some adventure races too.
[0:53] And then there's racquetball.
[0:55] I started, you know, kinda late.
[0:57] I hadn't even heard of racquetball,
[0:59] but I just grew to love it.
[1:01] You have to run a lot.
[1:02] You have to go low and try to
figure out how to beat people.
[1:06] I signed up for a men's league
[1:08] because it wasn't a women's league.
[1:10] I made the playoffs. The triathlons,
[1:13] I really hated the swim.
I always felt lucky
[1:17] I didn't drown. I wasn't a good swimmer,
[1:21] but I really liked biking
[1:23] and I liked running, so I always had
[1:25] to make up the time to win 'em.
[1:27] So I had to become a
faster biker and a runner.
[1:31] So I did improve.
[1:33] I love participating in the walking club.
[1:35] I just love it.
[1:37] I like walking with
other people, you know,
[1:39] because we always go out on
trails that are really well done
[1:44] and it, it's nature
[1:46] and we see lots of things
like birds, butterflies.
[1:50] I've played the piano
since I was about five
[1:52] and still doing it.
[1:54] I used to be a piano teacher
even.
[1:56] I love to be in nature.
[1:58] I love racquetball.
[2:00] And we recently went to Las
Vegas so I could qualify
[2:05] because Minnesota doesn't
have a racquetball tournament
[2:08] for seniors anymore.
[2:09] I qualified and I was really
looking forward to it.
[2:14] But I have a bad knee, but
I'm gonna still go down there
[2:18] and cheer for all the other
people that I've played
[2:22] because I have friends.
[2:26] I'll be cheering for 'em.
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Other Topics from This Document
Athletic pursuits and lifestyle
Participation in local walking clubs
Senior citizen sports accessibility in Minnesota
Maintaining physical activity despite aging
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